Bread Pudding Muffins

Bread pudding muffin recipe from Joyofbaking.com. My boyfriend took me out on a date this past Friday & part of our doggie bag included some leftover bread! The waitress was even so kind to get me a fresh loaf from the oven! What a perfect excuse to make some bread pudding once the bread got a bit stale! I only made a half batch, which yielded about 8 muffins, instead of apples (cause I was too lazy to chop it), I used raisins, semi-sweet chocolate chips & toffee chips. I was also afraid the apples would add some unnecessary moisture, but if your bread is truly stale, the added moisture seems a worthy addition. I reduced the sugar just a bit & I decided the muffins definitely needed a generous dusting of powdered sugar. The original amount of sugar in the recipe, or even an addition of a little extra may have been a good idea - although maybe bread pudding isn't supposed to be sweet? I have no idea - this was my first time. I bet this would be tasteful using brioche and/or croissants - although I've never had brioche before.

Streusel Loaves

Mini Cherry Pecan Streusel Loaves.

Zucchini Muffins

Susan's vegan zucchini muffins. I reduced the amount of granulated sugar & slightly increased the amount of agave nectar - the muffins did not come out sweet enough. :( I used brown sugar for the crumb topping. The muffins were moist, tender & embodied a distinct zucchini flavor.

Chili Cook-Off

We're having a chili cook-off at work tomorrow, so may initial plan was to pull together a delicious award-winning vegetarian chili...after one chili cooking trial, I decided on contributing cornbread instead. Chili is way too much work, plus I'd have to borrow my mother's large pot & large crock-pot. Since it's necessary to provide enough for a crowd of 30, mini muffins seemed quite appropriate & convenient - Mini Cornbread Pudding & Mini Cornbread Muffins. I wanted to try both recipes since one uses mostly sour cream & the other incorporates, butter, buttermilk & sour cream. The pudding was definitely moist & rich, while the muffins tasted more like regular cornbread with a stronger corn-y taste. Both were delicious & definitely winners! Of course I couldn't serve cornbread with just corn, so I spiced it up by adding garlic powder, finely chopped onion & jalapeno (seeded of course). Although I didn't win first place for the best chili, I definitely deserved honorable mention. :)

Taro Muffin

Used Vegan with a Vengence's best ever pumpkin muffin recipe & made Taro Muffins. Substituted pumpkin puree with taro puree - which isn't necessarily the best substitution as taro has a very thick & cornstarchy texture, so I had to add a little extra liquid. The addition of a small amount of coconut extract overpowered the taro flavor. The taro was only in the background & not prominent as preferred.

Ripe Bananas

We had three very very ripe bananas that needed to be eaten ASAP! I used one in a smoothie & the other two went into Eden Organic Food's Banana Nut Muffins - minus the nuts. These were not sweet at all & tasted very much like a simple & plain bread to me. Carob/chocolate chips may have a been a nice addition for some extra texture & flavor.

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Banana Bread Muffins
2 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

2 tblspns coconut oil
2 tblspns apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup malt barley syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium ripe bananas, smashed

1 cup raisins

• Preheat oven to 350F. Oil/grease muffin pan.
• Smash ripe bananas & set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, powder, cinnamon & salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, syrup, vanilla & bananas.
• Add the dry ingredient into the wet & stir to combine.
• Fold in raisins . Do not overwork the batter.
• Divide evenly among muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full.
• Makes 12 muffins (**I had extra batter - poured it into a loaf pan).
  

Mom's Birthday

I wanted to make something light & not too sweet for my Mom's birthday celebration. This blueberry muffin recipe is adapted from Simple Treats.
Now a trip down memory lane...
We didn't bake much when I was a kid, but I do have memories of me & my sister making blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins & peanut butter cookies, plus a few other things which I can't think of right now - pumpkin pie. My sister was always the baker/sweet maker when I was younger...now that she's moved away & doesn't live near us, it seems that I have taken up that role. Together, my sister & I made the "American" food, which I believe helped bridge my family from pure Asian cuisine to American-Asian variety at home. I can't remember all too much of my childhood - since my language was a lot more limited back then, but food was always a big part of our lives, as it still is today. At times I miss having my sister around & us cooking together, but as much as we resist change, we also find ourselves adapting & going with the flow without even noticing it. Life is all about change - taking new roles & moving beyond old ones. Although quite rare, life changes quite a bit more when we have the illusion of control, thinking we have the chance to consciously choose our roles. Ahh...all to give it all up in the end. That's what birthday's are about, a little reminder of our past experiences, although quite limited in scope. Come to think of it, my own birthday is quickly approaching - 9 days to be exact.
Back to the muffins - they were moist, not to sweet with a crunchy muffin top.

