Light and Tender Pumpkin Muffins... using Spelt Flour.

Light and Tender Pumpkin Muffins... using Spelt Flour. I know, I know... pumpkin related baked goods are more of a norm during the Fall season or for the Thanksgiving holiday. But I am sure many of us have leftover pumpkin puree stashed in our freezers... or extra cans in our pantry. Well, I do anyway:). Actually, I make sure to have some extra pumpkin puree, so I could bake these muffins throughout the year.... because pumpkin is good for you:)!

Some time ago I invented this pumpkin muffin recipe when I realized I could substitute pumpkin puree for the mashed banana in my banana bread recipe....truthfully, I had some leftover pumpkin I needed to use up and just took my chance:). But the Starbucks Banana Bread recipe is probably the most used recipe off this site... and I'm not kidding. I tend to have banana bread/muffins in my freezer most of the times and I no longer make any other banana bread. Actually I stopped searching for other banana bread recipes ever since I made the Starbucks' version. Too simple. Too good. But I do need to back up a bit and mention that I now make an adapted version of the original..... using less sugar and some extra light olive oil. Slight changes, but we like the recipe that way.

This is the type of recipe comes together quickly(I use a fork to mix everything, but you can use a mixer)... and the muffins come out light and moist. Plus, I've managed to vary the recipe from time to time, by using all sorts of flours and mixing in various additions... like nuts, chocolate, apple chunks, dried fruit, etc. So we never get tired of it:).

This past Thanksgiving, I received a hostess gift from a sweet friend who came over for a week-long visit. I'm always amazed how some people really make it a point to gift you with items that are such a blessing. Gifts that get used in practical ways.... such as beautiful kitchen towels (I really needed some, but how did my friend know?!), a package of tea, some vanilla pods, and a container of pumpkin pie spice... among other things. Such practical gifts, yet lovingly put together... and every time I use the pumpkin pie spice, I think of her.

The pumpkin puree can easily be exchanged with any winter squash/butternut squash puree. Actually, I made a 9x5 inch loaf, instead of the muffins... using some winter squash from the fall that was baked and pureed. It was delicious. I haven't yet experimented with using homemade apple sauce, carrot puree, zucchini , beets or other similar purees... though I have used pureed frozen strawberries We really loved the the strawberry flavor, and plan on experimenting with other purees... I've also substituted the sugar with less honey... which works.

In any case, I thought to share a recipe that has been made over and over in our house. Normally, I'll make more than one batch at a time... to freeze for later. While I've never added a frosting to these muffins... a good spiced cream cheese frosting would really go well together... and then you can just call them cupcakes:). Hope you enjoy...               

Note: A 29 oz can of pumpkin puree, makes about 3 batches... with a bit of pumpkin puree leftover( maybe 1/3 cup). I tend to add an extra TBS of pumpkin to each batch, this way I don't have to worry about the extra puree... really, doesn't affect the outcome too much. You can likewise freeze the extra puree and use it in scones, pancakes, cookies, etc.

Tip: You can easily bake this in a 9x5 pan... increase baking time to 50-60 minutes.

You will need: Feel free to adjust sugar to taste. We don't mind less sugar, but if you are not used to less sugar in your sweets (or if you are making these for guests), you might want to use the full cup amount. 

2 cups whole-grain spelt flour( can use all purpose flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 ⁄4 tsp salt

2 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 ex-large egg

2/3-1 cup sugar

1 ⁄2 cup light olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 TBS buttermilk*

1 cup pumpkin puree

chopped pecans, optional

* I add 2-3 tsps lemon juice to whole milk and let sit until curdled. I've used 3 TBS soured milk...and I've also used 1/4 cup(to use up all my soured milk); the reason for the range. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 deg F. Line muffin tin with liners. Set aside.

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, vanilla and oil until combined. Add to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.... it's quite stiff.

3. Add the buttermilk and pureed pumpkin and mix until combined.... batter loosens up a bit. If using nuts, fold in 1 ⁄2 c chopped walnuts ... otherwise scoop batter( one regular ice scream scoop should fill each muffin liner) into prepared muffin tins. Top batter with remaining 1 ⁄3 c chopped walnuts( if using).

