Muffins

It is amazing how many recipes for muffins there are. Just when I think they couldn’t possibly come up with any more ideas for things to put in a muffin recipe they come up with French Onion & Asparagus Muffins!
I have found that what you cook your muffins in makes a big difference in the finished product. The thinner, less expensive muffins pans don’t produce nearly as good a product that a cast iron muffin pan does. Those things hold the heat so that the muffins come out light and fluffy and evenly browned

Amaretto Muffins

1/2 c. Flour
1/2 c. Almonds - Finely chopped
2 t. Baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 t. Vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter - melted
2 oz. Amaretto liqueur
4 T chocolate pieces, finely chopped
Mix together flour, sugar, almonds, baking powder, salt & vanilla. In a separate bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar and liqueur, beating until creamy. Blend mixture with butter and dry ingredients and then add chocolate pieces.
Fill muffin tins only 2/3 high. Bake for 20-25 min at 350˚ F.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
Combine the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. (I did not have time to freeze the filling. I spooned about a tablespoon into my hands and rolled it into a ball and plopped it in the center of the batter.) Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.
Or you can use this for the filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3 T. brown sugar
For the topping:
1/2 c. sugar
5 T. flour
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
4 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the muffins:
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. ginger
2 t. ground cloves
1 t. ground nutmeg
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 c. sugar
2 c. pumpkin puree
1 1/4 c. vegetable oil
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)

Orange Mini Muffins

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 egg
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 T. grated orange peel
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat the egg, orange juice, sour cream, oil, orange peel and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Lemon Zucchini Muffins

2 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. soda
1 1/2 c. grated zucchini
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 T. molasses
1/4 c. melted butter
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. grated rind of lemon
Make as per muffins. Cook at 350 for 30 min.

French Onion and Asparagus Muffins

2 c. Self Raising Flour, sifted into a large bowl
40 gr packet French Onion Soup Mix
125 gr spreadable Cream Cheese
2 Eggs, beaten
1 c. Milk
90 gr Melted Butter
1 bunch Asparagus - trimmed, blanched, chopped
Preheat oven to moderate, 180 degree Celsius. Line muffin tins with paper cups
Combine soup mix with flour
In a bowl, whisk cheese, eggs, milk and butter; Add to the flour mix. Fold in asparagus
Spoon mixture into the cups to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

Triple Hitter Muffins

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I prefer canola oil)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup applesauce (I prefer sweetened)
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar. Beat in egg, then applesauce. Stir in carrots and zucchini. In another large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold dry ingredients into wet, until just mixed. Grease muffin tray. Spoon batter to the very top of muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in a muffin. Yield: 12 muffins Print this post