Posts Tagged "muffins"

Cheesy Corn Muffins

Posted by Mal on Nov 22, 2011 in All Recipes | 0 comments

OK…wanna know a secret about me?  Just between you and me…are you ready for this?

I don’t like the taste of butter.  It’s true.  I never have.  I never will.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing stuff when it is combined with sugar and flour and baked in a 350 degree oven…I wouldn’t bake with anything but the real stuff, but when it comes to day to day use…nope.  No butter for this gal.

I do not like it on toast or any bread, regardless of its crunch factor.  (rolls are included here)

I do not like it on crab legs.

I do not like it cooked with lemon juice and disguised as a lemon butter sauce.  Gross.

I do not like it on my Auntie Anne’s Pretzels

I do not like it on bagels.

I do not like it on mashed potatoes.

I do not like it on baked potatoes.

I do not like it on my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – dad.

I just do not like it.

Buttttt…, yes there is a but.  Always an exception to the rule.  Wanna know my exception?

Corn.  In any form.  It doesn’t matter – on the cob, off the cob, stone ground….  Corn + butter = phenomenal.  And I don’t tiptoe around the butter when it comes to corn, oh no….I make up for lost time.  I slather.  Corn on the cob, butter is dripping off my chin and elbows.  My corn muffins are frosted with butter.  It is disturbing.  It’s heart clogging.  It’s delicious.

A simple corn muffin is probably my favorite muffin.  My brothers and I were raised on the Jiffy corn muffin mix and even to this day, I could place a bet that my mother has at least 2 boxes of the stuff in her cupboard just in case there is a craving for corn bread…which there may be, in which case, she will be well prepared.  This has happened in my family…a unanimous craving for cornbread.  We are a strange group.

These muffins aren’t from a box, but almost as simple to throw together, and dare I say it, way better?!?  (sorry Jiffy, you will always have a soft spot in my heart…)  With the addition of corn kernels and sharp cheddar cheese…there is just no comparison.  I post this blog days before Thanksgiving with hopes that you are still looking for ideas and inspiration for the big day.  Make these.  They are simple and delicious…exactly what you need during a day that is a whirlwind.  A tasty whirlwind, but still a whirlwind.

Cheesy Corn Muffins

Ingredients

•  1 + 1/4 Cup Stone Ground Cornmeal
• 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/3 Cup Milk (skim, whole, or 2%)
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) Butter, melted
• 1 Cup Corn (fresh, frozen, or canned – just make sure it is thawed and/or drained well)
• 1 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Line muffin pan with cups or liberally butter/cooking spray each muffin cup.  (remember to oil the surface of the muffin pan as well – allows the muffin top to release from pan with ease)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the corn meal, all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, buttermilk, and corn.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fold in the melted butter and cheese.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full  and bake in preheated oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  They will be lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan.

If you prefer cornbread instead of muffins, then grease a 9 x 13 pan and pour batter into pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Best straight out of the oven, but can be stored in an airtight container and will remain fresh for up to 3 days.

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Posted by Mal on Jun 8, 2011 in All Recipes | 1 comment

Monday night, Melissa and I, went to Loretta Paganini School of Cooking and ate our way through the flavors of California with Chef Michael Herschman.   We had such a great time and I am hoping some of those recipes end up on here in the near future.  I think the first thing will be the salt-baked chicken…freaking amazing!   Stay tuned!

I woke up early the next morning, yesterday, also known as Tuesday,  which was surprising seeing how I feel asleep at around 10:30pm after being up for 28 hours. 

Say what?  28 hours?  What are you crazy?  Yep, a little bit. 

Its the whole working nights every other week.  Its weird. 

Does anyone else love early mornings?  They are so quiet and peaceful and the earlier you get up the longer your day feels.  I love super-duper long days, especially during the summer.  And if you take a nap during the day, the guilt doesn’t way you down, because you got up early!  See how that works?  Its lovely. 

Anyway, I had big plans for today.  Cookie baking for a 4 year olds birthday, yard work, exercise, cleaning, etc…However, after I ate breakfast, ( coffee and cereal on the patio while I watched the resident bunny hop around…another reason why I love mornings, bunnies.) all I could think of was the extra rhubarb and strawberries that I had left-over from a previous post. 

