Hot Chocolate Muffins

December 2, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin Mama1 Comment

This muffin is as comforting as a steaming mug of cocoa on a freezing cold day. In fact, the recipe was “born” on a blistery day (negative four degrees in Chicago) when 2-year-old Michael was up for the day at 4:30am.

As the muffins bake, the marshmallow filling melts the way the jet-puffed candy dissolves into creamy hot chocolate. The toasted marshmallow top creates a perfectly browned hue and adds a touch of sweetness – a must. Serve with warm milk or as dessert on a snowy day.

Hot Chocolate Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup sour cream
½ cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup small marshmallows OR 12 large marshmallows

Marshmallow Filling*

1 cup cream cheese, whipped (at room temperature)
1 cup marshmallow cream (Fluff)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla

* recipe yields extra filling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, butter and vanilla.
4. Pour liquid mixture into dry mix and combine.
5. Distribute batter into muffin cups to 1/3 full.
6. For the Filling, whisk together cream cheese, marshmallow cream, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
7. Place one heaping teaspoon of filling and a few small marshmallows into each center.
8. Top with remaining muffin batter to no more than ¾ full (or else muffin tops will expand and reach one another during the baking process).
9. Place about 3-4 small marshmallows and/or 1 large marshmallow on each muffin top and prod into batter (be sure to prod into batter or else the marshmallows will slip off during the baking process).
10. Bake 16-18 minutes.
11. Allow to cool 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Honey Corn Muffins

November 24, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin Mama1 Comment

There is nothing worse than dry cornbread that gets stuck in your throat. That’s the reason I use a mix– I trust it. But trust me, these plush muffins are soft, fluffy, sweet, rich and moist.

Yellow. Handheld. Still crumbly like cornbread. Moist and fluffy with a wonderful honey flavor. The recipe is so easy. Kids love the bright yellow color, not to mention the wonderful honey flavor. Bake a batch for Thanksgiving dinner or just because.

Honey Corn Muffins (makes 12)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 stick (8 Tbsp) salted butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbsp Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix milk, eggs, honey, oil, butter and Greek yogurt.
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
5. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan, filling each muffin cup about 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden brown.
7. Drizzle with honey and add a pat of butter before serving.

Pecan Pie Muffins

November 21, 2014November 27, 2014 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

This twist on a classic Thanksgiving indulgence is sweet, buttery, and energy-packed. Gooey on inside and crisp on the outside, pecan pie muffins disappear fast.

The recipe calls for finely chopped pecans, placed at the bottom of each muffin, where beautiful speckles disperse texture throughout. These muffins have crisp buttery tops and and are moist and fudgy inside.

These are easy to make – throw together while waiting for turkey to exit the oven.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or alongside fruit. Drizzle with chocolate or caramel.

Muffinize a pecan pie and bring smiles to your Thanksgiving table. Pecan pie muffins are a handheld delicacy, to devour without a single fork.

Pecan Pie Muffins (makes 10)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 425. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine butter, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Pour butter mixture into dry mixture and stir just until moistened.
5. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of finely chopped pecans into each cup of muffin pan.
6. Use an ice cream scoop to distribute batter evenly over pecans in each muffin cup.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Leave muffins in muffin pan for five minutes before removing them to a wire cooling rack.

Spinach and Ricotta Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

November 17, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin Mama4 Comments

This meatloaf muffin is the perfect spin-off of a culinary classic, which many children despised during the early twentieth century.

The muffin is densely packed with wholesome protein and vegetable, but it does not feel or taste heavy. The filling makes it moist, with creamy ricotta cheese in every bite. The confetti-looking pieces of speckled spinach add pizazz.

The ricotta/spinach combination works perfectly. Consider the two an inspired duo, helped along by the saltiness of Parmesan and good old-fashioned salt and pepper. The muffins stand alone beautifully and can be served with salad or a side of baked fries. The topping is optional for those who like marinara.

If meatloaf is on your menu this week, try this lighter version. If you intend to serve leftovers, omit the mozzarella on top because it does not reheat as well as the rest of the ingredients.

