Blueberry Cornmeal Muffins for Conference

We gathered as a family again this last weekend. Omelets, muffins, and a chance to be spiritually uplifted.

This year, I made a delicious spin on a blueberry muffin. I love the texture that cornmeal adds to baked goods. The fresh grated nutmeg gave them a wonderful warmth.

Blueberry-Cornmeal Muffins
from Williams- Sonoma Essentials of Baking

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine-grind cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly ground if possible. You can buy whole nutmeg in the spice aisle of most any supermarket. Grate it with a microplane zester)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 T unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 T granulated sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 standard muffin-pan cups or line them with paper liners.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and brown sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Whisk in the milk and butter. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in the berries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about three-fourths full. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 15-18 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes, then turn out onto the rack. Serve warm.

Almond Poppyseed Muffins

These were the perfect little Sunday Morning pick-me-up. The crunchy sugar coated tops were the bomb.

Almond Poppyseed Muffins
from Betty Crocker cookbook

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 T poppy seed
3 tsp sugar
sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups (or spray them very well).
In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the oil, egg, and almond. Beat in sour cream and milk with a spoon until blended. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, soda, and poppy seed until well blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle batter with 3 tsp sugar and the almonds.
Bake 14-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.............

My contribution to the semi-annual omelet brunch.

Chocolate Chip Muffins
from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
Muffins
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (8 oz) plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yogurt and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins.
Makes 1 dozen.

Strawberry-Orange Muffins (Times Two)

"Bake Sale" Strawberry Muffin (split), Cooking Light Strawberry-Orange Muffin (still whole)

We had a bit of a muffin showdown at my house this morning. I wish I could say there was a clear winner, but both fought a good fight.

I was curious to see if there was a difference in a "light" muffin versus a "bake sale" muffin. I think the added sugar in the light muffin made up for the shortage of butter because both were soft, flavorful and delicious.
I added orange zest to the bake sale muffin so that the flavor profiles would be the same when we judged. Omit it if you wish...but I must say, the zest made them taste like morning.

Strawberry Muffins
Adapted from America's Favorites: Bake Sale

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 t vanilla
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
Finely grated zest of one orange

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12 standard muffin pan cups or line with paper liners. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in oats and sugar. Combine milk, butter, egg and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended; stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in the strawberries and orange zest. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Serve.

Strawberry-Orange Muffins
Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine

1 1/4 cups halved strawberries
3 T butter, melted
2 t finely grated orange zest
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 t sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the strawberries, butter, zest and eggs in a blender and process just until mixture is blended.
Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Add strawberry mixture and stir just until mixture is moist. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle muffin batter evenly with 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately.

P.S. The cyclist preferred the Cooking Light Muffin. I liked the Bake Sale Muffin. I'm a sucker for oats in baked goods. Go ahead, try them both. Let me know which one you like.

...man shall not live by bread alone...

...but if you had to live on bread/muffins alone, you could happily live on these.

Stuck on a deserted island? Take these muffins (and a raft).

If I weren't already HAPPILY married, I'd marry these muffins.

If these muffins were one of my kids, I could EASILY pick a favorite.

On death row and requesting your last meal? I hate to sound repetitive, but ask for THESE muffins.

If you haven't got the picture yet, these are quite possibly the best conference muffins I have ever made.

Mini Butter Puffs
loosely based on a recipe from Joy of Cooking
Makes 2 dozen standard size muffins, or 4-5 dozen mini muffins (I like the mini...you can eat them like popcorn.)

Muffins
4 cups flour
2 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cup sour cream
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) warm melted butter

Coating
1-2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


Muffins
Preheat oven to 375. Coat muffin cups with baking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sugar and butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over-mix. The batter should not be smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into one or two muffins comes out clean (about 10 minutes for mini muffins, 12 minutes for standard size muffins.)

Coating
Melt butter in a small bowl. Combine sugar and cinnamon in shallow bowl. While muffins are still quite warm, remove from muffin pan. Dip the entire muffin (one at a time) in melted butter and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Set on a wire rack to cool.

