What I'm Baking: No-Sugar-Added Banana Muffins

These no-sugar-added banana muffins are toddler approved.

What's Baking: Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread Muffins

If you give a mouse a bowl of chili, it's going to want a cornbread muffin. And if you give it a plain cornbread muffin, it's going to want a jalapeño-cheddar cornbread muffin. I think that's how the story goes. Or, at least, it is if you change "a mouse" to "me," anyway.

Since we were unsure of exactly how many people were coming to our potluck this past Sunday, I decided to make two batches of cornbread muffins. Yesterday, I shared the recipe I used to make plain cornbread muffins (with maple butter), so today I am sharing my second batch: cornbread muffins flavored with jalapeño peppers and cheddar cheese. (Spicy and savory, yum.)

At the end of the day, my cornbread muffin supply was decimated, and of the leftover muffins, only a a couple of jalapeño-cheddar ones remained. I guess that means they were quite delicious!

Jalapeño-Cheddar Cornbread Muffins (printer-friendly version)

makes 12 muffins

1 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup buttermilk (plus 2-3 additional tablespoons, if necessary)
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeño pepper (ribs and seeds removed)

1. To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir in the frozen corn kernels, shredded cheese, and minced jalapeño pepper. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Do not overmix! If the mixture is too dry, stir in additional buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. The batter will be thick.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. The muffins will be light golden in color. Remove from the oven and cool the muffins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.

What's Baking: Blood Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Another day, another blood orange recipe. There's just something about that pink orange juice and bright red orange zest that I just can't get enough of. 

This time around I replaced the lemon with blood orange in my favorite lemon poppy seed muffin recipe. I love the sweetness and crunch in these bright citrus muffins. And paired with a steaming mugful of strong coffee? Now that's a match made in heaven. 

I made these muffins a little bit healthier by subbing in Greek yogurt for some of the butter and decreasing the amount of sugar. However, these muffins are still just as tasty as ever.

My favorite way to eat them? For second breakfast, of course. Or as an afternoon snack with a hot mug of green tea -- a delicious pick-me-up for that mid-afternoon slump.

Blood Orange Poppy Seed Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes about 12 muffins

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon blood orange zest
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, browned, and cooled
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use the back of a spoon to rub the sugar with the blood orange zest until fragrant.
4. Use a whisk to mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt into the sugar mixture.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, blood orange juice, eggs, vanilla, and cooled browned butter.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Stir in the poppy seeds.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
8. Top each muffin cup with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
10. Let the muffins cool for five minutes in the tin before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

What's Baking: Apple Cinnamon-Sugar Crumble Muffins

When you pick 20 pounds of apples, that means you gotta eat 20 pounds of apples. We picked Liberty apples at Bayfield's Blue Vista Farm. Liberties are good apples for storing -- according to ye olde Internet, this variety is good to store for up to three months, and happily, the flavor gets better as time goes by. 

Thus far I've used the apples in salads, as a pizza topping (recipe to come), in a mini dessert (another recipe to come), and in these delicious apple cinnamon-sugar crumble muffins.

I made these muffins this past weekend to share at brunch with a friend and her two children. Long story short, these apple-filled muffins were a hit among both the over-30 and under-3 crowd. Though the ingredient list may be a bit long, don't be intimidated. These muffins come together rather quickly and bake up in a jiffy. And, they make a great breakfast (or second breakfast!) served warm alongside a large cup of coffee.

Apple Cinnamon-Sugar Crumble Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 muffins

For the muffins:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
dash of ground allspice
1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, and finely chopped (about 1/4" pieces) apple (I used Liberty apples, which are a slightly tart variety)

For the crumble topping:
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. I find that spraying the liners lightly with cooking spray ensures the liners peel off easily after the muffins have baked.
2. Melt the butter on the stovetop or in a microwave. Set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Pour the cooled melted butter into the flour mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir to combine, but do not overmix. Fold in the apples. Divide the batter (it will be thick) evenly into the prepared muffin cups. (Each muffin cup should be filled to the top.)
5. In a small bowl, stir together the sugars, flour, cinnamon, and sea salt with a fork. Use the fork or a pastry blender to incorporate the butter into the sugar mixture, forming pea-sized crumbles. Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over top the muffins.
6. Bake the muffins in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and let cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack. Any remaining muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, though they are best eaten the day they are baked.

(lightly adapted from this recipe by a farmgirl's dabbles)

What's Baking: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Muffins

Did you think I'd fallen off the strawberry-rhubarb train already? ... I mean, it has been a week since my last rhubarb post ... But, I am most-assuredly still in the love-love phase with rhubarb.

