Lemon Ginger Muffins

Lately I've been craving my Tuscan Lemon Muffins, but I forgot to get ricotta cheese at the store, so the craving has been put on hold...like you can do that.  I've also been missing baking.  Which is ironic because it feels like I'm always in the kitchen, and I'm monumentally behind on this blog - like months behind on posting the things I've made.  But it's been a long time, probably almost two months, since I just baked to bake.  No Dessert Club, no birthday, no event, no dinner swap.  Just for the pleasure of the process and product. 

This morning, rummaging through the cupboards, I came across a bag of (admittedly, I don't know how old) candied ginger, and still on the vein of lemon muffins, I foodgawkered Lemon Ginger Muffins.  Breakfast is done.

Foodgawker is a two-headed beast.  The pictures, and associated recipes, are inspiring and saliva-inducing.  Then I click through to the blogs, and get depressed.  They have advertising.  How do they take such amazing pictures?  How do they have time to make that food?  The blog is so...sophisticated.  Et cetera.  Blog inferiority complex.  Can't really be helped, unless I don't look at them.  But once in awhile, I just can't help it.  What has foodgawker got for me today?

Today, it was just the thing.

Lemon Ginger Muffins (print recipe)
Makes 18 muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1 T lemon zest
2 T lemon juice
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 T lemon juice for glaze
1 cup powdered sugar for glaze

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Line muffin cups with paper liners.

2.  In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and salt; set aside.

3.  In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the crystallized ginger, lemon zest and lemon juice, then mix that in.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each is just incorporated.  Alternate the addition of the milk and dry ingredients  by thirds, making sure not to overmix each addition.

4.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and fill each nearly to the brim of the liner.  Bake them for 15 to 18 minutes until the tops are a nice golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Transfer them to a cooling rack.

5.  While the muffins cool, mix together the reserved lemon juice and powdered sugar until there are no lumps.  Drizzle glaze over muffins.

Recipe from HotPolkaDot.com

Orange Ricotta Muffins (Two Ways)

Here's a word I don't use too often, because it's goofy and pathetically lacking in sophistication, but in this case, remarkably appropriate: Nummers.

Last week, on Monday morning, we were rudely awoken at 5 a.m. by an automated mass text: school was cancelled.  What?!  I jumped out of bed and looked outside to see if it had unexpectedly snowed.  Nope, looked normal.  We scanned the weather apps, and apparently there was freezing rain and ice.  So we settled back in for another hour or two of sleep.  

I always crave snow days, but I guess an ice day is almost as good.  No snow to play in, but we still get to lay back, eat leisurely, stay in PJ's, play, read, draw, and relax.  It was a great day to make these muffins my friend had just told me about.

The original recipe, from Two Peas & Their Pod, uses regular chocolate chips.  I doubled the recipe, and on my friend's recommendation, put blueberries in half, and mini chips in the other.  Both were totally nummers.  My kids preferred the blueberry; I probably preferred the chocolate, because I am genetically inclined to do so.    

My favorite part of making these, is Step 2, when you rub the orange zest and sugar together with your fingers.  Not only is it sensory therapy - like running beach sand through your hands, but sand that smells like bright, fresh, sweet orange - but it also provides the best finger-licking possible in the entire world of baking.

Nummers.

Orange Ricotta Muffins (Two Ways) (print recipe)
Makes 12 muffins

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries -OR- chocolate chips (I prefer mini)


Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Rub the orange zest and sugar together with your fingers.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar and orange zest mixture together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended, still with a streak or two of flour. Gently fold in the blueberries or chocolate chips.  Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.

5. Bake muffins for about 18-22 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown. Let muffins cool completely.

6. While the muffins are cooking, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. Drizzle glaze over muffins. Let the muffins sit until glaze hardens.

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

1 year ago:  Red Hot Cinnamon Bread
2 years ago:  Dessert Club - Breads & Spreads
3 years ago:  Blackout Cake

Gingerbread Mini Cakes

Ahem.  Don't mind me.  Just taking almost an entire month to get one more post written.  Looks like the days of being two months ahead on this blog are over.  Does anybody still check it?

Just in case you do, here's an easy fall treat for you.  Fall baking truly rocks, doesn't it?

Of course, we made these in the summer, and served them for a girls' tea party with friends.  We have a lot of those.  Tea parties, not friends.  It's better that way - more gingerbread cakes for us.

