APPLE PECAN COFFEE CAKE MUFFINS

Adapted from bakedbyrachel.com who I found on tastespotting.com. Lots of steps, but pretty darn yummy.

Muffins
1 cup AP flour
1 cup WW flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 ½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup plain (preferably Greek) yogurt
1 large tart apple
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup pecan pieces

Topping
4 tablespoons butter, very soft (or melted ok too)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup AP flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Line 18 – 24 muffin cups in your pans. Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together first six ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, then beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in half of dry ingredients, then half of yogurt, repeat. Core, peel, and dice apple, then stir it in with raisins and pecans. Fill muffins cups about 2/3 full.

Mix topping ingredients together with a fork until you get about pea-sized bits. Spoon over muffin batter, dividing evenly. Bake for about 18 minutes, switching half way through if you are using two pans. Muffins are done when they spring back easily to the touch.

CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Not over the top decadent – just enough chocolate flavor to make you happy without sending you into overdrive. Nice and fluffy. These were great for several days. Adapted from a recipe by Nigella Lawson.

1 cup AP flour
1 cup WW flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 heaping tablespoons excellent quality cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup sugar

Line a 12 muffin tin with paper cups. Preheat oven to 400 F.

Whisk together first six ingredients in a medium bowl, then mix in ¾ cup chocolate chips (reserve the rest). In a larger bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Fold dry into wet; don’t overmix. Spoon into muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top of muffins. Bake for about 16 minutes, or until the muffins spring back to the touch.

SWEET POTATO & PECAN MUFFINS

I swear I put this up before, but now its missing, so here it is again.


½ lb. (about two small) sweet potatoes
1 cup flour
¾ cup “white” whole wheat flour
¼ cup almond meal (this and above flour at TJ’s)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda (if you use regular milk instead of buttermilk, delete this)
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
½ cup butter
4 Tablespoons brown sugar
4 Tablespoons sugar
¼ cup plain yogurt (greek style is nice)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup chopped raw pecans

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes with a fork and place on foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast for 1 hour or until tender. Remove, cool, scoop out flesh and mash with fork. (If your kids are really picky about texture, its worth breaking out the food processor and pureéing them.) Set aside. Or do this the night before and save.

Lower oven temperature to 350. Grease muffin tins (12 – 16).

Measure dry ingredients into medium bowl and whisk together well.

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Add yogurt, vanilla and cooled sweet potato and beat well. Stir in milk. Gradually stir in dry ingredients, then pecans.

Scoop into muffin tins, 2/3 full. Bake 25 – 35 minutes until tester comes out clean.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP TEA BREAD

Adapted from a Bon Appetit recipe, this was a great way to use up extra pumpkin after making pie. Very moist and not too sweet, even with the chocolate chips.

1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 4 mini loaf pans. Whisk together first 8 ingredients. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and buttermilk. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among loaf pans.

Bake until tester comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for about 15 minutes then turn out onto rack and cool completely.

LEMON BREAD

Heavily adapted from a recipe on Epicurious. For all you neighbors who give me lemons…

3 – 4 lemons, zested and then juiced
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
¼ cup vanilla yogurt

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease one loaf or four mini loaf pans
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add lemon zest, ¼ cup juice and yogurt. Mix in dry ingredients. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of bread comes out clean, about 1 hour for one loaf, 30 minutes for mini loaves.
Meanwhile, whisk together remaining juice, about ½ cup and confectioners sugar to make glaze.
Transfer lemon bread to rack. Poke holes in the crust with a skewer. Gradually spoon lemon glaze over hot bread, adding more as glaze is absorbed. Cool lemon bread completely in pan on rack. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Turn bread out onto rack. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature.)

PUMPKIN NUT MUFFINS

Adapted from a Gourmet 1997 recipe.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter, melted
¾ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt, or milk, and cut the baking soda out)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup walnut or pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease 12 muffin cups.

Whisk together first nine ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk together everything else but the nuts. Pour wet over dry and stir just until combined (mixture will be on the doughy, sticky side). Divide amongst the muffin cups and sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Serve warm.

CORN MUFFINS - SWEET

This one, I adapted from the recipe on the side of the Albers Corn Meal Box (with my usual substitutions).

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup corn meal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda (eliminate if you don’t use buttermilk)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk (or regular milk, but they’ll only be good, not the best)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 18 – 20 muffin cups.

Whisk together flours, sugar, corn meal, baking power, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, oil and butter (add that last) in a small bowl until a bit frothy. Add to flour mixture, stir just until blended. Pour into muffin cups, 2/3 full.

Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until wooden tester comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Can also put in a 8” square baking pan and cook for about 35 minutes. Serve warm.

HIDE AND SEEK MUFFINS

These are adapted from PRETEND SOUP by Molly Katzen. You are meant to use strawberries and make regular sized muffins, but we used raspberries in mini-muffins, because that’s what we had. Audrey made these with my help and we all loved them!

1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar, plus a bit more for berries

2 eggs
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
½ teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons melted butter
about 12 raspberries (or 12 medium sized strawberries)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line or grease 24 mini-muffins pan or 12 regular sized muffins pan.