I slurped up the rest of my cereal, warmed up my coffee, bid the bunny farewell and started chopping some rhubarb and strawberries. 

These muffins are cinnamony (its a word), chunky, sweet but not overly so, fruity, tart – its that rhubarb!   Oh yeah, and there is browned butter in them.  Yum!  I really like how these turned out and, well, I have had several already – two, maybe three…it definitely wasn’t more than four.  I swear.  I gave them away before I could do any more damage.  I sure hope my co-workers enjoyed them!

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Rhubarb, diced (about 1 stalk)
• 1 Cup Strawberries, diced
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Extra-large egg
• 1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 2 Cups All-purpose flour, plus extra for tossing with fruit
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 + 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 5 Tablespoons Browned butter (if you are afraid of browning butter, melted butter works just fine!)

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Brown butter.  To do so, place butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat and cook until browned specks begin to appear at the bottom of the pan.  It will smell nutty.  At this point remove from heat and transfer to another bowl to cool slightly.  If you are unsure of this step, go ahead and use normal melted butter. 
3. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, cooled browned butter, sugar, vanilla and set aside.
4. Whisk together dry ingredients, which include flour, oats,  baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Pour in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined – do not over mix. 
6. Toss the fruit with about 1/4 cup of flour and then fold them into the batter.
7. Scoop into prepared muffin tins – about 3/4 of the way full or so. 
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
9. Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Apple Pecan Muffins

Posted by Mal on May 20, 2011 in All Recipes | 0 comments

I have found myself with a surplus of apples…why?  Who knows.  I apparently can’t count.  There is only one of me and I still buy enough fruit for a family of 4.  Right now I have 2 mangoes, 4 bananas, 6 apples, and 1 lemon staring at me from my fruit basket.  Lets just say I definitely get my 4 to 6 servings recommended by the food pyramid, or is it 2 to 4 servings?  Who knows, that pyramid is bogus.  Who seriously needs 6 to 12 servings of grains every day?  That is 12 bowls of cereal or 12 slices of bread…seriously?!  Talk about a carb coma.  And they wonder why we are obese as a nation….OK, stepping off of my soap box.  

OK I might be a little hypocritical here seeing how I am making muffins.    Moderation is the key.  Plus, I think eating muffins is more of a treat or a weekend brunch item (does anyone eat brunch, or is this something that is only done in movies?).  Not to be eaten on a daily basis, but something to break up the monotony of the week.  Plus, its a creative outlet to use some extra Granny Smith apples that are rolling around your kitchen. 

I made these pretty hearty with the addition of pecans, apple chunks, and apple butter (makes my top 5 list of spreads, below nut butters but above jelly/jams).  Garnishing the top are glazed pecans -amazing! - and brown sugar.  These are a denser muffin, but the flavor is nice and light and they are just sweet enough.  They can be stored in an air-tight container and frozen or eaten straight from the oven with a bit of butter.  I am thinking of making these again (always thinking of how to improve), but with buttermilk and maybe some pear juice or pears.  I am obsessed with the pear/apple combination.*If there is a nut allergy, the nuts can be omitted*

I have houseguests coming this weekend (during baseball season I have guests more frequently) and will be serving these for breakfast.

Apple Pecan Muffins

Makes 16

Ingredients

• 1/4 Cup melted butter, cooled
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 3/4 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Cup milk
• 3/4 Cup apple butter
• 2 extra-large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Cup pecans, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Glazed pecans, 1/4 Cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for the topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare muffin pans, either grease pans or use paper liners
2. In one medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (pecans, cinnamon, giner, flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda)
3. In another medium bowl whisk together wet ingredients (melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, milk, apple butter, and chopped apples)
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix just until everything is incorporated….don’t overmix, you will get tough muffins.
5. Spoon into muffins tins.  Fill cups about 3/4 of the way full.  Top with brown sugar mixture and glazed pecans and press down to ensure it sticks. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. 
7. Let cool, or enjoy straight out of the oven!

I hope you enjoy these and add your own twists, making them your own!