These are made with pumpkin, molasses, and all those warm fall spices I love.  When I see a long list of 1/2 and 1/4 tsp of lots of herbs in, say, a dinner recipe, I reject it - too much work!  But when I see a similarly long list of spices, for something like a cake or muffins, I pounce on it eagerly.  Because I know it will be delicious, and oh, so worth it.  As these mini cakes are!

Gingerbread Mini Cakes (print recipe)
Yield depends on mold size - makes 60 mini muffins or 18 canelé or standard muffins

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature plus more for muffin cups
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for muffin cups
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp fine salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin purée
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Butter and flour 18 standard muffin cups or whatever mini cake mold you are using.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.  In a medium bowl, beat granulated sugar and butter with a wooden spoon, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Whisk in pumpkin purée until smooth, then whisk in molasses, eggs, and buttermilk.  Add to flour mixture in 3 additions, stirring well to combine.

2.  Divide batter among muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and set, 35 minutes (12-14 for mini muffins), rotating pans halfway through.  Let cool completely in pans on wire racks. 

3.  Whisk together confectioners' sugar and 2 T water.  Spoon over muffins and let glaze set, about 15 minutes, before serving.  Or dip tops of mini muffins in glaze and let extra drizzle off before setting upright to set.  (Refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 week.)

Nutrition per 3 mini muffins:
165 cal, 3g fat, 25mg chol, 156mg sod, 32.6carb, 0.8g fiber, 18.7g sugar, 2.6g protein

Recipe from Everyday Food, Jan 2012
1 year ago: Devil's Food Cake with Black Pepper Boiled Icing (oh, yes)
2 years ago: Sour Cream Muffins with Poppy Seed Streusel
3 years ago: Strawberry New York Cheesecake-Stuffed Blondies

High-Rise Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

 Ugh, FINALLY!  I FINALLY have a great lemon-poppy seed muffin recipe!  Everyone shout it with me,

HOOOO-RAY!

To this point, I've been making - and gobbling - my Tuscan Lemon Muffins when I needed a good lemon fix.  And those are still nothing to scoff at, I love them.  But it's embarrassing; shouldn't every self-respecting baker have a rockin' lemon-poppy seed recipe?  If so, why are they so hard to find?

This recipe comes from Cook's Country, which always gives happy results.  (Although I had to change the yield, syrup proportions, and baking time for some reason.)  But in addition to results, for every single recipe they publish, they explain 1) what they were going for, 2) problems they faced, and 3) how they overcame the problems to achieve perfection, or nearly.  In this article, they were going for "a light crumb; a neat, rounded top; a balance of sugar and tang (it's breakfast, not dessert, after all); ease (anything made before 8 a.m. must meet that criterion); poppy seeds (obviously); and a bright and significant lemon presence."  Check.  Check, check, check, check, check.  I love that high, rounded top, and the flavor balance, perfect.  Enjoy!

 
High-Rise Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins (print recipe)

Makes 20 muffins

3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar, plus 1/2 cup for the syrup
3 T poppy seeds
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 T grated lemon zest plus 1/4 cup juice (from 2 lemons)
8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease standard muffin tin(s) to make 20 muffins.

2.  Whisk flour, 1 cup sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  In second bowl, whisk yogurt, eggs, and lemon zest together until smooth.  Fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture with rubber spatula until just combined.  Fold in melted butter.  (Batter can be refrigerated in covered container up to 24 hours.)

3.  Using a muffin scoop or greased 1/3-cup measure, fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full.  Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

4.  Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan.   Cook over medium heat until slightly syrupy, about 3 minutes.  Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes, then flip out onto wire rack.  Brush with warm syrup and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Country, April/May 2012  

1 year ago: Watermelon-Jalapeno Popsicles 
2 years ago: Mint Lemonade
3 years ago: Sour Cream Hazelnut Bundt Cake 

Zucchini Coconut Muffins

 Summer is one of my four favorite seasons, and zucchini is one of the main reasons.  For me, there is no such thing as too much zucchini, and no such thing as too many zucchini recipes.  I didn't have one that pairs it with coconut yet (and you know I love me some coconut), so when my KAF catalog came with this recipe on page 22, no brainer.  Whip 'em up, feed 'em to house guests.  Don't even ask if they like them, because they'd be crazy not to.

