Cinnamon Apple Muffins

I almost didn't make these muffins. Last night I came home a little later than expected, but it was all worth it because I got to have some much needed girl time. I went with my sister-in-law and friends to a champagne tasting and filled up on all sorts of bubbly and caviar. I knocked out when I got home and woke up two hours later with a headache. But I'm visiting my old roommate in DC this weekend and wanted to bring breakfast for our early morning crabbing trip tomorrow, so I had to bake. Fortunately I got through the recipe just fine - I almost lost track of how much flour I put in, but somehow figured it out. Baking takes concentration and precision, things a little bubbly can take away from you. Well the muffins are made (and they're not bad), and I'm looking forward to even more fun this weekend.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins
adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup apple filling, recipe below

Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375F degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, beating well after addition. Beat in one-half of dry ingredients. Beat in one-third of sour cream. Beat in remaining dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with sour cream.
3. Fold apple filling into the batter, mix until incorporated
4. Spray mini muffin tin with vegetable cooking spray or coat lightly with butter. Scoop batter evenly among cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.

Apple Filling
from Sherry Yard's The Secret of Baking

Ingredients:
2 Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
1. Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes.
3. Add the apple mixture and saute until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Mini Mocha Banana Muffins

The ladies at my church got together for a prayer breakfast last weekend, and I brought a mini version of these. I've baked a few times already this year, but so far it's been all old recipes, explaining the lack of new posts. I'm pretty sure my schedule will continue to be tight until the wedding - I'm traveling for work for a couple weeks, and there's a lot left to do before the wedding. Good news is, I'm not stressed! Neither is Tim. We've gotten so many comments on how it doesn't seem like we're getting married in under two months - we seem too calm for it to be that soon. I think we're both just not losing focus on what's important. At the end of March 8, we'll be married regardless of the little details, so we make it a point not to sweat the small stuff. Yes, I know I'm saying this now.. I just hope I can still keep my cool in March.

Espresso-Walnut Coffee Cake

I love coffee, and I love cakes. Well, then it should make perfect sense that I love coffee cakes too! And I do, it's definitely one of my favorite ways to start out the day. Usually, coffee cake doesn't actually have coffee in it. It's often served with coffee, which is my guess why it's called the name it is. But you can imagine my excitement when my friend Betty introduced me to this recipe back in 2002. We first made it together, and I was so thrilled with the outcome, I continued to make it again and again. To those who give me credit for this coffee cake, I'm sorry, but you've all been mistaken. First, thank Cooking Light. Then, thank Betty for finding the recipe and introducing it to me.

Espresso-Walnut Coffee Cake
adapted from Cooking Light, August 2001 issue

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant espresso and 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, divided
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, dust with 2 teaspoons flour, and line each cup with 4" long strips of parchment paper.
3. Combine brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon espresso granules in a small bowl.
4. Cream together butter and granulated sugar. Stir in yogurt, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add flour and 2 teaspoons espresso powder, stirring just until blended.
6. Spoon half of the batter into the muffin cups, and sprinkle with half of the brown sugar mixture. Carefully spoon remaining batter over brown sugar mixture, and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Here's another over-ripened banana recipe. One thing about me, I don't like making plain ol' banana bread anymore. I had an awful experience where I burned one, and now I know doubling the temperature does NOT mean it will bake in half the time. I won't make that mistake again, but still, banana bread reminds me of that traumatic moment. Plus, I love new recipes (and chocolate!), so I decided to use the recipe below.

Chocolate Banana Muffins
adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
6 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sour cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 12-cup muffin trays with muffin paper linings.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Stir in bananas and vanilla.
3. Sift in flour, baking soda and cocoa; mix well. Blend in sour cream and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared muffin trays.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a loaf comes out clean.

Mocha Banana Muffins

Leftover ripened bananas makes for great breakfast recipes. I love a good banana nut bread like most of you do, but I was definitely in the mood for making something with chocolate. Then I had some espresso while I was making the muffins and thought I'd add that into the mix. So here we have... mocha banana muffins.

Mocha Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 ripe bananas
2 teaspoons espresso
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg, banana, espresso, and vanilla.
2. Add in flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Blend until flour disappears.
3. Gently mix in chocolate chips.
4. Spoon batter in 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
5. Bake for 25 minutes in preheated (350F degrees) oven.