4. Bake for 24-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan. 
~After the muffins cool, I like to freeze mine... they somehow get better, sort of like banana bread which is best eaten on the following day.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Blueberry Crumb Muffins... I really like blueberry muffins. I will usually reach for a blueberry muffin over any other muffin. So when I came across this recipe on Allrecipes, I knew I wanted to make it. The recipe had really high reviews. Reviewers were raving about the muffins as being the BEST! I have also seen the recipe on numerous blogs and in a recent cookbook....with all sorts of variations.

I had just bought some fresh blueberries. I was meaning to eat them fresh... as a snack. But I really wanted to try the recipe, and so I used some of the blueberries to make these muffins:). We really, really liked the muffins...especially with the crumb topping. I think it's the crumb topping that gives the muffins a bakery-like taste... and what makes the muffin. This recipe comes together rather quickly. You can easily whip it up for a wonderful breakfast treat. If you would like, you can easily exchange the blueberries with different fruits... try some chopped apple, strawberries, raspberries, etc. I think you can also add some nuts as well. You can even try adding some ground oatmeal to the crumb topping. In any case, this is a great basic recipe for a ton of variations.

When I mix my muffins, I like to incorporate the dry and the wet ingredients halfway... but not mixing it completely. I then add the blueberries and continue to fold until the batter just comes together. By doing this, I don't overmix the batter. It is also important not to overbake the muffins as they can dry out. I like to freeze my muffins(after eating one warm:))...just because the flavors get even more pronounced and I can always make them ahead.... it also keeps them quite moist. I am posting this recipe just in case you would like to try it. I'll be making these again....for sure. It is a great find and I am hoping you will agree:). Hope you enjoy...

You will need: makes 12 muffins~ adapted from Allrecipes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp almond extract( or vanilla)

1 cup fresh blueberries

lemon peel(optional)

Crumb Topping: This will make enough for almost a double batch. You will have some leftover if doing only 12 muffins...just freeze it for another time~ or you can just halve the ingredients.

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup liquid measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to make 1 cup. Mix until blended and add to flour mixture. Mix until halfway combined. Fold in blueberries and mix until the batter just comes together.

Try not to overmix.

Fill muffin cups and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. If you only make 12 muffins you will probably have some leftover. I did.

To Make Crumb Topping:

Mix together sugar, flour, butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done. Mine only took about 20 minutes.... do try not to overbake as the muffins will dry out. Do check them at the 18 minute mark and go from there.

Raspberry Friand/Madeline/Tea Cake

Raspberry Friand/Madeline/Tea Cake... My new favorite tea cake...this recipe will definitely be made again, and again, and again. I like it that much. Plus, I think from now on I will be making my madelines using this recipe. I like them. I like them a lot....

It is kind of interesting how this recipe came about. For some time now, I've been looking at friand/financier recipes, just because they look so pretty... not to mention, that I am always on the lookout for any tea dessert:). As of late, I've also been wanting to substitute some of the white flour with almond flour in most of my baked goods. That is, if I can get away with it:)...I just like the flavor and find it's much healthier. Anyway, since friands are known to have almond flour as a major ingredient, I really wanted to make them. I did have a problem, though.

I do not like wasting ingredients and most friand recipes use just egg whites. This particular recipe required 5 egg whites...what to do with all the egg yolks? I had just made some ice cream and I wasn't about to make any pastry cream. So I figured I would add 3 egg whites and a whole egg. That would do it. I would only have 3 egg yolks... it was fine. I was up for making my absolute FAVORITE breakfast.... Eggs Benedict. I didn't waste... and I came up with a winning recipe! I was sooo excited. I am sharing my version of the classic friand.... just in case you might be interested in trying it out. You will of course still need to deal with the 3 egg yolks:). Would this dessert still be considered a friand?... if it contains an egg yolk? Maybe I'll call them tea cakes instead:)...

This recipe makes enough for 12 friands(or tea cakes) and a little leftover. I decided to make some madelines with the leftover batter. I got about 8 madelines. I used a heart shaped muffin/cake tin. You can use also use a square tin or the classic friand boat shape tins...or even mini muffin tins. Maybe you can even make them in a round/square cake pan and cut them in small pieces(haven't tried that though...you will need to adjust baking time).
These are definitely cute for a tea party...feel free to add blueberries/blackberries or drizzle with chocolate or a fine dusting of powdered sugar. You can even leave them plain. We really liked these cakes. Hope you enjoy....