Whisk together first six ingredients in a large bowl.

Beat the eggs in a smaller bowl. Whisk in the milk, vanilla and then melted butter.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry and mix “until the flour is all gone”.

Fill the the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Roll each berry in a little sugar, place in the center of each muffin cup and press down.

Bake 15 – 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes before eating, as berries can get very hot.

ZUCCHINI BREAD/MUFFINS

This is adapted from a recipe given out by the farmers of Schaner Farms last summer at the Santa Monica FM. I have made it with both orange and lemon zest/juice and both are good –whatever you have around. On my honor, Audrey said, “You have to put this recipe in your blog!” And I TOLD her it was zucchini bread, I wasn’t trying to hide nuthin!

¾ cup pecan or walnut pieces
¾ cup flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
½ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup zucchini, grated
zest and juice of one lemon or orange (or ¼ cup ish oj if you don’t have fresh)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan or two small ones or 12 muffin cups. Toast nuts in a toaster oven or pan until fragrant; cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in oil, honey (if you measure the oil first, the honey comes out much easier) and sugar. Stir in the rest, and the nuts. Pour into pans.

For one loaf, cook about an hour. For two small, cook about 40 minutes. For muffins, cook about 25 minutes. Until tester comes out clean.

BANANA MUFFINS OR BREAD

This came from a few different recipes on Epicurious, and I made my usual changes. I have resisted putting something with bananas on the site as I don’t think there is a place in the US where bananas are local produce, but, sometimes, you know, your husband buys bananas and nobody eats them and they get brown and really chocolate chip banana bread is the best course of action in that situation.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda (1/2 teaspoon if using buttermilk)
2 large eggs
½ cup whole milk, low fat milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar (I use a combo of granulated, brown and/or honey)
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (3 – 5 bananas)

1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped (optional)
½ cup mini-chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a loaf pan, or muffin tins. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, beat eggs, then beat in milk, vanilla, oil and eggs. Add bananas and mix in well. Pour wet mixture over dry and stir until just blended. Fold in nuts and/or chocolate if using. Transfer to prepared pan or muffin tins.

Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean: 25 - 30 minutes for muffins, 60 – 70 minutes for a loaf. Cool 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely.

CORN MUFFINS - SWEET

This one, I adapted from the recipe on the side of the Albers Corn Meal Box (with my usual substitutions).

1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup corn meal
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda (eliminate if you don’t use buttermilk)
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups buttermilk (or regular milk, but they’ll only be good, not the best)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line 18 – 20 muffin cups.

Whisk together flours, sugar, corn meal, baking power, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk together milk, eggs, oil and butter (add that last) in a small bowl until a bit frothy. Add to flour mixture, stir just until blended. Pour into muffin cups, 2/3 full.

Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until wooden tester comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.

CORN BREAD – NOT SO SWEET

This one I adapted from the recipe on the side of the Corn Meal bag I bought in NC. Made this for breakfast two mornings and it was VERY popular. (I subbed the ww flour and the buttermilk).

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup corn meal
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda (eliminate if using regular milk or cream)
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk (or regular milk, cream and/or yogurt)
2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat eggs in a small bowl, then beat in milk and oil. Pour wet ingredients into dry, mix together just until everything is moist. Pour into a buttered 9 x 9 inch baking dish or muffin tins. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

BASIC WHOLE WHEAT BREAD #1

This bread machine recipe was passed on to me by my friend Charlotte It has a strong honey flavor and makes excellent toast, has a great texture and rises up nicely even with all this whole wheat flour. I am not sure why, but each Bread machine seems to like its ingredients put in a certain order. This is the order for the Williams-Sonoma. Just check your machine instructions to determine in what order yours should go.

1/3 cup honey
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons canola oil or butter (at room temperature)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
3 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal, almond meal, ground flaxseeds or oats (I have had success with each of these)
2 tablespoons gluten
2 teaspoons yeast

Place the ingredients in the machine in the above order. Program for Whole Wheat cycle, 2 lb. loaf, Light crust.

BASIC WHOLE WHEAT BREAD RECIPE #2

My friend Lauren served me this bread when she made us ham sandwiches for lunch. Her husband Chris made it, and shared the recipe. I made it this week and really appreciated a change of pace from Basic WW Bread Recipe #1. The honey flavor is less intense and it’s a smaller loaf so the slices aren’t so huge, which makes this a much better sandwich bread. Girls loved it (and this is what Audrey had for dinner when she turned her nose up at the Lentil Soup).

They have a Breadman Plus, which calls for this order:

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups water
3 tablespoons butter/oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon gluten
1 tablespoon yeast

Program for: 1 ½ lb. Loaf, Whole Wheat Cycle, Light Crust

This is the order for the Williams-Sonoma:

3 tablespoons canola oil or butter (room temp)
3 tablespoons honey
1 ¼ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup all purpose flour
½ cup rolled oats or almond meal or ground flaxseed or corn meal
1 tablespoon gluten
1 tablespoon yeast (I actually used one package which is not quite a tablespoon and it was fine)

Place in the machine and program for Whole Wheat, 1 ½ lb. loaf, Light Crust