This week I've been enjoying strawberry-rhubarb crumble muffins as breakfast or a late-afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea. These muffins are chockfull of strawberry and rhubarb and you really can't go wrong with a muffin that is topped with a generous amount of crumble.

I find that the trick to getting a really good muffin top (admittedly, my favorite part of the muffin) is to increase the baking temperature by 25 degrees for the first five minutes of baking.

It also helps to fill the muffin cups nearly full with batter. A big ol' mound of crumble mix on top ensures that these muffins will have an impressive crown.

But, don't worry, the muffin stumps taste pretty good, too.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 muffins

For the crumble:
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon chopped pecans
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the muffins:
1 large egg
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup diced rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
1/2 cup diced strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the flours, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and pecans. Stir in the maple syrup and brown sugar. Then stir in the melted butter until crumbles form. Set aside until ready to use.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Stir in the vanilla. Whisk in the cooled melted butter and yogurt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture until the batter just comes together. Fold in the rhubarb and strawberries.
6. Divide the batter (it will be fairly dry/sticky) evenly among the 12 muffin cups. (I find a small ice cream scoop works well for this task.) The muffin cups will be nearly completely full. Top with the crumble mixture, pressing lightly to adhere the crumble to the batter.
7. Bake the muffins in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the tin for two minutes, then remove them from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

(adapted from this Smitten Kitchen recipe)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Very Berry Muffins

I couldn't let the week end without posting another muffin recipe. Well, I could ... but I baked these muffins ... and ate a good portion of them ... so it would really be rude of me not to share, right? This week's gluten-free muffin is full of fresh berry flavor. I used a mix of blackberries and raspberries in my version, but blueberries would work just as well (unfortunately, they're not well-priced at the moment -- I can't wait for summer's bounty of berries).

Gluten-Free Very Berry Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 8 muffins

3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup organic skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup halved fresh raspberries
3/4 cup quartered fresh blackberries
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 8 paper liners and set aside.
2. In an electric mixer bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, ground flaxseeds, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, xanthan gum, and lemon zest.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract.
4. Using an electric mixer, slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat at medium speed until the batter thickens slightly. Carefully fold in the berries.
5. Use a scoop or large spoon to distribute the batter into the prepped muffin cups. The muffin cups should be almost completely full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with cinnamon sugar.
6. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or wrapped and placed in a freezer bag to freeze for longer storage.

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

The arrival of Spring has me craving lighter flavors. So, for this week's installment of Muffin Tuesday, I whipped up a batch of gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins. These muffins get a double dose of lemon flavor from the addition of fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top of the batter adds a subtle sweet crunch to the baked muffins.

These citrusy lemon poppy seed muffins definitely taste like Spring -- now if only we could do something about all those massive piles of snow outside my door to match the Spring-like conditions inside my kitchen!

Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 10 muffins

2/3 cup organic skim milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 large lemon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
turbinado sugar for sprinkling (about 1-2 teaspoons should do)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or butter, or line with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Pour the milk into a small bowl and add in the fresh lemon juice. Let sit, undisturbed, for a couple of minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in one egg. Once the egg is completely incorporated, stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Then stir in the lemon-milk mixture, which will be slightly curdled.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Use a small scoop to distribute the batter into 10 lined or greased muffin cups. Each muffin cup should be almost completely full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin cup with turbinado sugar.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove them from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.

(adapted from this recipe from An Edible Mosaic)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

This week's installment of Muffin Tuesday found me in the kitchen baking my first batch of gluten-free morning glory muffins. Spoiler alert: these muffins rocked my socks off. I'm not sure what it is about morning glory muffins that I like so much -- perhaps it's just that they are stuffed with carrots, raisins, pineapple, and walnuts, making them a bit more wholesome than your typical sweet breakfast muffin? Or at least these ingredients make me think they are more wholesome and healthy than your typical muffin? (Kind of like how carrot cake seems like a healthier option than chocolate cake. Well, aside from that generous slathering of cream cheese frosting ... not to mention all that oil in the cake batter...) Whatever it is, if morning glory muffins are wrong, I don't want to be right.

Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 10 muffins

1/2 cup raisins
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup peeled, grated carrots
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons filtered water

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners. Set aside.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Stir in the grated carrots, crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, and walnuts.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, canola oil, vanilla extract, and filtered water.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then stir until well-combined and evenly moistened. Drain and stir in the plumped raisins.
6. Use a scoop or large spoon to distribute the batter into the prepped muffin cups. The muffin cups should be almost completely full.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or wrapped and placed in a freezer bag to freeze for longer storage.