Tip: You can grind your own almond meal in a blender/food processor/coffee grinder...I like to use slivered almonds 1 scant cup of slivered almonds= 1 cup almond meal(according to my measurement)  You can also grind some unsweetened dried shredded coconut to a fine grind and substitute some of it for the almond. This is totally optional.
I substituted 3 TBS of almond meal for 3 TBS unsweetened coconut meal.

You will need:

1/2 cup(4 oz) butter, unsalted
1 cup almond meal
1 2/3 cups confectioner’s sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 egg whites
1 whole egg
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
raspberries, fresh

Additional:optional
powdered sugar,
melted chocolate

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.

1.Grind slivered almonds to a fine meal, being careful not to turn it into butter....otherwise, use store-bought. Set aside.
2. Melt butter over low heat and cook until melted and a light golden color. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, add the almond meal, coconut meal(if using), confectioner’s sugar, flour, and baking powder. Whisk well to combine.
4. Lightly beat the egg whites with and whole egg until just combined(with a fork).
5. Add the egg mixture to the dry mix. Stir until combined.
6. Pour in the butter and stir it until completely combined.
7. Stir in the almond/vanilla extract .

7. Grease muffin tins(round,square,oblong, heart...etc. or tins of any type like a madeline pan). 
8. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of batter into each tin and add a few berries on top slightly embedding them in the batter. Don't press them in too much as the batter will rise and cover them.
9. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden and spring back when you touch them.

Makes a dozen heart-shaped friands and about 8 madelines.

Copycat version of Costco's Muffins... well, sort of...

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Copycat Version of Costco's Muffins...Well, sort of...But, they are easy to make and really good... Ok, so have you ever had the BIG Costco muffins? Well, every so often my husband craves the blueberry muffins they sell. They are good. So good, you want to eat a whole muffin all by yourself. The only problem is that they are big and you have to buy a bunch. So, I thought I would search the net for a copycat version and came upon this recipe that I was willing to try. I believe the Costco muffins have oil in the recipe... at least I think so. They are just so moist.... I initially looked at the recipe and hesitated to make it for some time...just because it had quite a bit of sugar. But somehow, I kept thinking about it .... would it hurt to try it? I mean, it looked really easy to do. I could just whip it up in no time...and, I could freeze them. Well, I gave the recipe a try. I sort of felt guilty, so I decided to cut down on the sugar and oil, not by much, just enough to make me feel better and actually try it:)...and even after I cut down on the sugar, I still caught myself using a bit less than what I have posted....to sort of compensate for the sugar icing. I also increased the amount of eggs and cut the recipe in half. I think this recipe does come pretty close to the Costco version...not exactly the same, but pretty close:). I guess the original version has you drizzle a sugar/orange juice syrup over the muffins ...which makes them even more moist. I skipped that...as I felt it didn't need it. But I do think this recipe is worth making again. As you can see, I made 2 versions:)...and not on the same day.

Now, this recipe has got to be one of the easiest muffin recipes you can actually make....seriously. You just add all the ingredients in a mixer bowl, mix for 1 to 2 minutes, pour the batter in a muffin tin, and bake. That's it...ok, you might need to add an extra step if you want to do a variation...like topping the muffins with some berries and/or drizzling some icing over them....the icing is purely optional. I just thought it would look pretty:)... There is no creaming, no folding...just mixing. It actually reminds me of the simple directions on a cake mix box...but this is much better, as it is homemade. This is a basic recipe for muffins that can easily be adapted to make a variety of flavors. I chose to do an almond poppy seed and a blueberry version....next time, I will try a walnut cinnamon crumb version. Since the batter uses oil, you will need to add some kind of flavoring to compensate for the lack of butter. I am sure you can add some butter flavoring. I love to add lemon/orange peel...and additional flavor such as vanilla/almond etc. These muffins freeze very well. I actually prefer freezing them as the flavors get even more pronounced. If you make them, please let me know how you like them. Of course, feel free to make the original recipe. Hope you enjoy...

