Orange Walnut Muffins

Oranges, not my favorite thing to eat, but one of my favorite smells and by far my favorite color!  I like orange IN things but to sit and eat an orange alone, nah, not my cuppa tea, to be honest.

My niece had stopped by a couple of months ago.  She always has ideas, suggestions and we like to talk food often.  She said she had seen these muffins on a website, maybe a camping website.  I thought they were such a cool idea.  I mean, using food for the delivery of food, is perfect.  Or is it actually using trash for the delivery of food?  Regardless of how you work it, I wanted to give it a try.   After much searching I found a few versions but, you know me, I made my own path with this one!

You will need to prepare your oranges.  Cut in half and I used a grapefruit spoon to clean them out.  KEEP the guts!  Do you ever call the inside of anything guts?  Innards?  Whatever you call them, keep them, including the juice, just put it all in a bowl.  I yielded the exact amount of juice I needed for this recipe from the 3 oranges.  Use your fingers and break up the orange sections, we will use those as well.  I wrote this for 6 muffins, but NEWS FLASH, it will make 3 regular muffins as well.  Unless you use HUGE oranges, which I thought I did.  Anyway clean those babies out and set them up into a muffin pan.  (zest your orange for the 1/2 tsp before you cut and clean them, it is easier)

Here is what you need for 6 muffins IN the orange:

3 oranges, cut in half and cleaned out
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
orange sections you removed from the oranges

Preheat your oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together and mix until completely combined.  Divide into the 6 orange halves and 3 liners for the leftover batter.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

This is such a fun way to bake muffins!  I hope that you give them a try!!

Your "orange lovin" Chefwannabe

PS.  Make sure to eat these right away or the pith will bitter the muffins!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

Rhubarb, it is such a scary word isn't it?  When I was growing up we had a patch of rhubarb that seemed endless.  The huge leaves we were warned to NEVER eat.  We would pick it out and just eat it plain.  I can't IMAGINE that now.  My mom froze it, made everything with it, and as it wasn't my favorite then, it still isn't.  I had one of my sisters who doesn't like rhubarb taste test these after my first batch.  I was concerned there wasn't enough rhubarb. HA.  She took the tiniest bite and then in the trash it went.  I asked, "WHAT IS WRONG" she said, "OMG THEY ARE RHUBARB".  So for your rhubarb lovers, I guarantee, you will love these. HAHA

These muffins are very easy.  I would suggest you use your food processor.  The strawberries need processed because they will serve as liquid in the recipe and the rhubarb serves as an addition so while I wouldn't puree it, I did pulse mine until it was in pieces about like NERDS candy.  The combination is tart and sweet, it is great, even though I don't groove so much on rhubarb I did enjoy one of these myself.  See, I AM a grown up..... sometimes. 

The key to these is not over mixing.  While I did not add brown sugar to the top, I think it would have been fabulous so I am writing it into the recipe.  (I added a sprinkle of plain granulated sugar). 

I have made a vow to always measure out my ingredients before cooking or baking.  This was my first day of my personal vow.  SO much easier, I am never looking back!  I mean I do it sometimes, but not always, but not anymore! 

You will need:
(makes 18 muffins)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs that you have lightly beaten
3/4 cup pureed strawberries
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup FINELY mince or food processed rhubarb
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar (for topping)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Line your muffin pans with liners or grease them liberally if not using liners.  In a large bowl add all ingredients EXCEPT flour.  Mix until completely combined.  Add in flour and mix ONLY UNTIL COMBINED.  DO NOT OVER MIX!  Scoop into your muffin cups and then sprinkle the top with brown sugar.

Bake 17-20 minutes.  Let cool and dig in!

Your "always retrying things I hated" Chefwannabe

 

Chocolate Covered Cherry Muffins

Good Evening!  I hope this finds you all home and relaxing after a hard day at work!  Maybe you just had dinner, maybe you are waiting for your water to boil, your oven to heat, or your microwave to ding, regardless, I have you covered for dessert.  Or wait.....I mean breakfast, umm, tomorrow. 

