Pumpkin Pie Muffins

If someone had told me the ordeal that is changing your name, I may have seriously re-thought this decision.

I feel like my life is consumed with paperwork- the DMV, social security, banks, magazines.. you name it, they all want a different set of paperwork. And don't even get me started on what I'm going to have to go through to change everything for my job!

The weirdest part is trying to sign my new name or even better, responding to it- throws me off every time. I can't help but feel like a small part of me is missing with this new last name, but a new part of me is growing in it's place.

But you don't want to hear all about this.. you came for the good stuff- the yummy stuff!

Despite all these changes going on in my life, I can always count on my time in the kitchen to bring me solace. My love for the kitchen will never change.

If you're anything like me, once pumpkin season begins I find myself buying a can almost every time I'm at the grocery. Pumpkin isn't just for pies, oh no no no, it can be used in cakes, cookies, french toast, pasta (yes, pasta!) and of course, muffins..

Pumpkin Pie Muffins
Adapted from BestBaking.com

2 cups AP flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup quick oats
1/2 cup raisins or cranberries (optional)
15 oz Pumpkin Pie Mix (half of the large can)
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup whole milk

Crumb topping

from the wonderful Lindsey at Gingerbread Bagels

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/3 cup AP flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 1/3 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and quick oats.
In large bowl, beat pumpkin pie mix, egg, oil, and sugar until combined.
Slowly add flour mixture and milk to pumpkin mixture, stirring until well blended.
Stir in raisins or cranberries (I actually found a bag with a mix of both).
Use an ice cream scoop to evenly scoop muffin mix into prepared muffin tin.
Make crumb topping and sprinkle over top of each muffin.
Pop in oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden.

Bacon & Cheddar Muffins

I love long weekends.

There's just something about waking up on the Monday morning of a holiday weekend with a smile on your face, feeling like you've cheated the system with that extra morning to sleep in.

In true summer fashion our Memorial Day weekend was jam packed with sun filled adventures including the Austin Music and Wine Festival, lounging by the pool and a Sunday night BBQ with some of our favorites.

And everyone knows when you have plans all weekend long breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day because with so many plans you never know when your next meal will be.

I woke up Saturday morning craving a baked good, but wanting something savory at the same time.

Luckily,  I came upon this recipe for Bacon & Cheddar Muffins in an online Bisquick magazine and couldn't have been happier about the ease of preparation (and taste of course).

Bacon & Cheddar Muffins
recipe by Bisquick
Oven: 400 Bake time: 16-19 minutes
Makes 10 muffins or 5 large muffins

4 strips of bacon
1 egg
2 cups of Bisquick
3/4 cup of cheddar cheese
3/4 cup of milk
2 TBS butter, melted
1/4 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 400 and line muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until nice and crispy.
Remove from skillet, allowing bacon to cool, crumble and set aside.
In a large bowl lightly whisk egg.
Add Bisquick, milk, butter, and chili powder and mix until combined.
Fold in cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin- filling each about 3/4 full.
Transfer to oven and bake 16-19 minutes or until muffins have lightly browned.
Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.
Serve with eggs.

Do anything fun this weekend?

Happy Baking!

3-Minute Microwave Muffins

Yes, you read that correctly..

Muffins made in the microwave in THREE minutes!

Unbelievable right?

When Mountain Man walked into the kitchen and groggily asked me what the heck I was going to make in the 20 minutes I had before I had to leave for work, I smiled and proudly proclaimed "microwave muffins."

Little did he know, that I had no idea if they would actually be any good or if they would even work for that matter.

Much to my surprise though, they turned out to be pretty darn good! Especially having been made in the microwave of such places!

Since discovering these perfect breakfast treats for the on-the-go business woman (or man), I've experimented with different ingredients and fillings, but the base recipe has stayed the same. They can be whipped up in a matter of minutes, popped in the microwave and ready to eat in 3 minutes...not to mention, they sit nice and cozy in a mug so you don't have to worry about muffin crumbs or messy hands.

So the next time you start to pour yourself another bowl of your same old cereal, use that bowl to whip up some delectable little muffins for your way out the door!