You will need: makes 12 muffins inspired by this recipe

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar( I have caught myself using a bit less:)

2 tsp-1 TBS poppy seeds( depends on how much you like poppy seeds...I used 1 TBS)

2 eggs

1 tsp almond extract or to taste

1 tsp vanilla extract or to taste

lemon peel/orange zest (optional...though it gives it great flavor)

Directions:

In a mixer bowl, add all the ingredients. With a mixer,mix all ingredients for about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into greased muffin tins or paper muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until muffin springs back when gently poked. Do keep an eye on them as every oven is different. Watch it at the 20 minute mark and go from there... you might even need to bake them a bit longer than 25 minutes. Mine took about 20 minutes. Not sure if it is the altitude...

If making Blueberry Muffin Variation:

Omit poppy seed and top with blueberries about 10-12 blueberries per muffin or to taste. I still used the almond and vanilla flavoring. next time, I think I would like to add a few blueberries in the middle of the batter as well.

I also decided to drizzle an orange flavored powdered sugar icing. I put about 3-4 TBS powdered sugar in a plastic bag added a a couple of drops of water with a bit of orange flavor and mixed it to a drizzling consistency. If it is too runny,add a bit more sugar. If too dry, add a bit more water. You can easily add some orange juice instead of the water and some orange zest. Adjust according to taste. Snip a small corner from the bag and drizzle over muffins.

Chocolate Banana Bread (revisited)...made into Muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins..... I posted a Chocolate Banana Bread recipe awhile back that I really liked. Well, recently I had some overripe bananas that were just perfect for baking. I decided to make muffins instead. They are perfect for keeping in the freezer...just take one out when you need it. A great little breakfast item or as a snack. These muffins were great....nice and moist. I noticed that the very ripe bananas impart a ton of flavor into the muffins, more so than semi-ripe bananas. Just keep an eye on the baking time...try not to over bake them or they will become dry. It should take approximately 18-20 minutes, depending on the amount of filling used per muffin liner. Please refer to the Chocolate Banana Bread recipe for detailed photos or more info.

You will need:

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed well (1 1/2 cups)
6 TBS (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup whole or low-fat plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla extract (you can add rum,orange or any other flavoring you want)
*tip if you really like them chocolaty, try folding in about a cup of chocolate chips into the batter.

Directions:
Adjust an oven rack to lower -middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or place muffin liners in pan. Set aside.
Whisk the flour,cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.In a medium bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla together. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined(do not over mix).Fold in the chocolate chips(if using)... the batter will look thick and chunky.Fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way with the batter and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, about 18-20 minutes.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Spiced Pumpkin Bread...What is Fall without a pumpkin bread? I recently tried this recipe from America's Kitchen (can you tell I like their recipes?!). It was a wonderful bread... moist and flavorful. I of course had to do my own version ...nothing of big change. I just didn't have canned pumpkin like the recipe called for. But, I did have some pumpkin that I had baked and frozen for recipes like this. I processed it and made it like a paste. It worked wonderfully!

I baked 2 breads ... just I wanted to see how different flavors go with this bread. I made a coconut and chocolate chip... loved the flavors. I also made the original recipe with pecans and cranberries. It batter looked so beautiful when stirring it... the colors were so fall like! This bread freezes very well... good to keep for that cup of tea or coffee. Hope you enjoy...

NOTE: I use this recipe when making pumpkin bread nowadays... easier and uses oil instead of butter.  

Tip: Be sure to buy unsweetened canned pumpkin...

You can also bake this bread in muffin tins..... just decrease the time about half the baking time or until toothpick comes out clean.

You will need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (not pie filling)*

1 cup sugar

8 TBS (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

2 tsps vanilla

1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

I also added some almond flavoring

*I used 2 cups of homemade pureed pumpkin in my recipe... for the 15 oz can.

** I used 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead of all the spices they listed.

*** Also, I noticed that the baking time was a bit different for me...they say to bake for 45-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Mine took well over an hour... So, check and double check to make sure it is cooked completely and that the toothpick when inserted comes out clean.

Directions:

~Preheat oven to 350 deg F~

1. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pan...(I always cut a piece of parchment for the bottom to ensure that the bread will come out.) Set aside.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda,baking powder, cinnamon,salt,spices in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin,sugar,melted butter, eggs and vanilla together until smooth.

3. Gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not over mix).

4. Gently fold the pecans and cranberries (if using). The batter will be very thick.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

6. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached... about 45 -55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

7. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 1 hr before serving.