Assorted Mini Muffin Doughnuts

Makes 48 mini muffins. One muffin recipe, finished three different ways to imitate doughnuts. You can bake and cool muffins ahead without the toppings. Store the muffins in a plastic freezer bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. To serve, thaw muffins before topping.

The key with these is to not overmix the batter and not overbake them. At each step, mix only until the ingredients are just incorporated. And, when baking, watch carefully. The muffins will be baked completely and yet still appear very light in color (with no browning), which might trick you into thinking they're not done yet. Do the toothpick test. When done correctly, these are light and fluffy and moist and tender little bites of Heaven!

Muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking soda

1-¼ cups whole milk

½ cup sour cream

1-½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Powdered Sugar Topping: (Note: The powdered sugar topping is absorbed into the muffin within
about 30 minutes of applying, so wait to apply until right before serving/eating).

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Chocolate Glaze:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 ounces bittersweet bar chocolate

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Coat mini muffin pans with nonstick spray (or use mini paper muffin
liners).

For the muffins, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda. Combine
milk and sour cream.

Cream butter, granulated sugar, and browns sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs once at a time until fully incorporated.

Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, starting and ending with flour
mixture. Mis batter until just combined and smooth.

Transfer a heaping 1 tablespoon batter into each well of prepared pans and bake muffins
until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 12 - 15 minutes. Cool muffins in the pans
5 minutes, then turn them out. Apply toppings while muffins are warm.

For the cinnamon-sugar topping, combined sugar and cinnamon. Dunk warm muffins first in
melted butter, letting excess drip off, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

For the powdered sugar, rolls arm muffins in powdered sugar until completely coated.

For the chocolate glaze, heat butter, cream, corn syrup, and vanilla in a saucepan over low
until butter melts. Whisk in chocolate until melted. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Dip
tops of warm muffins with glaze.

Coffee Cake Muffins

These are rich and tender. A lot like cake. And a whole lot of yummy.

Makes 12.

Muffin:
1 stick butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (or yogurt, in a pinch)

Topping:
4 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with muffin cups.

Cream the butter and sugar together; beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add about half the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, then stir in the sour cream. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. The batter should be lumpy, not smooth, and thick, but moist.

Distribute the batter among the muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.

Prepare the topping by combining the ingredients with a fork. Sprinkle the topping on each muffin before baking.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the muffins are browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the pan on a rack for 5 minutes before removing the muffins.

Baked French Toast Muffins

These are a super-yummy, quick and easy breakfast treat. Great to make ahead, especially when you have company. Adapted from "Two Peas & Their Pod."

Yield: 12 muffins

For the Muffins:

• 1 loaf of French bread, cut or torn into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups of bread); I like to use one of the long French baguettes that Costco sells
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted and cooled (it won't work as well if it's too hot)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  

• Butter and Maple Syrup, for serving, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. To make the cinnamon streusel, in a small bowl, combine cooled (but still liquid) butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with an electric mixer until you have a crumbly, wet, sand-like mixture. Divide streusel mixture in half.
3. Grease a 12-well muffin tin. Add about 1/2 cup of bread cubes to each muffin well (so that each well is about half full). 
4. Take half of your prepared streusel mixture and sprinkle evenly over the bread cubes in each of the 12 muffin wells. Take the remaining bread cubes and put an additional 1/2-cup of bread cubes in each muffin well so that you have 12 filled muffin wells, each with about a cup of bread cubes.
5. Carefully pour egg and milk mixture evenly over each muffin well. You may need to press down on the bread cubes after you pour a little mixture and then pour more. Pour slowly or you will have a mess. (You may have a little egg mixture left over. That's alright so long as all of the bread cubes are covered and saturated with liquid). Cover the muffins with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. Put your remaining streusel in an air-tight container in the fridge, as well.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the muffins from the refrigerator and sprinkle the muffins evenly with the remaining reserved half of your prepared streusel topping (crumbling it with your fingers as you sprinkle).
7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until muffin tops are golden brown. Let muffins cool for 5 minutes. (If you try to remove them from the pan too early, they will fall apart as you take them out. If you let them set up and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, they will release as a muffin in one piece). Remove from pan and serve with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

Cinnamon-Buttermilk Muffins (aka Doughnut Muffins)

Makes 9 muffins.

