Fruity Muffins

I found this awesome recipe that can be a base for any type of fruit muffin that you want to make.

Fruit Muffin
Tested by DH, DC, & YCGP

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup apple - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of butter
• 2 Tablespoons of flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together sugar and shortening. Stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture alternately with the milk. Fold in the fruit. Pour batter into prepared muffin pans. 
4. In a small bowl, cut in the butter with the brown sugar and flour.  Sprinkle lightly over the muffins. 
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

 Guinea Pig Rating:  **** (4/5)


This recipe is amazing!  You can substitute any fruit instead of the apples.  I cannot wait to try blueberries, raspberries (in the summer), peaches, and whatever else I can come up with!  Enjoy the recipe!

 

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

Taken from Allrecipes.com

Tested by DH, DC, and YCGP

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup milk

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, diced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons flour over blueberries, and set aside. (This simple trick will keep you from having "purple" batter)
3. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, and stir in vanilla and lemon zest. Fold in dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in blueberries. Remember, fold gently, don't stir. Spoon batter into prepared cups.
4. For Topping:  combine flour, sugar ,and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut inbutter with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack.

Guinea Pig Rating:  ***** (5/5)

What I did:  I followed the recipe, except for the lemon zest and salt.
What will I do next time:  Add a 1/4 cup more milk to make the dough a little thinner, but it still tasted AWESOME!!!!

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins
Taken from...ME!
Tested by DC, DH, and YCGP.

Ingredients:

2 cups of pumpkin butter
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 cup of quick cooking oats
3/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
2/3 cup of applesauce
3 eggs

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease muffin tins (makes 24 muffins).
2.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin butter, applesauce, and eggs.  Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth.  Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
3.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Guinea Pig rating:  **** (4/5)

What I did:  For the applesauce, I used some cinnamon flavored applesauce.  I ran out of my regular applesauce!
What will I do differently next time:  Add raisins next time!  YUM!

Berry-Smash Muffins

Berry-Smash Muffins
Taken from Gold Medal kids cookbook
Tested by DC, DH, & YCGP

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 425*.  Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups.
2.  Slightly smash strawberries in large bowl, using fork.  Stir in sugar, oil, and eggs until mixed.  Stir in other ingredients just until moistened.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.
3.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly brown or toothpick poked in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

Guinea Pig rating:  ***** (5/5)

What I did:  I used frozen mixed berries, since I didn't have just strawberries.  Zapped them in the microwave and smashed them (the girls loved watching Mommy do this).  As with most child-friendly recipes, the girls took turns putting the ingredients in the bowl!

What would I do differently next time:  NOTHING!  I think I will stick with the mixed berries too!  DELICIOUS!

Cinnamon Muffins

This is a good favorite of ours.  So easy to make and wonderful to eat.  Almost too good!!

Cinnamon Muffins
Tested DH, DC, and YCGP

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3 cups of flour
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
5 Tablespoons of butter
5 Tablespoons of shortening
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Topping:
1 cup of melted butter
1 cup of sugar blended with 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon


Directions:

1.  Grease 12 muffin cups and preheat oven to 350*.
2.  Cream together the butter, shortening, and the sugar. 
3.  Beat in the eggs, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder.
4.  Stir in the flour and milk alternately until mixture is just combined.
5.  Fill muffin cups to the top.
6.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.
7.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.  With each muffin, dip in the melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar blend.

Guinea Pig rating:  ***** (5/5)

What I did:  I follow the recipe and it is DELICIOUS!
What will I do next time:  I will change NOTHING!

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole
Taken from MOMYS Cookbook
Tasted by dc, dh, and YCGP

Ingredients:

1 2-lb bag frozen hash browns
1 lb breakfast sausage
1 lg onion
1 lb cheddar cheese
10 eggs
2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 400*.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cook the sausage with the onion.  Place the hash browns into prepared pan, then top with the cooded meat & onions.  Sprinkle cheese on top of the meat.  Whisk eggs with pepper and pour over the cheese.  Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes.

Guinea Pig rating:  **** (4/5) - and this rating is without the onion or cheddar cheese!  My girls didn't go for it at breakfast, but loved it at lunch.  Toddlers...picky eaters!

What I did:  No onion in my house, so I skipped it.  Cheddar cheese was replaced with a mixture of the following cheeses - Mozzerella, fresh parmesan, and Monterey Jack.

What will I do next time:  Have cheddar cheese and onion in my house so that I can make the casserole correctly!

**Overall, breakfast was WONDERFUL, but I don't even want to think how many calories is in this meal.  And we had leftovers for lunch when we got back from church.  Even so, we still have leftovers in the fridge.**

Starting the Day!

So we are running low on cereal and have no goat milk for dd2.  So why not make muffins with the girls?  Dd1 wanted chocolate chip muffins...so here is a new recipe we tried!


Chocolate Chip Muffins
Taken from the MOMYS Cookbook
Tested on August 21, 2010 by DC and YCGP.

Ingredients:

2 c. Whole Wheat Flour
2 c. White Flour
1 c. Sugar
2 T. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 Egg
1 1/2 c. Milk
2/3 c. Vegetable Oil
1 c. Chocolate Chips

 Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.  In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, and oil together.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4's full.  Bake at 400* for 18-20 minutes for muffins, or 45 minutes for quick bread, in two greased bread pans.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack.  Yields 24 muffins.

Guinea Pig rating:  ****  (4/5)

What I did:  I skipped the salt, used olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and my flour is already combined 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat already.
What will I do next time:  Switch the muffin pans half-way through the cooking time so that one pan's bottoms won't be dark and the tops of the other pan won't be darker than the bottom pan.