Microwave Muffins
Fills 3 small mugs (easily doubled for more people)

1/2 cup plus 6 TBS white whole wheat flour or AP flour
2 1/2 TBS sugar
dash of salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg (or mix 1 TBS flax seed meal with 3 TBS water and use instead of an egg)
6 TBS vanilla yogurt
2 TBS milk (I used skim)
2 TBS vegetable oil
dash of vanilla
*1/2 cup of mix-ins: blueberries, dried cranberries, blackberries, chocolate chips, bananas, etc.
*Brown sugar for sprinkling

In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
Add egg (or flax egg substitute), yogurt, milk, veggie oil and dash of vanilla and mix until combined.
If batter still seems a little thick, add a little more milk.
Fold in mix-ins of your choice.
Distribute batter evenly among mugs or small ramekins a little more than half way to the top.
*optional: sprinkle brown sugar over top before microwaving
Place in microwave on high for 3 minutes.

These are actually peanut butter and banana muffins: add a dollop of peanut butter, one chopped banana and a dash of cinnamon to your batter.

When I saw these little guys rise as much as they did, I was amazed. I wasn't around when Mountain Man got into his, but I did receive a lovely facebook shout out so I guess he liked em :)

Happy Baking!

Banana Crumb Muffins

It's finally getting warm here in Texas.

Spring time is in our midst, although you would never know that on the east coast.. I can't believe they are still getting snow!

With the flowers starting to bloom and the sun staying out a few extra hours, we can start looking forward to all that spring entails...more sun, allergies, flowers, a little rain, and cookouts.

But one of the best parts about the changing of seasons, other than the weather, is the new ingredients it brings along. If you're a foodie then you understand; I can't wait to start working with all the warm weather fruits and vegetables.

One fruit that never really goes out of season though is the oh-so-delicious banana. So while we wait out the last few freezes and Mother Nature actually allows Spring to take off, we can still enjoy these banana muffins.

Banana Crumb Muffins
Recipe from The Sono Baking Company Cookbook
Oven: 375 Bake time: 20 minutes
Makes 12 muffins or 6 large muffins

2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

Crumb
from the wonderful Lindsey at Gingerbread Bagels
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/3 cup AP flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 and spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
Make crumb by mixing all ingredients together and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then add bananas.
Slowly add dry ingredients to banana mixture, mixing until incorporated.
Use an ice cream scoop and divide batter evenly among muffin tin (1 scoop for regular sized muffins and 2 scoops for large muffins).
Sprinkle crumb over each muffin.
Bake in oven for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes before removing.

Happy Baking! 

Apple & Cranberry Muffins with Granola Topping

What's worse than being sick all weekend? Being sick on your birthday weekend.

That's right.. as soon as we got done with a lovely Italian birthday dinner Friday night, I could feel my body starting to shut down and was in bed by 9... lame.

So while I should have been out celebrating all weekend, I was instead curled up on the couch surrounded by tissues, cups of hot tea and way too much medicine.

Come Sunday morning I was ready to do something; still not feeling particularly keen, I was determined to get in the kitchen and bake something anyways.

Not being able to sleep the past few nights turned out to be a great time to brainstorm some new recipe ideas.

Mountain Man said he could taste the healthy in these muffins (but in a good way he insisted) and I need all the health I can get right now, so I was by no means offended.

So if you're needing a little healthy in your life or just looking for something delicious for breakfast, these are the muffins for you.

Apple & Cranberry Muffins
swEEts original
Oven: 375 Bake time: 20 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup AP flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flax seed meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup pear sauce* or apple sauce
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Granola Topping *optional
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup bran flakes, crushed
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 TBS brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4-1/2 cup honey
To make granola topping, mix all ingredients in a small bowl- adding just enough honey to coat ingredients.

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, add flours, sugar, flax seed meal, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a small bowl, mix egg, yogurt and pear(or apple) sauce.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon.
Fold in diced apples and cranberries.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffins 2/3 way full.
Generously sprinkle granola topping on top of each muffin.
Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Because I was out of apple sauce I got a little creative and made my own pear sauce.. it was very easy to make and turned out to be quite delicious- easily substituted for apple sauce.


Pear Sauce (Just enough for the muffin batter)
2 pears, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
1/4 cup water
2 TBS sugar

In a small sauce pan, cook water and pears over medium heat.
Bring to boil and allow pears to soften- about 5 minutes.
Transfer pears to food processor, add sugar and pulse to puree.

What do you do when you're sick?

