Pumpkin Millet Muffins

November 4, 2013 by Mackenzie

Halloween may be over, but cooking with pumpkin is most definitely not! I couldn’t possibly wait a whole year to post these because they are mouth-wateringly delicious!

I love these muffins for two reasons. 1) they are exceptionally moist, which is a characteristic I value highly in my muffins! And 2) the addition of the millet gives these muffins a unique texture that I love. In case you’ve never had millet, it is a grain that has a slight crunch to it, even when fully cooked. I’ve never had it in baked goods so was very curious to try it here and I loved the complexity it added! I’ll definitely be trying out millet in some of my other baked goods recipes.

And no, these do not ascribe to my clean eating/real foods lifestyle that I try to live by. But I am completely okay with an occasional treat 🙂 And luckily, I live in a building full of college students who love to eat the fruits of my baking endeavors!

Pumpkin Millet Muffins
Recipe from Whole Foods Market
Makes 14 muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 cup millet
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place paper liners in a muffin pan.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add millet and toast until golden brown, stirring occasionally. You’ll hear the millet begin to pop after 3-4 minutes and that’s when it’s toasted. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, sour cream, milk, melted butter, pumpkin, sugar and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients, (flours, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, spices and cooled millet) and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

4. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling cups almost to the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. They are delicious warm!!!

Banana Walnut Muffins

April 27, 2013 by Mackenzie

Classes are over so let the cooking and baking begin!

I made these for breakfast yesterday and boy were they good! The recipe is from Fine Cooking’s “Breakfast and Brunch” special magazine. There are so many good recipes inside so get ready to see a lot more!

These muffins were especially good because they were BIG. Not your puny little muffins that you have to eat three of to feel full – but those big, wide-topped muffins that you see in a bakery window and just have to have… Plus, bananas and walnuts are such a satisfying combination, then you top it with a cinnamon glaze? Sheesh, I’m sold!

Banana Walnut Muffins
Makes 12-16 muffins
Recipe from Fine Cooking’s “Breakfast and Brunch” magazine

Ingredients:

Muffins:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup
10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup skim milk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced bananas
3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Melt the butter and get it cooling. Set out the milk, sour cream and eggs so it can get to room temperature. (Do this way ahead of time! Its the key to the recipe!) Toast the walnut pieces.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F and line your muffin tins with muffin baking cups. I also sprayed the muffin tin so the muffin tops would be easy to get off. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, sour cream, eggs and egg yolk until well-combined.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently until just moistened. Gently fold in the banana pieces, walnut pieces and vanilla. Do not overmix – leave the batter a little lumpy.
4. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, mounding the batter 3/4 inch higher than the rim of the cups. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes on a wire rack.
5. When cool, whisk the powdered sugar and cinnamon with 4 tablespoons of water (or however much you need for the right consistency). Pop the muffins out of the tin and place on a rack with foil underneath. Pour the glaze onto the tops of the muffins, using a pastry brush to spread it. Let the glaze dry for 15 minutes and then enjoy!

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

April 25, 2013 by Mackenzie

What says “spring” better than lemon and raspberry? These muffins are moist and light – a perfect treat on a sunny spring morning!

This recipe easily halves (which we did so we wouldn’t be eating muffins for days!) or multiplies so it would be great for a Mother’s Day breakfast!

Lemon Raspberry Muffins
Makes 18 muffins
Recipe from lovegrowswild

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/4 cups raspberries
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the beaten eggs, buttermilk, oil, and lemon zest. Fold in the raspberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.
2. When the muffins are cool, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze, adding more lemon juice if needed. Drizzle over the muffins and use a pastry brush to make sure all the edges are coated. Let harden for 5 minutes.

Mackenzie

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