Spring Conference Muffins

It's that time of year again. Spiritual enlightenment on TV...Omelette brunch... Muffins.

We found a sweet little muffin recipe this year. The lemon flavor was a bit subtle for my taste. I'd probably double the zest next time. Still, a great little bite-size muffin.

Pint-Size Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins
from Bon Appetit Magazine
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1/4 cup poppy seeds
(we also sprinkled the batter with a little sanding sugar before baking, to give them a little sweet crunch on top)


PREPARATION
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour three mini muffin pans or line with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until mixture is light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Mix just until blended. Mix in poppy seeds. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups by generous tablespoonfuls.
Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes (mine only cooked about 16 minutes, so check early). Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pans and cool on rack.

Jumbo Blueberry Muffins

This is my basic blueberry muffin recipe. They are absolutely irresistible right out of the oven.
They can be made with or without the streusel topping. (Make them with).

Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries (I used frozen)

Streusel Topping

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, chilled

Preheat oven to 375. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then add almond and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Stir the flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in blueberries. The batter will be very thick (almost like a cookie dough, especially if you use frozen berries). Use a cookie scoop to divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

For streusel, in a small bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over unbaked muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Conference Muffins

This past weekend, we gathered together with my family to listen to General Conference and partake of the feast that is our semi-annual omelet brunch. My sister, sister's-in-law, and I are always in charge of the muffins. This fall I found an especially tasty recipe to try. As Uncle Scott described them, these are "blueberry muffins with attitude".

Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins
From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Grated zest of one orange (about 1T)
1/2 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c whole milk
2 large egg whites
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sliced, blanched almonds, finely ground (use food processor, don't over-pulse or they will turn into a paste)
2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c sliced almonds, toasted (350 for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally)
2 t baking powder (Hey Dustin, the little "t" means teaspoon)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 c blueberries

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray (or use muffin cups).

In a medium bowl, combine the zest, orange juice, milk, egg whites and butter. Whisk until combined.

In another medium bowl, combine the ground almonds, flour, sugar, toasted sliced almonds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well, and stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.

Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Move the muffin pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remore the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Bake Shop Cream Cheese Muffins

I love muffins. It's the best justification for eating your own little cake for breakfast.

Muffins

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
8 ounces Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 cup sugar
12 raspberries

Topping

4 T flour
4 T brown sugar
4 T cold butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.
In large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
In separate bowl, stir together milk, oil, and eggs. Pour into well in the dry ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar. Fold about half of this mixture into the muffin batter.
Spoon batter evenly into greased muffin pans. Dollop the remaining cream cheese mixture onto the muffins, place one raspberry on top of cream cheese. Press the cream cheese and berry into each muffin with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Combine all topping ingredients. Cut it together until it resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle on top of muffins.

Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until golden brown.

French Breakfast Muffins

Muffins
2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter the bottoms (only) of 12 standard-size muffin cups and set the pan aside.
Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl and combine them with a whisk.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk the egg until it's frothy. Blend in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture.
Using a wooden spoon, mix the batter just until it's evenly blended, then spoon it into the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
Bake the muffins on the center rack for 15 minutes. Then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack until the muffins are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, then remove them from the cups.
Before the muffins lose their warmth, prepare the topping. Mix the sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt the butter and transfer it to a separate small bowl. Set both bowls next to the muffins.
Working one muffin at a time, quickly dip the tops in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar, rolling each muffin in all directions to cover the entire top. If you'd like more topping, roll them in the cinnamon sugar for a second time while they're still warm. Serve immediately. Makes 12 muffins.

Cinnamon Ripple Muffins

Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup diced pecans
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons soft butter

Filling
3 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Batter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake papers, or grease it lightly.
Prepare the topping by mixing the ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside.
Prepare the filling by mixing all filling ingredients. Set it aside.
To make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the liquid, stirring just until combined.
Divide half the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Dollop 2 teaspoons cinnamon filling onto each muffin, then top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle with topping, pressing it in lightly.
Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 minutes before transferring them from the pan to a rack to cool. Yield: 12 muffins.