Happy Baking!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Until this past weekend, I had been out of my kitchen for 2 weeks due to a business trip! 14 days people..

Do you know what that means to an avid kitchen goer??

Torture.

Luckily I had some recipes in the arsenal so the blog wasn't out of commission while I was gone, but the entire two weeks I was locked up in my hotel room all I could think about was what I was going to make when I got home.

I arrived home Saturday night, greeted by my adoring boyfriend and spent the early evening feasting on some good ole Texas BBQ with some friends.. delish.

Sunday morning the kitchen was going to be mine.

Eating the same stale bagels, raisin bran and yogurt (not all at the same time, I had a rotation going) for 14 days does a toll on ya..so healthy(ish) and delicious were two prereqs for my Sunday morning bake sesh.

Bananas in the freezer + peanut butter in the cabniet + mini chocolate chips= perfect muffin combo.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
A swEEts original
Oven: 375 Bake Time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 muffins

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup crushed bran flakes (crushing 1 cup of bran flakes=1/2 cup crushed)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 ripe banana, mooshed
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
2 TBS oil
1/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips * optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine flour, flax seed meal, bran flakes, baking powder and soda.
In a small bowl, whisk egg, oil and vanilla yogurt. Add smooshed banana, peanut butter, honey and continue to whisk until blended.
Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and mix with wooden spoon until well combined.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Using an ice cream scoop, place one heaping scoop in each muffin cup.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until muffins bounce back to touch and are lightly browned on top.

Mountain Man said: "You can taste the healthy in these...but in a good way"

Happy Baking!

Blueberry Muffins

Nothing beats the smell of warm blueberry muffins baking in the oven...

The other day as I was browsing the blog world I stumbled upon Tia at Buttercream Barbie (super cute site that you should totally check out) where some blueberry muffins caught my eye. The recipe was from Marcy Goldman's book,  A Passion for Baking, which is pretty much my go-to baking book, so I knew they had to be good. (Oh and if you don't have the book, I highly suggest you go to Amazon right now and buy it...right now!)

This weekend MM's brother is visiting and he loves muffins, so I knew these little guys would be the perfect beginning of a jam (no pun intended, but I am making jam this weekend for Steph Chows 2nd Annual Jam Exchange!) packed weekend.

Oh and before I post this fabulous recipe.. don't forget to go over to The Sweetest Kitchen and vote for my cupcake in the Mystery Box Challenge- you have 5 days!! The competition looks great.. but let's be honest folks, those Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cupcakes are pretty much the best :)

But on to the star of the show this morning: Marcy Goldman's Blueberries and Cream Mall Muffins. I halved the recipe, since there are only 3 of us, so I'll be posting the original recipe and altered.

Blueberries and Cream Mall Muffins
Yields 12 large muffins or 24 regular
*I halved the recipe and got 6 large muffins and 3 regular sized

2 1/4 cups sugar (1 cup)
1/2 cup veggie oil (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup butter, melted (1/4 cup)
4 large eggs (2 egg)
1 TBS vanilla (1/2 TBS)
5 cups, approximately, AP flour (2 1/2 cups)
1 TBS baking powder (1/2 TBS)
1/4 tsp baking soda (1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt (1/4 tsp)
1 cup buttermilk (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sour cream (1/4 cup)
2 cups semi frozen blueberries (1 cup blueberries)
 sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425 and line large muffin tin or standard muffin tin with paper liners. Place fresh blueberries in freezer.
In a large bowl, blend sugar with oil and melted butter. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slightly incorporate before adding buttermilk and sour cream and blending completely.
Get berries out of freezer and gently fold berries, trying not to break them apart.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill muffin cups with good amount of batter (almost full).
Dust tops of muffins with sugar.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 425 and then reduce temperature to 350 for another 12-15 minutes. The muffins tops should be golden brown and spring back when pressed.
Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Have a great weekend everyone!

As for us? We're off to the Cupcake Smackdown 2.0 in Austin!

Good Morning Muffins

I realized I hadn't made muffins for breakfast in a good while so I knew it was time... And what a perfect way to spend the morning after a night full of karaoke (MM and our friend Dan sang 'A Whole New World'- yes, the Disney song- hilarious)

I honestly look forward to the weekend not just for the enjoyment of getting to spend it with my Mountain Man, getting to sleep in, and pool it up, but to bake... especially in the morning.