These "muffins" taste more like dessert but.......shhhh, don't tell anyone.   I have never eaten a chocolate muffin.  Never.  Can you believe it?  My husband says it is because chocolate muffins are cupcakes.  And heaven knows, I have had my fair share of those so technically, hubby says, I have eaten chocolate muffins.  Well since I am on another use up kick, I had some cherry pie filling, some maraschino cherries and other random things I wanted used up.  You got the final deal here.   I mean who doesn't think, "Heck yeah" when they hear Chocolate Covered Cherry Muffins?  I am on a bit of a muffin kick anyway, it is turning into another biscotti obsession of how many kinds can I possibly make.  Has this ever happened to anyone else, or am I, again, the singular freak? 

These muffins aren't to sweet, they have a nice texture and who doesn't love a surprise cherry in the middle?  Get outta here, they are delish.  DO NOT and I repeat, DO NOT, skip the chocolate drizzle on top.  It evens things out perfectly and just shouldn't be left out.  Get in your kitchen and make these, because every morning should start so decadently!

You will need:
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tbsp. melted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cherry extract
3/4 cup cherry pie filling
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Sm jar of maraschino cherries (you will need 15ish)
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Line muffin/cupcake pan with liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

In a large bowl or your stand mixer bowl, add in eggs, butter, buttermilk brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cherry extract.  Mix until all ingredients are well combined.  Continue by adding cherry pie filling and oats to the mix.  Again mix until all ingredients are combined.  Add in flour and mix ONLY until flour is absorbed.  Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides and fold in chocolate chips.

Fill openings of your muffin tin about 2/3rds full.  You should get 15 muffins.  OK, I got 15 muffins, you might get 14, or 16 but, you just go with whatcha know.......!

Place a maraschino cherry on top of each muffin in the center.  Most of the cherries will sink to the middle, some might stay closer to the top.  No matter, bake for 18-20 minutes.  Remove and let cool completely IN the pan. 
 
Put chocolate chips in a small Ziploc bag, and microwave 30 seconds at a time until chips are melted.  Cut a TINY bit from the corner and drizzle the tops of the muffins however you want.  Let the chocolate set and serve!

Your "chocolate covered cherries are now for breakfast" chefwannabe

Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins!

I sometimes get so confused about muffins.  I mean......  Ok.  Some are so sweet I think they SHOULD be cupcakes.  They just don't have frosting, most of the time.  I have some muffins here that do have white chocolate drizzled on top.  But I mean, how do you KNOW?  I feel like it I am asking how you know someone you are dating is THE ONE.  How do you know it IS a MUFFIN?  For some reason, as a kid, I always though muffins had to be dry, and they had to have oats in them.  Yes, that was my prerequisite for being labeled a "muffin".  Only old people ate them too.  Oh the things we think when we are kids.  Normally I would blame my moms cooking but I don't recall her ever making muffins! (no offense ma, I swear)

I must admit I have created some great muffins.  You should check them out.  Well my husband created the Blueberries and Cream Muffins but, other than that.  There is no bad time for one.  Breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, dinner, and in this case dessert even!!  I don't know if a recipe could be any easier.  Through stuff in the bowl, mix and bake.  Right?  These muffins taste like the softest, chewiest chocolate chip cookie you have ever eaten.  I am just warning you , don't think you will stop at just one.  No, really, I am serious.  In fact I noticed they LOOKED a little plaine Jane, humdrum and boring.  These babies pack a flavor and texture you won't soon forget.  I promise!

You will notice an odd ingredient, or not so odd, just different.  It is the Nestle's Media Crema Table Cream.  Here is a photo of it.  You will find it either in the Mexican Food aisle at your store, OR near the evaporated and sweetened condensed milk.

 

I sent my hubs to the store last week and in his quest to buy one thing he found this and brought me like 5 cans.  I finally opened one and it is so thick, I actually think I now have an equivalent to "thickened cream" that my Aussie friends talk about!  I used it in these muffins and holy chocolate chips batman..........

Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins (best EVER)
1 1/4 cups AP flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 -7.6 ounce can of Nestle Media Crema (found near the evaporated and sweetened condensed milk)
1 egg
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.  I find liners hard to remove from muffins alot so just forget about those babies!  I put them in liners when they come out for serving.  If you are using a stand mixer, just use that bowl.  Otherwise in a large bowl add in flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix to combine.  Then add in oil, crema, and egg.  Again mix just until combine, don't over mix!  Pour in chocolate chips and give it one more mix!