(from this King Arthur Flour recipe)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

I'm doing a little experiment by going gluten-free for 30 days. Mainly I'm just interested in seeing if removing wheat from my diet makes me feel any different. One week in, and I haven't noticed any changes (not that I expected to). Of course, I did manage to "cheat" on Saturday by taking a few sips of D's Glenfiddich. Whoopsies. (And, whether coincidental or not, I did feel a little extra bloaty that evening. TMI?) My major triumph thus far has been bringing a loaf of sourdough bread into our home without taking a bite.

As I'm sure you are aware if you're a long-time reader of this blog, I love me some carbs. Like, a whole lot. So far I haven't run into too many obstacles or cravings, though I am sure I will need to find a gluten-free pizza crust recipe to try sooner rather than later, since that is one of our weekly dinnertime staples.

The one thing I do miss (one week in) is my weekly celebration of Muffin Tuesday, in which I head to Golden Harvest on Tuesday mornings to pick up some groceries and a "healthy" morning glory muffin. Those wheat-filled muffins are now off-limits, meaning if I still want a muffin, I'm going to have to bake my own. I made these muffins to share with a friend on Sunday, and I have to say they turned out rather well. Though not quite meal-replacing, these cinnamon-rich muffins do make for a good mid-morning snack, and pair nicely with a cup of coffee or hot tea.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Swirl Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes about 9 muffins

For the muffin batter:
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the cinnamon swirl:
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 315 degrees. Line a muffin tin with nine paper liners and set aside.
2. Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, syrup, and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, salt, and baking soda and stir to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey, melted butter, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Use a small (1-2 tablespoon) scoop to place batter into the lined muffin cups, filling each cup about 1/3 full. Gently tap the sides of the pan to evenly coat the bottom of each muffin cup liner with the batter. Then add a small spoonful (about 1 teaspoon) of the cinnamon swirl mixture on top of the batter. Finally, place another scoopful of batter on top of the cinnamon swirl layer. Each muffin cup should be about 2/3-3/4 full. Next, use a toothpick to gently swirl the two layers together, spreading the cinnamon swirl throughout the batter. Lastly, use a fork to drizzle stripes of the remaining cinnamon swirl mixture over top each muffin. Clean any excess drizzle from the top of the muffin pan. If any muffin cups are empty, fill each empty cup halfway with water to ensure even baking.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
6. Let cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before removing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store any extra muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

(adapted from this recipe from The Nourishing Home)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins

I had some extra almond flour left over from my last foray into gluten-free baking, so this week I gave another gluten-free muffin recipe a whirl. I am a diehard banana bread fan (with nuts, without nuts, I like them equally), so I chose a banana nut muffin recipe to work from. Along with banana goodness (hooray for half-price uber-ripe bananas at the store!), these muffins are chockfull of nutty flavor, given that chopped walnuts are both stirred into the batter and used to garnish the tops of the muffins as well.

So far I have been quite impressed with the gluten-free recipes I've adapted up to now; I've heard horror stories of gluten-free baked goods being either super-dense, flat, or completely devoid of flavor. There are now commercially-available gluten-free flours that are made especially for baking, but the ones I've seen around town (or that can be purchased from Williams-Sonoma) are quite expensive. (Not that almond flour is particularly wallet-friendly.) I'd next like to give coconut flour a try, though I hear it's a little trickier to use since it tends to soak up liquid.

Have you baked with alternative (i.e., non-wheat) flours? What are your favorite non-wheat flours that you like to use when making gluten-free baked goods? 

Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, eggs, honey, olive oil, and vanilla until well-combined.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Add the walnuts, then stir until just combined.
5. Use a small scoop to fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Top each muffin cup with the remaining chopped walnuts.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Carefully remove the muffins from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's Baking: Gluten-Free Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

I think it's fair to say that I love carbs. Tasty, sweet, savory, gluten-licious carbs. Whether in muffin, donut, sourdough bread, waffle, or French toast form, I love them all. However, though I think I'm far from gluten-intolerant, I have to admit that sometimes after eating a lot of bread (I'm looking at you, slices of french bread smeared with roasted garlic or dipped in olive oil), I do have a bit of a stomach funk the next day. TMI?

So, long story short, I don't think it would be a terrible thing if I looked into gluten-free alternatives to use in baked goods. Enter in almond flour -- definitely more expensive than all-purpose flour -- but also gluten-free. I found a recipe for blueberry muffins made with almond flour, and, after a few tweaks, came up with a recipe that tastes just as good as the real deal. The muffin tops definitely aren't quite as impressive as in other muffins I've baked in the past, but I suppose as long as the muffins taste good, I can overlook that teeny downside.