For the Muffins:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup buttermilk**
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

**If I'm out of buttermilk, I like to substitute 1/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup sour cream, which I whisk together until incorporated and then add to the recipe as directed.

For the Topping***:
⅔ cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

***This makes way more than you need, but is what the original recipe calls for. I find that 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon + 1/3 cup sugar is plenty. You won't use it all.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or non-stick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the tough and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. (May take up to 30 minutes to bake if you have more than 9 muffins in your tin or if your muffins are larger in size). Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar. (Alternatively, you can use a pastry brush to brush melted butter on top of the muffins and then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each muffin with a spoon).

Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving. Makes 9 muffins.

Breakfast Muffins with Sausage & Apple

Makes 6 jumbo muffins

For the cake:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 egg white
1/2 pound bulk breakfast sausage
2 small Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, cored and thinly sliced

For the caramel:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons bourbon or rum (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat cups of jumbo muffin tin with nonstick spray. Combine flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Combine yogurt (or buttermilk), milk, oil, eggs, and egg white in another bowl. Set aside. Brown sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Whisk brown sugar, cream, syrup, bourbon, and salt for caramel together in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir sausage into flour mixture and add yogurt mixture. Stir just until combined; mixture will be slightly lumpy. Arrange apples slices (usually 3 to 4) in a fan on the bottom of each of the 6 wells in the jumbo muffin tin. Divide caramel evenly between cups; top with rounded 1/2 cup batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let muffins cool briefly before turning out of muffin tin. (Run a paring knife around the edge of each muffin to ensure that the muffins will drop out when the pan is inverted). Serve upside down with the apples and caramel on top.

For a printable version of this recipe, go here.

Applesauce Muffins

These are quick and easy and kid-friendly. You can pump up the amount of spices to make it more of a spice muffin, but you will lose the apple flavor if you do. For some reason, these turn out especially delicious with homemade applesauce, but they're also wonderful with the stuff you buy at the store.

Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Muffin:
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine applesauce, sugar, oil, eggs, and milk. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Pour into greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

For a printable version of this recipe, go here.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins (or Bread)

This recipe makes 4 loaves of bread or 4 dozen muffins. It can readily be halved for a smaller batch (use 3 eggs instead of 5). I think it tastes better the day after it’s made---when the flavors have mellowed some (as long as you store it in an airtight container overnight).

5 eggs, well beaten

3 cups sugar

2-1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 cups vegetable oil

4-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

4-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1-1/2 teaspoons cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin and oil. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients; slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, combining thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips.  

FOR PUMPKIN BREAD:

Pour batter into 4 greased and floured 9" x 5" pans.  Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

FOR PUMPKIN MUFFINS:

Evenly portion batter into muffin pans, filling each well about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

For a printable version of this recipe, go here.

Fresh Blueberry Muffins

Courtesy of Jenice McArthur.

This is Eric's mom's blueberry muffin recipe. Eric grew up eating these and he loves them.

3 cups (360 grams) flour
1-1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over
2 tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl, blend the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the stick of softened butter till mix is crumbly. Set aside one cup of this mixture. To the remainder of the mixture, add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Mix. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups.

To the spare cup of mixture gradually add the 2 tablespoons melted butter, cutting in with a fork until the mix is crumbly. [I like to add about a half-teaspoon of milk and gingerly mix on low with the single beater on a motorized handmixer; just be careful not to overmix. I break the mixture apart with my hands into clumps of various sizes, like you would see on a NY crumb cake]. Sprinkle over top of muffins. Bake at 350 for 25–30 minutes.

*****NOTE: If you don't have blueberries on hand, turn the muffins into brown sugar-cinnamon muffins by adding 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the crumble mixture that goes on top. And, add 2 tablespoons brown sugar along with 2 teaspoons cinnamon to the batter.

Banana Crunch Muffins

These are probably my favorite muffins ever. They are ever so yummy! The recipe is from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa.


3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 bananas)
1 cup medium-diced ripe bananas (1 banana)
1 cup small-diced walnuts
1 cup granola
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Dried banana chips, granola, or shredded coconut, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 18 large muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder,
baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla,
and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the
bowl and blend well. Don't overmix.

Fold the diced bananas, walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the
batter into the paper liners, filling each 1 to the top. Top each muffin with dried
banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly, remove from
the pan, and serve.


For a printable version of the recipe, go here.