I think I read somewhere that a new "flavor trend" is pairing coconut with ginger.  Which sounds like heaven to me, and which pairing also comes packaged up in this what's-seeming-to-be-practically-perfect-in-every-way cakelet.  And no, you don't have to order "coconut milk powder" from King Arthur just to mix it with milk for the glaze.  You can just buy a can of actual coconut milk; it's even better, and with the leftover, make one of these.  Here's to a summer full of fruity - and zucchini-y - recipes!

Zucchini Coconut Muffins (print recipe)
Makes 12 muffins

Muffins:
2 large eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups (8 ounces) grated unpeeled zucchini (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 T coconut milk powder, optional (I substituted coconut milk for the powder & milk)
2 T milk
1/4 cup toasted coconut

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

2.  For the batter, combine eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and coconut flavor until smooth.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  Stir in the zucchini and coconut.

3.  Scoop the batter into the wells of the pan, about 1/4 cup per muffin.

4.  Bake for 24 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven; cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5.  For the glaze, sift together the dry ingredients; mix in the milk.  Dunk the top of each muffin into the glaze and sprinkle with toasted coconut, if desired. 

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

1 year ago: Caramel-Hazelnut Brownies
2 years ago:  Chock-Full of Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 years ago: Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding

Dessert Club - Muffins, Buns, Rolls and Scones

 What a night.  You really missed something special.  Unless you were there.  But just in case you weren't...

We couldn't come up with quite the right one-word name for these fist-sized, breakfast-or-teatime genres, so we just specified the challenge by names.  Specifying muffins, buns, rolls, or scones seemed just broad and just narrow enough a category for our March meeting.

In direct contrast to Candy night, we had no problem sampling each treat, and at least in my case, going back for more with this spread.  They were varied, tender, delicious and not-too-sweet in most cases.  I had several favorites and a hard time choosing how to vote. 

We also had a great brainstorming session of new themes for future meetings.  Summer Fruits, we agreed, is a must-do annual theme, probably in July, though with the weather we've been having, we wondered if June or even May would be better.  But we also thought of new ideas - Nuts, Tropical, 5-ingredient, Beverages, Secret Ingredient, to name just a few.  We agreed that we've all come a long way, and may be ready for something harder once in awhile, so we determined to alternate between having a theme and having a challenge, in order to challenge ourselves and each other to a greater degree.  That's right, Dessert Club is a year and a half old, but we are just getting started. 

But back to March.  Here were the offerings:

Pain aux Raisins (Raisin Rolls - one of my favorites of the evening!)

Raspberry-Blueberry Muffins

Maple-Oatmeal Scones

Cardamom Sour Cream Twists

Berry Almond Scones with Orange Butter

Pumpkin White Chocolate Scones 
with Clotted Cream and Pumpkin Butter

 Banana Streusel Muffins with Hazelnuts

And the winner was...

My very own Pain Au Chocolat!  These were a true labor of love, the second time I've made them, and while I love them to death myself, I was proud and gratified to find out everyone else did, too.  Plus I hadn't brought the prize so it was fun to open my new dough scraper and a new jar of yeast - always useful!

Recipes coming - as you know I don't always post them so if there's one in particular you want, let me know. 

Coming up in April...CAKE!  I've got mine all picked out and if it works, it will be the BOMBE! (wink, wink)

Leprechaun Muffins

 Well I didn't quite get these up for St. Patrick's, did I?  But anyone who loves pistachios as much as I do won't mind because these are great any day of the year.  A delicious sour cream batter surrounding a rich sweet pistachio filling that, in every muffin, turns out like a little smile. 

I had to hunt this recipe down like a bloodhound.  See, when I made my Frozen Pistachio Tarts, I had to buy a 3-pack of pistachio paste.  Which means I had a whole lot of pistachio paste left over.  So naturally I started looking for recipes.  In the KAF forums I saw mention of a Leprechaun Muffin, which was achingly intriguing, but I couldn't find the recipe anywhere.  I finally figured out it was published in their own publication, The Baking Sheet, but not available online.  So I went and ordered myself a back issue and waited with great anticipation.

What a gem, too.  Not only did it have this recipe, but also a Pistachio-Chocolate Chip Pound Cake (using more pistachio paste, woo-hoo!), a Daffodil Cake (a yellow-and-white sponge cake flavored with orange), Tourtiere (French meat pie), Hot Cross Buns, and more.  It's a little expensive, but I'm seriously considering a subscription.