Gluten-Free Lemon-Blueberry Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 12 muffins

2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 eggs

2 egg whites

1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the eggs, white whites, syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, coconut oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
3. Process until the batter is well-blended and smooth.
4. Stir in the blueberries.
5. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins cool completely on a wire rack.

(adapted from this recipe)

What's Baking: Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Ah, gotta love frustrating mornings. Sometimes, when I'm feeling just a bit too flustered, I find that spending 20 minutes in the kitchen baking can improve my mood dramatically. I've always found the careful measuring, sifting, and stirring required by baking recipes to be particularly soothing. So, today, after a rather frustrating morning in which I determined, that no, it wasn't déjà vu, and instead my writer had in fact reused art in all the wrong places, I took a quick break to bake up two batches of mini muffins. Fortuitously, yesterday I had taken several bananas out of the freezer and placed them in a bowl in the fridge to thaw -- so I already knew what my key ingredient would be. Since I've made about 1,000 loaves of banana bread lately (slight exaggeration), I decided to go completely wild and crazy and make up a batch of mini muffins. These little muffins provide the perfect portion to accompany a calming cup of green tea.

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes ~44 mini muffins

1/3 cup unsalted butter (5 1/3 tablespoons)
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened finely shredded coconut
2 cups mashed banana (four ripe bananas)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
4. Sift together the flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and shredded coconuts.
5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and mashed banana to the butter-sugar-egg-vanilla mixture. Stir between additions by hand. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Remove the muffins from the oven and place pan on wire rack. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
9. After 10 minutes, remove the muffins from the pan and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.
10. The muffins can be stored in a tightly-closed container for several days, or freeze to enjoy later.

What's Baking: Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins

Monk's coffee shop, Elaine is at the counter eating a muffin and talking with a waitress.
Elaine: How could I have tested positive twice? Once I could understand, that's a mistake. But twice?
Waitress: Yeah, it's hard to figure.
Elaine: I mean I lost my job, I can't go to Africa. I was gonna meet the bushmen of the Kalahari.
Waitress: Ah, the bushmen?
Elaine: And the bushwomen.
Man (also seated at the counter): Excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing. I notice you're eating a poppy seed muffin.
Elaine: Yeah, I eat these muffins all the time.
Man: Well, you know what opium is made from...
Elaine (as though receiving a revelation): Poppies! [via]

Poppy seeds always remind me of the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine tests positive for opiates due to her consumption of poppy seed muffins. Though they are one of my favorite indulgences at a bakery, I rarely make muffins at home. Let's face it, most muffins are calorie bombs. Tasty, yes, but calorie bombs nonetheless. Happily, the petite size of a mini muffin allows for all the delectable baked good flavor in a more manageable bite-size portion.

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes about 32 muffins

2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and browned
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 24-count mini muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use the back of a spoon to rub the sugar with the lemon zest until fragrant.
4. Use a whisk to mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt into the sugar mixture.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and browned butter.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Stir in the poppy seeds.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
8. Top each muffin cup with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
10. Let the muffins cool for five minutes in the tin before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.

(adapted from this Joy the Baker recipe)

What's Baking: Vegan Lemon-Blueberry Bran Muffins

Though our crazy oven makes baking a bit difficult (rumor has it we're going to get a new one soon, yea!), I couldn't resist trying my hand at some vegan baking. I went vegan for about a two week period in college, but soon decided that I couldn't live without dairy products. (Ice cream and cheese, I'm looking at you!) However, I'm all about trying new things in the kitchen, so after finding a recipe for low-fat blueberry bran muffins, I decided to veganize the recipe as well as tweak it in several places. The resulting muffins? Wow -- seriously yum. I'm definitely going to have to make these again.

Vegan Lemon-Blueberry Bran Muffins (printer-friendly version)

makes ~16 muffins

1 T ground flaxseed

3 T water

1 1/2 C wheat bran

1 C plain rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1/2 C unsweetened organic applesauce

2/3 C brown sugar

1/2 t vanilla extract

juice from 1/2 a lemon

zest from 1/2 a lemon

1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 C whole wheat flour

1 t baking soda

1 t aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 t fine sea salt

1 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1 C fresh blueberries

1 T chia seeds [optional]

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners.

2. Stir together the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside.

3. Mix together the rice milk and wheat bran. Let sit for 10 minutes.

4. Combine together the "egg," applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and wheat bran mixture.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the two flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a fork.

6. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the blueberries. Stir in the chia seeds if desired.

7. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until muffin tops (ha!) spring back when touched.

9. Remove from the oven and place muffins on a wire rack to cool.