This recipe is great to make with beef or a mix of turkey and beef.

Spinach and Ricotta Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (makes 12)

1 Lb ground turkey
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs (or 14 Ritz crackers, crushed)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Topping (optional)

1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine and mix thoroughly with hands the turkey, spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Distribute turkey mixture into the muffin-pan cups and press with back of spoon.
4. Spoon the marinara evenly over muffin cups. (optional)
5. Sprinkle mozzarella over marinara (optional).
6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

November 14, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin Mama1 Comment

These bright yellow, hot pink speckled, Strawberry Lemonade Muffins are candy for the eyes. They don’t spill! And they contain some protein from the eggs and milk.

The color of these muffins is a natural yellow, so brilliant that it will bring smiles and brighten your day. The flavor is buttery lemon with moist strawberry topping, which makes them as refreshing as the original strawberry lemonade beverage. Not the time to teach your children to share! Simply enjoy.

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins (makes 12)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
zest of 2 large lemons (about 2 Tbsp)
1 cup strawberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line it with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk.
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir.
5. Fold in the lemon juice and lemon zest.
6. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan, filling each muffin cup about 2/3 full.
7. Sprinkle tops of muffins with chopped strawberries. Prod into batter.
8. Bake for 4 minutes at 400 (this helps muffins to rise), then turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
9. Allow muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

November 11, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

A flawless combination: dried cranberries and white chocolate. These muffins are loaded with both. Soft and fudgy on the inside, and wonderfully crunchy on top. Every bite is dense, sweet, and buttery. Pure heaven.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins (makes 18)

1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1 cup of milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of dried cranberries
3/4 cup of white chocolate chip

For sprinkling on tops:
1/4 cup dried cranberries
¼ cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line it with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix brown sugar and butter.
3. Add to the brown sugar and butter mixture, the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly.
4. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
6. Fold in the cranberries and white chocolate chips.
7. With an ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups ¾ full with batter.
8. Sprinkle tops with extra dried cranberries and white chocolate chips (optional).
9. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

Apple Cider Muffins

November 6, 2014November 5, 2014 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Apple Cider Muffins

Whether it’s apple season or not, these muffins are reminiscent of the flavors of Autumn. Right out of the oven, they taste like earthy, spiced, sweet apple cider with cinnamon.

The crumbly Streusel Topping is made with a small amount of delicious butter, but some kids might be turned off by the grainy texture.

For adults, add finely chopped walnuts. For kids, instead of the Streusel Topping you might dip the tops of the baked muffins into melted butter first, and then roll the tops in a mixture of cinnamon sugar.

You will want to dunk these into your morning coffee. These smell heavenly and are freezer-friendly if you happen to have any leftovers. And remember, the streusel topping makes crumbs (you won’t care after you taste them!)

Apple Cider Muffins (makes 12)

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup apple butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil

Streusel Topping

2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
4 tsp whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Prepare Streusal Topping: In a small mixing bowl, mix brown sugar, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and walnuts (optional). Mix in pieces of butter. You can use your fingers to make mixture like coarse crumbs. Set bowl aside.
3. Muffins: In a large mixing bowl, whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk egg and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in apple butter, maple syrup, apple cider, yogurt, and oil.
5. Make a well in the dry mix; add the wet ingredients to the dry mix and stir until just combined.
6. Use an ice cream scoop to spoon batter into muffin cups.
7. Sprinkle muffin cups with the Topping.
8. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

Berry Vanilla Muffins

November 4, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

Celebrate Election Day or the Fourth of July with the colors of the American flag.

Full of fresh blueberries and raspberries with a hint of creamy vanilla, these muffins are moist and refreshing for a patriotic picnic.