Bake for 16=18 minutes.  17 minutes was perfect for mine. 

This will make 12 regular muffins.  Make sure to cool COMPLETELY before removing from pan. 

I hope you try these bites of heaven.  I am serious, this is completely unbiased...HA!  I have NEVER tasted chocolate chip muffins this good. 

Ok, done bragging

Your "youngest child syndrome never stops"chefwannabe

P.S.  Before you even ask, YES you COULD replace the Media Crema with milk, 1/2 cup.  But it won't be nearly as amazing and it is cheap to buy.  You could possibly find it in the Mexican food aisle at your grocery store as well!

Blueberries and Cream Crunch Muffins!

Hello friends, hoping this post finds you all happy and healthy! 

I have been in the mood for muffins.  My husband has been asking for blueberry muffins.  I will admit, until a year or so ago, I was a box blueberry muffin girl, who would doctor it up and add my own "stuff" and they were awesome.  Well, a new day has come, and these muffins are INCREDIBLE.  I had some ricotta I needed to use up, and some white chocolate chips I wanted to use so I took my base muffin recipe and went to town! 

Muffins are so versatile, aren't they?  I mean, breakfast, brunch, snack, dessert, there is no craving they can't fulfill.  They can be made ahead or frozen.  I just love everything that is "muffins".  However, I noticed I have only one muffin recipe up.  So my husband asked me to make blueberries and cream muffins with a streusel top. 

So, for my adoring husband, who is the fizz in my soda........I present to you, the most amazing muffins we have ever eaten!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup instant oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp melted butter
3/4 cup blueberries (I used frozen, thawed them and drained them)
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together.  Using a well greased muffin tin, or using liners, fill each well with batter.  This recipe will make 16-18 muffins.  I made 12 regular sized, and 14 minis.  Top each muffin with the streusel topping. (recipe below)  Bake for 15-17 minutes.  Mine took 15 exactly and the mini's took 7 minutes.  Let cool in pan and enjoy!  HINT, when you spray or line the cupcake pan, make sure to use nonstick spray for and spray the top surface so if the streusel bubbles up it will be easy to remove!

Streusel Topping:
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter

Mix first three ingredients, and then cut the butter in to the mixture.

You can melt a few white chocolate chips to drizzle over the top.  If they don't melt thin enough add a few drops of vegetable oil so it will drizzle!

Your "blueberry AND hubby lovin'"Chefwannabe

Banana Crumble Muffins

How many times have you thrown out bananas that were black or getting black and overripe?  Don't do it anymore!!  Throw them in a Ziploc and toss them in the freezer!  Use them later for banana breads, muffins, cakes, anything!  Anything you have to throw away becomes expensive!!  I refuse to throw things away!  Ok well if they are hairy and crawling toward the trash themselves, I will help them along!

 

These muffins are delicious.  They are not your light airy muffin.  They are dense, almost like bread.   Some of the ingredients might surprise you.  Might make you go "Hmm...".  They all work brilliantly.  These are muffins you KNOW you are eating, and with a cup of coffee or tea, or juice, what a great breakfast or anytime-snack!

Here is what you will need: (24 muffins)
4 cups flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup caramel sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs (beaten)
4 tbs melted butter
3-4 ripe bananas (can soften in microwave if not soft enough)
1 tsp banana flavoring (optional, can use vanilla)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees,

Combine all ingredients except flour in a stand mixer or by hand.  

When completely combined, add the flour in 2 or 3 additions, mix only until all flour is incorporated then stop!!

Using paper liners, fill muffin tins.  You should get 24 muffins.  Now set aside and mix up your crumble!  You can spray your pan or butter it liberally if you don't want to use liners!



Here is what you need for your crumble:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup instant oats
6 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)



Combine completely and then using a spoon sprinkle over all of the muffins.  Try and press it down so it stays mostly in the middle!!

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool in pans and remove!  

Your "this is the only way I will touch a banana with a 10ft pole" chefwannabe

Chris