Since my body hates me and thinks its funny to still wake me up before 8am on the weekends, I usually use this as prime time to get going in the kitchen for breakfast baked goods.

I recently bought a package of flax seed meal (super health food and egg substitute.. who knew?!) and noticed a recipe on the back for muffins...obviously this meant that I had to give them a go with a few minor alterations. I also halved the recipe since it was just me and MM, but still ended up with about 7 regular sized and two large muffins, even though the original recipe said it only yielded 15 (maybe they meant large muffins?). I'll write up the original, but also put the half version in parentheses.

A little bit on the healthier side, these muffins are sure to get any morning started right.

Good Morning Muffins
Recipe adapted from Bob's Red Mill "Bran Flax Muffins"
Yields about 15 muffins (or 10)
Oven: 375 Bake Time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup crushed bran flakes or oat bran (1/4 cup + 2 TBS)
3/4 cup flax seed meal (1/4 cup + 2 TBS)
1/2 cup brown sugar (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup honey (1/4 cup)
2 tsp baking soda (1tsp)
1 tsp baking powder (1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt (1/4 tsp)
2 tsp cinnamon (1 tsp)
2 apple, peeled and shredded (1 apple)
1 1/2 cup carrots, shredded (3/4 cup)
1/2 cup raisins (1/4 cup)
2 eggs, beaten (1 egg)
3/4 cup buttermilk (1/4 cup + 2 TBS)
1 tsp vanilla

Topping* optional
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup oats
2 TBS flour
3 TBS chilled butter

Add sugar, oats and flour to a small bowl and mix. Cut butter into small cubes and add to sugar mixture. Using two knives or a fork, cut in butter until distributed and incorporated into dry ingredients. (you're looking for a crumby looking mixture)

Preheat oven to 375. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine all dry ingredients.
Shred apple and carrots (I used a cheese grater for the apple and food processor for carrots).
Add apple and carrots to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Pour honey into mixture.
In a small bowl beat egg, milk and vanilla.
Pour egg/milk mixture into dry-carrot/apple mixture and mix until combined- you'll have a pretty chunky batter.
Fold in raisins.
Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling about 2/3 way up.
Sprinkle with topping *optional.
Transfer pan to oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool in pan for about 10-15 minutes before removing for consumption.

Happy Baking!!

What did you have for breakfast this weekend??

Monkey Bread Muffins

I mentioned a little something sweet on the brunch menu to go along with the frittata and Asiago and Rosemary Scones and this is it. I took the wonderful recipe that is Monkey Bread and transformed it into muffin form.

My wonderful roommate in grad school introduced me to Monkey Bread a few years ago and I almost immediately fell in love. How had I gone almost 23 years through life without having this? For someone who loves everything cinnamon it was almost sacrilege! I found myself pulling piece after piece of the ooey-gooey, cinnamon-y, biscuit based bread, until my stomach ached from all the sugar.

Biscuits, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter? Heaven.

Normally, Monkey Bread is made in a deep baking dish or a bundt pan, but for brunch I wanted to do something that was easy to serve so I decided to a muffin pan to make individual, portion sized muffins.

Monkey Bread Muffins
Oven: 350 Bake time: 20 min
Makes 6 Jumbo muffins or 12 regular

1 can jumbo biscuits
1/2 cup white sugar
1-2 TBS cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 TBS butter

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with parchment paper or just spray with Pam.
Pop biscuit can and cut each biscuit into fourths.

Roll pieces into balls.
In a small bowl, mix white sugar and cinnamon (make it as cinnamon-y as you like).

Roll biscuit balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture until fully coated.
Place cinnamon-sugar coated balls (6 in each) in individual muffins.
Add brown sugar and butter to bowl of cinnamon-sugar mixture and place in microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute or until butter is melted. Mix until combined.
Pour about a tablespoon of brown sugar mixture over each muffin.
Sprinkle with extra cinnamon and sugar if inclined.
Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes before serving.

Oh and guess what else?!

I've come to find that Central Texas is full of markets and festivals which is awesome because it's always fun to check out the local digs. After devouring these muffins we headed to the Salado Art Festival and Craft Days where we found some fabulous deals. While there, we walked by an old red barn that happened to be sponsoring the local public library and their book sale. For $5 you could fill a reusable grocery bag with as many books as could fit and guess what I found?? A cookbook section...