Berry Vanilla Muffins (makes 12)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
4. Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
5. Fold in blueberries and raspberries.
6. Spoon batter into greased muffin pan, filling each muffin cup about 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Tuna Melt Muffins

October 24, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

There is something genuinely comforting about warm tuna covered by melted cheese. This is the famous “tuna melt,” which my father ate every day of his elementary school years, during the Fifties, when kids walked home for lunch. His was a sandwich of tuna, covered with melted cheese, slices of egg, and a pickle. The sliced egg and pickle were my grandmother’s idea, but the tuna melt has endured as the fish-version of cheeseburger.

But that was elementary school. Eating a massive tuna melt would be a difficult endeavor for a toddler, not to mention messy.

The solution: Muffinize. Turn the classic sandwich into a muffin. Now you have a hand-held package that’s packed with protein, moist and almost as fluffy as Wonder bread. This cheesy muffin is oozing with cheese in an inner pocket and crisped to perfection on the buttery-tasting outside.

The dill, lemon juice, and Parmesan add to even more zest to the flavors and charm of the recipe. The muffin tops give a nice bite to this recipe that does not include butter, just tastes like it.

The scent, emanating from the oven, brings back the days of childhood when school lunches meant grilled cheese and tuna fish sandwiches.

These are wonderful at room temperature, and even cold.

Tuna Melt Muffins (makes 12)
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chives, dried
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 ½ cup cheddar, Colby, or mozzarella cheese (or combination), shredded and divided into 1 cup and ½ cup
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup (15 oz) water-packed tuna fish, drained
Topping
1/4 cup cheddar, Colby, or mozzarella cheese (or combination), shredded
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in chives, pepper, and 1 cup cheese.
3. In a separate bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, egg, milk, and tuna.
4. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin cups to ½ full.
6. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on top of each cup and spoon the remaining batter on top of each.
7. Sprinkle Topping on each muffin cup (first shredded cheese, then Parmesan).
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
9. Remove from muffin pan immediately and place on a wire rack to cool.
10. Serve piping hot, room temperature, or cold.

The Ultimate Comfort Food: French Toast

October 21, 2014February 23, 2015 Muffin MamaLeave a comment

This article was featured in Swirls and Spice on October 21, 2014.

To kick off the pumpkin season, the food world seems to be baking with orange-hued vegetables like carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes. Culinary creators are enhancing dishes with seasonal spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger.

These fall tastes bring memories of home and hearth so much so that there is no doubt about the level of comfort in the autumn-inspired muffin. Variations include pumpkin cream cheese, carrot cake, sweet potato, and honey corn.

However, when I think of Autumn and its ultimate comfort food, I think of French toast. It’s a breakfast classic. Often served with maple syrup or jelly. Sometimes finished with melted butter and salt.

My grandmother, whom I remember making breakfast in her hot pink bathrobe and slippers, would serve French toast dusted with powdered sugar. The following recipe takes me back to her. It’s a muffin that’s light and fine. Its taste is French toast. Its texture, more delicate.

Both toppings below are equally delicious. The first is a cinnamon and sugar glaze, and the second combines the traditional tastes associated with French toast: drizzled maple syrup and powdered sugar. As on French toast, apply the topping by drizzling. Or, dip each muffin into a puddle of maple syrup and a mound of powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar mixture.

For more nutritious fall muffin recipes, go to www.MuffinMama.org

French Toast Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or allspice)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dairy milk (or coconut milk* for dairy-free)
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together egg, milk, and melted butter.
4. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened (batter may be lumpy).
5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Top each muffin with one of the two coatings (recipes below) and serve warm.

*Note: For dairy free muffins with coconut milk, you may need to add about 2 tablespoons more liquid, such as water.

Topping 1: Cinnamon Sugar Coating

1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted

1. In a bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, melt butter.
3. Dip tops of finished muffins in the melted butter, and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Topping 2: Maple Sugar Coating

maple syrup
confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) for dusting

1. With a toothpick, poke a few holes in muffin tops.
2. Spoon over a good quality maple syrup.
3. Sprinkle powdered sugar on tops.

Muffin Mama

Recipes for little hands (and grown-ups, too)

Category: Season-inspired