Muffins!

When I first moved into my house it had a gas oven and I couldn't bake a thing in it, last year we spent a years salary (gasp...wasn't meant to cost that much, but did in the end) on a brand new kitchen with a Neff Convection Oven and it works brilliantly. So here is my contribution to the muffin talk:

Ina Garten's "The Barefoot Contessa"
Banana Crunch Muffin

 
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.

 

That looks wonderful!  Definitely worth a try!

I have a thing about muffins that they have to have some grain in it besides just flour.  I like oats the best but I've used anything from wheat germ, to bran, to Alpen cereal.  Gotta get my fibre in!  never thought of using granola though so i'll try this one for sure.

Hey Mrs. P...

I got this recipe today with my organic delivery...sounds tasty!  I might make them this weekend...

SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

Preheat oven to 350F/gas mark 4. 
Oil 12 large muffin cups. 
In a small bowl whisk together:

150g brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
120ml vegetable oil (I will use apple sauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

In a separate large bowl mix together:

100g plain flour
150g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
450g peeled and grated sweet potatoes

Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg mixture.  Stir the egg mixture, gradually incorporating in the flour mixture.  Stir in 1 big handful of raisins or other chopped dried fruit and 2 big handfuls of chopped walnuts.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

For you blueberry muffin lovers....

I just made these, they came out wonderful!  Coating the blueberries with flour really did the trick, no sinking!  I also used my silicone muffin pans, no sticking! 

3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar (white or brown)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup blueberries (shake in some flour so they don't sink)
1/2 cup blueberry pie filling
2 cups flour (I use 1 cup plain flour & 1 cup whole meal)
1/2 cup milk

Blend butter, sugar, eggs and pie filling and milk together. Then add the flour and baking powder. Stir just until all ingredients are incorporated, then fold in the floured blueberries.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar as they are cooling. 

*If you don't have the blueberry pie filling you can just up the milk by 1/4 cup 

Today I made orange-date muffins which turned out pretty well. Tomorrow I'm making pumpkin apple spice muffins so I can have both kinds in the freezer.

Hey Mrs. P...

I got this recipe today with my organic delivery...sounds tasty!  I might make them this weekend...

SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

Preheat oven to 350F/gas mark 4. 
Oil 12 large muffin cups. 
In a small bowl whisk together:

150g brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
120ml vegetable oil (I will use apple sauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

In a separate large bowl mix together:

100g plain flour
150g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
450g peeled and grated sweet potatoes

Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg mixture.  Stir the egg mixture, gradually incorporating in the flour mixture.  Stir in 1 big handful of raisins or other chopped dried fruit and 2 big handfuls of chopped walnuts.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

I am so making these this weekend!

Tomorrow I'm making pumpkin apple spice muffins so I can have both kinds in the freezer.

Those sound really tasty!

Anyone have any suggestions on making filled muffins? I attempted to make some a couple of weeks ago, but the filling just oozed out.
Thanks!

Those sound really tasty!

I'll let you know. I haven't made them before but fingers crossed!

I like muffins, but they are usually so much like cake -- that I'd just as soon eat cake, tbh.

The thing I wanted to add is that where my husband works, in the vending machine they sell a product called a 'Monster Muffin' - which is a big, American-style muffin.  My husband and his male work mates think that's the most amusing (juvenile humor) product ever!

I said American-style muffin because he calls our muffins (lol! ) that, while what we would call English muffins are muffins.

120ml vegetable oil (I will use apple sauce)

Side note, where do you get applesauce?  I can never find it!

Side note, where do you get applesauce?  I can never find it!

I bought unsweetened apple sauce from my local health food store.

Aha, maybe Holland and Barrett will have some then.  Thanks!!

Side note, where do you get applesauce?  I can never find it!

It's dead easy to make - the hardest part is peeling the apples! 

It's dead easy to make - the hardest part is peeling the apples! 

Buy a food mill and you don't even have to do that.

Just wanted to comment on the Sweet Potato muffins.  I made them today and they're delish!  Kind of a cross between a carrot cake and a pumpkin muffin.  Yum!