In the meantime, here's a freebie for you, for no pistachio lover should be without Leprechaun Muffins.

Leprechaun Muffins (print recipe)
Makes 16 muffins

Batter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Filling (makes enough for two batches of batter):
1/2 cup pistachio paste
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 drop green food coloring

Streusel:
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts, optional

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 12-cup muffin tin with papers and spray the insides of the papers.  Put the extras in another tin or the same one after it cooks.

2.  To make the dough:  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions and stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to the egg mixture in thirds, alternating with the sour cream.  Beat in the extracts.

3.  To make the filling: Combine the pistachio paste, cream cheese, and sugar until smooth.  Add the flour, mix to combine, then beat in the egg, almond extract, and a drop of green food coloring, if using.

4.  To make the streusel: Combine the ingredients, mixing well with a fork or your hands.

5.  To assemble muffins: Scoop 2 T of batter into each of the wells of the muffin tins.  Spoon a Tablespoon of filling on top of the batter, then scoop another 2 T of batter on top.  The wells should be filled to just below the tops of the papers.  Sprinkle the streusel on top, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before taking the muffins out of the pans to finish cooling completely.

 Coffeecake variation: Butter and flour two 8-inch round pans or a 9x13 pan.  Spread half the batter in the prepared pans; spread the filling over it, and then spoon the remaining batter on top.  Sprinkle with the streusel, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack, or cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe from The Baking Sheet, Spring 2010

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

 Yes, yes, yes, it's another banana recipe.  You know I can't get enough of them.  But it has been awhile since I posted one.

My kids love chocolate chips thrown into most muffins and breads.  And I am happy to oblige.  Why not?  Especially with these - hello, whole wheat flour!  Whole wheat flour, and cinnamon chips (optional but amazing!), and chocolate chips and either rum or coconut extract?!  So awesome.  Either one adds a very subtle but yummo flavor everyone you know will love. 

 Put these in your "no fail" folder, your "crowd pleaser" bookmark.  Always, always, always a hit.  Perfect in any season, for any occasion.  So delicious.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (print recipe)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 medium
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 to 1/4 butter rum or coconut flavor, optional
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, optional
1 cup cinnamon chips, optional

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly grease 12 to 14 standard muffin cups.

2.  Beat the butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the banana, then the egg, flavorings, and milk.  Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flours, stirring until smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips, nuts and cinnamon chips.

3.  Heap the thick batter into the prepared muffin cups, mounding them quite full; you'll make 14 muffins if you've used all three add-ins.  Bake the muffins 20 to 23 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove the muffins from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.  Makes 12 to 14 muffins.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Pistachio-Chai Muffins

This recipe helped dispel a misconception I had about chai.  For some reason I thought it was a kind of tea, like black tea or green tea.  (I only drink herbal tea so I really didn't know.)  In much of southeast Asia "chai" is the generic word for "tea."  In those areas, a warming blend of Indian spices is added to tea to make what they call "masala chai."  Since English speakers already use the word "tea" for tea, "chai" became the word for spiced tea for us.  When I looked up what kind of spices go into chai - ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, cloves, pepper - I realized that sounded JUST like my total fav herbal tea - Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice.

So I got out the box and read the following off the side:

Brimming with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves, a cup of our aromatic Bengal Spice tea is like a trip to an exotic spice market in a faraway land. This adventurous blend is our caffeine-free interpretation of Chai, a piquant Indian brew traditionally made with black tea. Try Bengal Spice with milk and sugar for a true Chai experience.

 So there you go.  I've been drinking chai herbal tea for years and not even known it.  It's the best.  When I put it all together and realized two bags of Bengal Spice were going into these muffins PLUS there were pistachios, it was a no-brainer.  AMAZING!  And they are as good as they sound.  Or even better.

Pistachio-Chai Muffins (print recipe)
7.9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 chai blend tea bags, opened (I use Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice herbal tea, tiger on the box)
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/3 cup shelled dry-roasted pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 T water

1.  Preheat oven to 375.

2.  Weight or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Cut open tea bags; add tea to flour mixture, stirring well.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.  Combine buttermilk, butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and egg in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. 

3.  Place 12 muffin-cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.  Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle nuts evenly over batter.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes in pan on wire rack. 

4.  Combine remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla, powdered sugar, and 1 T water, stirring until smooth.  Drizzle evenly over muffins.  Makes 12 muffins.

Recipe from Cooking Light, May 2011