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Blueberry-Lemon Muffins
Topping:
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp barley flour

Muffins:
1/4 cup coconut oil (2 ounces)
1/4 cup maple syrup
5 /8 cup rice milk (5 ounces)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract
zest of one lemon

1/4 cup sugar
1 cup barley flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup fresh/frozen blueerries, if frozen - do not thaw
few blueberries for topping

• Mix together sugar & flour for the topping. Set aside.
  
• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Oil/line 8-cups of muffin tin. Set aside.
• Mix oil, syrup, milk, vinegar, extracts & zest.
• In a large bowl, sift together sugar, flours, soda, powder, nutmeg & salt.
• Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until barely combined, do not overwork batter.
• If the batter is too stiff, add another teaspoon of milk.
• Fold in 1 cup of blueberries using as few strokes as possible to prevent batter from turning purple/blue.
• Spoon batter evenly among 8 tins. Do not overfill tins, as muffins tops will spread, not puff up vertically.
  
• Sprinkle the muffins with the topping mixture & place 2 - 3 whole blueberries on the top of each muffin.
• Bake for 20 minutes & rotate pan half turn for even baking. Bake additional 5 - 10 minutes, till toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes & remove from pan & cool completely on wire rack.
• Makes 8 medium muffins.
  

Eggnog Again...

These were light, not too fluffy, not too sweet, not too buttery & probably perfect with some tea.
A delicate & tasty treat. These went over to my aunt's house. I halved the recipe and made a dozen cupcakes.

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Eggnog Pound Cake

1/4 cup dried raisins, roughly chopped
1 tblspn dark rum

1 stick unsalted butter (8 tblspns), room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup eggnog + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sugar glaze, optional

• Soak the raisins in dark rum for about 15 minutes.
• Adjust rack to lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 325F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar, orange zest & beat till light & fluffy, about 4 - 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides & bottom as needed to ensure even mixture.
• Add egg & beat until combined.
• In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
• At a very slow speed, add dry & eggnog + vanilla, alternating a few times times, starting & ending with the dry ingredients (dry + eggnog + dry + eggnog + dry), scraping bowl as necessary. Do not overmix.
• Fold in raisins w/ rum.
• Divide evenly between muffin tin. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean & edges are lightly golden.
• Remove from oven & allow to cool.
• If desired, drizzle top with sugar glaze (confectioner's sugar + H20).
• Makes 12 cupcakes.

Newlyweds

My uncle just got back to the U.S. with his new wife & to celebrate, I baked up some VCTOTW Carrot cake cupcakes, Cook's Illustrated Chewy "chocolate chip" cookies & his all time favorite, Pumpkin muffins (VWaV). Talk about a sweet celebration! The "chocolate chip" cookies are really really chewy thanks to the caramel candy, dried cherries & crystallized ginger candy...which all have the chewiest texture!

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes
1/2 cup sugar (little less)
1/3 cup oil (coconut oil)
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt (soy or regular)
1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry - 1/4 cup (4 tblspns)
1/4 cup AP flour + 1 to 2 tsp
1/2 baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice

1 cup grated carrot (2 - 3 medium carrots)
1/2 cup raisins, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

• Preheat oven 350F & line muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.
• In medium bowl, whisk together sugar, oil yogurt & vanilla.
• Sift dry ingredients - flour, soda, powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger & allspice until no lumps remain. Stir batter to incorporate.
• Fold in carrots, raisins & walnuts.
• Divide batter evenly among 11 -12 liners. (Do not overfill, or these will spill over. The muffin cups will be about 1/2 - 3/4 full. Rather them come out small than ruined! Personal experience).
• Bake 26 - 28 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
  
• Allow to cool completely on cooling rack.