All these for just FIVE DOLLARS! These were just half of what I could have taken home.. my issue? I don't have the shelf space for them! Hopefully that'll be changing soon though- MM and I are going to start looking at houses to rent :)

Happy Baking!

Patriotic Muffins

Fourth of July weekend means paying tribute to the good ole US of A with lots of red, white and blue ...and don't forget barbeque and fireworks!

I don't know if you're aware, but muffins are very proud to be American's and as a means to show their patriotism they wanted to take this opportunity to display their red and white (something blue will be debuting tomorrow so stay tuned).

I used my go-to muffin recipe as a base and then split the batch in half to create two different variations- Strawberry and White Chocolate Macadamia. The recipe for the base is to follow, but the direction you go after that is totally up to you. The great thing about this muffin recipe is that it really leaves the creativity up to you... any thoughts on other add-ins to make these even more patriotic??


Go-to Muffin Base
Oven: 375 Bake time: 25 min
Makes 1 dozen muffins

1 cup white whole wheat flour (you can also just use 2 cups AP flour)
1 cup AP flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
sprinkle of cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or whole milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, lightly beat egg, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
Pour wet mixture into dry and with a wooden spoon mix until incorporated.
(This is where you would fold in your add-ins if you so choose)
Spoon batter into muffin pan, filling each 2/3 the way full.
Sprinkle with streusel topping.
Bake for 25 minutes.

Streusel Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS AP flour
2 TBS cold butter, cubed

In a small bowl combine sugar and flour. Using a fork mash butter into mixture, until chunky consistency is reached. Place in the freezer for a few minutes before using to top muffins.

Strawberry Muffins
1 recipe muffin base
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 recipe streusel topping

Prepare batter, and fold chopped strawberries until distributed.
Sprinkle streusel topping over muffins.
Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack for about 15-30 minutes before removing from pan.

White Chocolate Macadamia Muffins
1 recipe muffin base
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 recipe streusel topping

Prepare batter, and mix in white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts until distributed.
Spoon batter into muffin pan, filling each about 2/3 way full.
Sprinkle with streusel topping.
Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer to cooling rack for about 15-30 minutes before removing from pan.

These muffins are just the thing to start us off for a weekend of good food, good friends and fireworks. This afternoon we're driving about an hour with some friends to try out a famous BBQ place...can you tell we like our food? Anyone out there have some fun plans this weekend?? 

Happy Baking!

Tuxedo Muffins

It's been a busy week.

For a long time now I've been promising one of my co-workers I would attempt to make him a replication of his favorite muffin that he sometimes gets from a local coffee shop. Sadly, we found out a couple weeks ago that he is leaving our office here in Texas and moving on up to our headquarters located in New York. But what a perfect opportunity to finally make him a batch of some deliciously sweet Tuxedo Muffins to help get him through his long drive!

For those of you unfamiliar with Tuxedo Muffins let me explain.. When you think Tuxedo, black and white should immediately come to mind. While these moist little muffins are not black per say, they are as close as you're going to get when you're working with chocolate-y goodness wrapped around a slightly sweetened, almond flavored, cream cheese filling. Hungry yet?

I like to picture my muffins in little tuxedos because

 it says they may be sweet, but they're here to party. 

Tuxedo Muffins
Adapted recipe from 'Old Fashioned Bake Sale' 
Oven temp: 375 Bake Time: 25 minutes
Makes 12 muffins


2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 TBS cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
6 TBS oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 vanilla
1/2 tsp almond
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 cup white chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Filling

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp almond

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 TBS cornstarch

Make cream cheese filling by beating all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, mix buttermilk, oil, 2 beaten eggs, vanilla and almond.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwave on high for 1 minute stirring in 30 second intervals.
Stir melted chocolate into batter until fully incorporated.
Fold in white chocolate chips.

Fill muffin tin with a spoonful of batter.
Place a spoonful of cream cheese filing in center of muffin cup on top of batter (try not to let filling touch the sides of pan)
Cover filling with spoonful of remaining batter in each muffin cup (make sure filling is completely covered).
Transfer filled muffin pan to oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Packaged and ready to head to New York.

Happy Baking! 

