Zucchini Bread

From Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all­purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakes inside their non­stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.
Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. 

Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

These just popped out of the oven and I couldn't be happier! They are curtesy of my new favorite baking site: http://www.fortysomething.ca/ They are practically guiltless and next time I'm going to add even more goodness with some flax and chia seeds. I've gone on a mini-muffin kick and have a freezer full of a variety of muffins that I can just take wherever and hand over to the kids (but usually consume myself). Before starting, realize that they take at least 3 hours to make - see instructions.

Oatmeal Carrot Muffins

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup oats

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 400. In large bowl pour buttermilk over oats, stir to mix. COVER AND LET STAND FOR 2 HOURS OR REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT.

2. Cream together brown sugar, margarine or oil, and egg. Stir into oat mixture and add carrots.

3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir into batter just moistened, then add raisins.

4. Spoon into muffin cups coated with nonstick cooking spray or baking cups, filling almost to the top. Bake at 400 for 17-22 min. WATCH THE TIME ON THE MUFFINS. Insert toothpick to check.

cinnamon-sugar muffins

AKA: "Muffins that Taste Like Donuts." For reals.

from Tasty Kitchen

1 3/4 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C oil
3/4 C white sugar
1 egg
3/4 C milk

Topping:
1/4 C melted butter
1/3 C white sugar
1 TB cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg & cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg & milk. Add wet to dry ingredients; stir only to combine.
Bake @ 350 for 15-20 minutes (until golden).
Melt butter in a bowl. Combine sugar & cinnamon in another bowl.
Shake hot muffins out of pan & while hot/warm roll in butter then cinnamon-sugar.
Devour 3 and pretend like you only made 9 instead of 12.**







**Please don't forget this last step. It's vital to the success of this recipe. More importantly, it's vital to the success of our friendship because I need someone to join in my gluttony. Much obliged.

Another Muffin Recipe

These muffins are real winners. Probably my favorite muffin recipe to date (though I LOVE the lime/lemon flavor of the last muffins I posted). These are pretty sweet, but definitely muffiny, not cakey, just the way they ought to be. :)

Blueberry Apricot Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh apricots, thinly sliced (about 4 medium)

-Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
-In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
-In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until mixture is almost fully combined, then add in the blueberries and apricots – reserving 12 small, thin slices of apricot – and give the batter a few more stirs, just until no streaks of flour remain visible.
-Divide batter evenly into muffin cups (cups will be very full) and garnish each one with one of the small reserved slices of apricot.
-Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean.
-Turn muffins out of the pan onto wire rack to cool.
-Store leftovers in an airtight container when muffins have cooled completely.

Makes 12

Blackberry Lime Muffins

These are quite possibly my new favorite muffins... you MUST MAKE!!! (Recipe courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 2 limes
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blackberries
Turbinado sugar-for sprinkling on muffins before baking (I used regular granulated sugar and it was great)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 9 paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. In a small bowl, add the sugar and lime zest. Rub sugar and zest together until fragrant. Add sugar and zest to the flour mixture. Whisk ingredients together.

4. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, mix canola oil, egg, buttermilk, lime juice, and vanilla extract together.

5. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture. Slowly stir together, the batter will be thick. Don’t over mix. Gently fold in the blackberries.

6. Fill 9 muffin cups with the batter. Sprinkle each muffin with turbinado sugar.

7. Bake muffins for 17-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool on a cooking rack.

*Note-you can use frozen berries, but try to use fresh blackberries. They make these muffins extra special. This recipe only makes 9 muffins, feel free to double it.

Makes 9 regular size muffins

bran muffins

this one's from allrecipes.com. these muffins were my latest attempt at a quick breakfast solution. i made a batch on sunday and took two with me to work every morning. and with a little butter or honey they're extra delicious. i'm sure you could modify any number of ways ... nuts ... raisins ... whatevah.

1 1/2 C wheat bran
1 C buttermilk*
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C flour**
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

oven @ 375

mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. stir flour mixture into bran mixture until just blended. spoon into prepared muffin tins (greased or lined with muffin cups).

bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

* if you don't have buttermilk, combine 1 C milk and 1 TB lemon juice. let stand 5 min.
** i used whole wheat flour.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Muffins

These are a real winner... for real.

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 c pumpkin
1/2 c canola oil
2 eggs
1/4 c buttermilk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice
1 c cinnamon chips (a recent discovery... like chocolate chips, but cinnamon... can be kinda hard to find)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line muffin tins. Combine all wet ingredients. Then add sugars. Next add cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. Then add the flour and baking soda. Finally, stir in the cinnamon chips.

Fill muffin tins to 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

This recipe is courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod.

blueberry yogurt muffins

from cooking light magazine

a great alternative to heavy or boxed muffins. so easy and delightful! =)

2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C unsweetened orange juice (concentrate)*
2 TB vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 egg
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries
vegetable cooking spray
1 TB sugar

combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. In separate bowl, whisk orange juice and next 4 ingredients (mix well). Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. gently fold in blueberries.

divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 1 TB sugar evenly over muffins. bake @ 400º for 18 minutes or until golden. remove muffins from pan immediately; let cool on wire rack.

* concentrate doesn't have to be totally thawed, just enough to get out what you need. for the yogurt, just use what you have on hand even if it's not low-fat (although that obviously changes things).

enjoy!

Best Banana Muffins

Since we're talkin' muffins... these were a big hit in Moab this weekend. They don't sound great, but trust me. Linds? Wanna pipe in and verify? I was going to include a picture, but come on... they're muffins. That's what they look like. (Plus, my picture wasn't nearly as pretty as Mary's.) Many of the ingredients can be bought in bulk places like Wild Oats or Whole Foods so you can just buy what you need and save the money. :)

Best Banana Muffins

1 ½ C. whole wheat flour
½ C. Oat Bran
½ C. Pecan Meal (1.5 oz ground pecans, or I just bought chopped pecans and then continued chopping them myself with a knife until they were as ground as I could get them... I enjoyed the rougher texture in the muffin.)
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt

2 T. butter, melted
½ C. honey
3 egg whites
1 C. banana
2/3 C. buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 regular-sized muffin cups or line with paper cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (first six ingredients) until well combined. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients (last 5 ingredients).
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Immediately spoon batter into the 12 muffin cups, filling each cup almost to the top.
6. Place immediately in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Start checking early!
7. Turn muffins out of pan and cool on wire rack.
8. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
156 calories (45 from fat)
5 grams fat (2 saturated)
3 grams fiber
13 grams sugar
4 grams protein

Courtesy of http://pinchmysalt.wordpress.com

Beloved Blueberry Muffins!

I made these heavenly muffins for breakfast the day Liza was born, so in my opinion they are MAJICAL MUFFINS. :) Zach's Mom even thought they were perfect, and she's an incredible cook so I give this recipe 5 gold stars.

Blueberry Muffins

Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Streusel Topping (see below)

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 Tbs butter

1. Heat oven to 400. Grease bottoms of 12 muffin pan

2. Make Streusel Topping, set aside

3. Beat milk, oil, and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in Blueberries. Divide batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle each with 1 Tbs Topping.

4. Bake 20-25 min. ENJOY!