'We Made It!!!' Coffee Cake Muffins

After about 20 hours side by side, trailer in tow, kayak and bikes on top, lots of snacks and some great BBQ we made it! That's right ladies and gentleman, Mountain Man is now the lovely co-habitant of the little apartment in Temple, TX... the big question now? What the heck are we going to do with all his stuff?!

Even before we got to the apartment yesterday evening MM already had breakfast on the mind.. I think I've told you before how much we enjoy a good breakfast and this just goes to show how serious I really was. Yesterday afternoon, while stopping for some delicious BBQ in some little town in the middle of nowhere Texas, MM looked at me in all seriousness and asked "So what are you making for breakfast tomorrow morning?" I laughed at the question, but the scary part was that I actually had already thought about it..sad huh??

So in celebration of our long journey Coffee Cake Muffins made the menu for Sunday morning breakfast. I tried to make them a little healthy, but I think I counteracted all the healthy ingredients with the deliciously sugar/butter filled streusel. We have a lot of unpacking and reorganizing to do, so hopefully these yummy little muffins will give us the energy to get through it all :)

Coffee Cake Muffins 
Oven: 375 Bake Time: 25 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup turbinado sugar (or regular sugar)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Streusel 
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup regular sugar

Streusel: In small bowl mix flour, sugars and cinnamon. Add butter and using a fork (I actually used 2 forks), mash until combined. Once everything is mashed and mixed you'll get a thick paste- place in fridge while you make the batter.

In large bowl, combine/whisk flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut butter into small cubes and using paddle attachment mix into dry mix until butter in fully incorporated.
Mix in applesauce.
Add egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract- mix until smooth.

Remove streusel from fridge. In a prepared muffin tin (spray with Pam), place a spoonful of batter into each mold. Use your fingers and sprinkle streusel over batter (about 1-2 teaspoons). Cover with another spoonful of batter. Top with remaining streusel.

Transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Let the unpacking begin!!

Happy Baking!

Muffins for a Week: Whole Wheat Blueberry Cereal Muffins

I have a sick love affair with almost anything that has to do with morning eats- scones, cinnamon rolls, muffins, pancakes, waffles, french toast, cereal- if it's somewhat sweet and can be ate in the morning you've got me.. hook line and sinker. A couple weeks ago I was checking out what Joy the Baker was up to and came across some bran muffins she had recently made that used cereal and could be kept in the fridge for a week.

Fresh muffins all week long?? Done and done.

I actually had some Blueberry Almond Cereal that I was trying to find something to do with because it was just a litttle too sweet for me in the morning. I was going to use it in cookies until I came across her recipe. A few tweaks later and I had delicious muffins every morning for a week :)

Little ramekins come in handy for single muffins!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Cereal Muffins
Inspired and Adapted from Joy the Baker
Oven: 375  Bake Time: 25 minutes
Yields 20-24 muffins

1/2 box cereal (bran or other flakes, like I said before I used Blueberry&Almond)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey*
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup frozen blueberries

Whisk flours, cereal, baking soda and salt.
In different bowl mix oil, applesauce, sweetener, milk and vanilla. Gently beat eggs before adding to wet mixture.
Using a wooden spoon, mix wet ingredients and flour mixture. Fold in blueberries.
Let batter sit for at least 45 minutes so cereal can get soft, or keep in airtight/covered container in fridge for up to a week.
When ready, pour batter into prepared muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes.

When I left for work last week while my girlfriends got to sleep in they were totally impressed when they woke up to fresh muffins. I was almost bummed when I had to let them in on my little secret...

Happy Baking!!

*I am trying to use less agave nectar because it is unfortunately not the healthy alternative that it says it is. MM brought this to my attention a couple of weeks ago and I then made it my mission to research it as much as possible. They are finding that it is not actually healthier than regular sugar. In addition, the body actually processes it very differently than other sugars, which is something that my dietician friend explained to me may not be good large quantities. That being said, I used a very small amount in this recipes mostly because I was trying to finish the bottle I had. From now on I am going to be trying recipes using natural raw sugars and/or honey when I can.

Raspberry Mocha Muffins

Chocolate. Raspberries. Coffee. YUM. 

I write you this as I sit sipping on my morning cup of coffee and the smell of chocolate baking in the oven. Saturday mornings have now been deemed Muffin Mornings. I mean, since I'm waking up at 7am (thank you body clock) I might as well start the morning off productive right!?

Even at that early in the morning chocolate sounds pretty darn good to me...let's be honest, it doesn't matter what time it is, chocolate always sounds good to me! I was actually surprised at the lack of quick bread chocolate muffin recipes I could find out there in the recipe/blog world...(for those of you who aren't familiar with the term 'quick bread' it just means there is no yeast used; the recipe relies on ingredients like baking powder or soda for leavening- think banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, etc.) I became determined to create the perfect too easy chocolate muffin and lucky for me I enjoy a good adventure :)

And so the Raspberry Mocha Muffin was created.

Note: You could easily make these into just your run of the mill chocolate muffins- I'll let you know where the ingredient swaps can take place.

Raspberry Mocha Muffin
Oven: 400 degrees Bake Time: 20 minutes
swEEts Original
Yields 12 muffins


2 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/2 cup sugar (white, brown, agave nectar)
1 tsp baking soda
2 TBS cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
2 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raspberry yogurt *swap alert-you could totally use just regular yogurt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup hot coffee*swap alert- if coffee isn't your thing you could use hot milk or hot water
1/2 cup chocolate chips (this is not a typo)

Raspberry Filling/Topping
6 oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 handfuls of fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 400. (I recently read that muffins should always be baked at a high temperature so they get their peaks)
In large bowl whisk flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt.
In another bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, sugar of choice, yogurt and vanilla.
Place your chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour hot coffee over, mixing until chocolate is melted and smooth.
Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix with wooden spoon. Once combined, pour in coffee/chocolate mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
Fold in remaining chocolate chips.
Transfer spoonfuls on batter into prepared muffin pan.

Raspberry Filling/Topping: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Smash raspberries with a fork before folding into cream cheese mixture.

Place spoonful of raspberry cream cheese on top of each muffin. Use knife to swirl around and/or push into batter.  *You could also place half spoonful of chocolate batter into muffin cup, place a dollop of raspberry cream cheese and fill cup with remaining chocolate batter for a little raspberry surprise inside each muffin

Transfer muffins to oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Happy Saturday and Happy Baking!

A-B-C Muffins

Apple- Brown Butter- Cinnamon

Every week I look forward to the weekend in anticipation of some new yummy baked good made fresh Saturday or Sunday morning. I'm not going to lie, baking for just one person is a little challenging and kind of depressing (he's almost here, just one more month) But don't worry, I'm not eating a whole batch of muffins by myself (not in one sitting at least) and lucky for you I have a good amount of friends who don't mind sharing in my baked adventures. I'll also let you in on a little secret...a lot of times I only make half the recipe. 

This morning I woke up craving muffins- I'd actually been thinking about them all week and let me tell you, my belly was very satisfied with the final product. I've been wanting/waiting to incorporate brown butter in a recipe for a long time now and these muffins turned out to be the perfect opportunity. After this morning I'll be looking for more opportunities to use brown butter because I think I'm in love... the nutty aroma and flavor lend a wonderful addition to these muffins... not to mention, the smell of baking apples and cinnamon are a fantastic way to start your morning. Did I mention that these are a little on the healthy side as well? Whole wheat flour and agave nectar round off these yummy little muffins.

I think these A-B-C Muffins are going to be a staple in this household..

ABC Muffins

swEEts original

Oven: 350 Bake time: 25 minutes

Yields 12 muffins

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 TBS cinnamon

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup agave nectar (white or brown sugar can be substituted)

2 TBS honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup yogurt  (I used light vanilla)

1/4 cup milk (if you don't have yogurt handy just use 3/4 cup milk)

1 egg

1-2 apples (depending on how much apple you want and how big they are) chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Place butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Continuously stir while butter is melting until a light brown color is reached and nutty aroma is present. Remove pan from heat (it will continue to cook a little even after taking it off the burner) and let sit for a few minutes.

In a small bowl whisk flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.

Once butter has cooled a bit, pour into large bowl. Stir in agave nectar, honey and vanilla extract.

In a small bowl or cup, beat egg before adding to butter mixture.

Add yogurt mixing until smooth.

Slowly add flour mixture, using milk to thin batter. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

Finally, peel/core apples and chop into small pieces- I used my wonderful Kitchen Aid chopper- and fold into batter.

Spray muffin tin and fill with batter.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy with your morning cup of coffee. Happy Baking!!