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Really Really Chewy Cookies!
2 cup + 1/8 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter (12 tblspns), melted & cooled until just warm
1 cup brown sugar (little less)
1/2 cup white sugar (little less)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup ginger candy, chopped
1/2 cup caramel candy, chopped
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

• In medium bowl, whisk together flour, soda & salt.
• With the mixer on low, combine butter & sugar. Beat in the egg, egg yolk & vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture.
• Fold in filling (nuts, etc.).
• Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Measure out dough ~ 45grams each & roll into ball, place on baking sheet. Allow some room for spreading.
• Baking at 325F for 15 - 17 minutes, until edges turn slightly light brown. Do not overbake for chewy cookies!
• Allow cookies to cool before removing from the baking sheet. If the caramel has not hardened, stick the baking sheet in the freezer/fridge for a few minutes.
• Makes 18 - 24 cookies.

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Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup AP flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry
3/4 - 1 cup sugar
1 tblspn baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cloves

1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from can)
1/2 cup rice/oat/soy milk
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 tblspns moasses

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 400F. Line twelve-muffin tin.
• In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt & spices.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, oil & molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry & mix till just combined (do not overmix).
• Fold in chopped nuts & chocolate chips (or dried fruit).
• Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.
• Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
  

Bananas & Dried Fruits Galore

On a splurge, we decided to bake up some snacks tonight. We had some ripe bananas to use up & had a craving for some chewy cookies! So I put my recipes to work. Although I ran into some obstacles with the cookies, the end result still yielded the chewy cookie we wanted, albeit a little sweeter than anticipated, they were still a success (in my mind). I had added two tablespoons of oat milk to the wet ingredients since my batter was too dry the last time I made it. For some odd reason it made the cookies completely wet this time, I may have mis-measured this time or previously or it may be related to using only half spelt flour. So I just ended up leaving them in the oven a tad bit longer.

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Dried Fruit Cookies
1/2 cup whole spelt flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tblspn blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup dried fruits (cherries, raisins, blueberries & cranberries)
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium sized bowl, combine & mix the dry ingredients.
  
• In a small bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
  
• Add the wet mixture to dry ingredients & stir till combined.
  
• Fold in dried fruit & chocolate chips. If the batter is too dry, add more rice/oat milk, a little at a time.
  
• Lay onto cookie sheet and flatten down slightly with fingers.
• Bake for 11 minutes.
• Makes 9 large cookies (54 grams each).

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Banana Nut Muffins
2-3 ripe bananas, 1 cup smashed
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup rice/oat milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp molasses
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup barley flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

• Preheat oven 350F. Line or oil muffin tin.
• In a small bowl, smash bananas. Leave some chunks.
• Add in oil, syrup, milk, vinegar, extract, molasses & sugar - stir to combine.
• In a separate larger bowl, sift flour, soda, powder, ground cinnamon & salt. Whisk to combine.
• Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Do not overmix or overwork batter. Fold in walnuts till well incorporated, batter will be wet.
• Divide batter evenly among muffin tins.
• Bake for 20 - 23 minutes, till toothpick comes out clean.
  
• Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing & cooling completely on wire rack.
• Makes 12 muffins.
  

Sugar Pie Pumpkin Puree

I bought a sugar pie pumpkin a few days ago & wanted to try making my own pumpkin puree. The process wasn't difficult, but requires a little extra time & effort compared to buying it pre-made. I couldn't really taste any major difference, although fresh puree is supposed to be more fragrant, maybe it was just a little bit more flavorful (most likely more nutrient dense though). After making the puree Friday night, I used it to make Pumpkin Muffins Saturday morning. Instead of chocolate chips, I used dried cranberries & walnuts this time. Although not as good as the chocolate ones, they were still quite tasty.

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Cranberry-Walnut Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry
1 cup sugar
1 tblspn baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 cup pureed pumpkin (Fresh or from a can; do not use pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup rice/oat/soy milk
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons molasses

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices.
  
• In a small separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, oil, and molasses. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry & mix.
• Fold in the dried cranberries & chopped walnuts.
• Fill the muffin cups two-thirds full.
  
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Makes 12 muffins.

Pumpkin...to Celebrate Fall.

My friend & her sister threw a wine tasting party this past weekend & as a token of appreciation for their hospitality, I baked up some pumpkin muffins. I've been wanting to try a pumpkin recipe all year long & now it's finally Fall! Nicole loves chocolate, especially dark chocolate. I originally wanted to make some cookies using pumpkin, but couldn't find anything completely agreeable. Bread, cake, cupcakes or muffins seem to be the next logical choice. Between cupcakes & muffins, I think muffins will hold up better to the massive amount of bittersweet chocolate chips & dark-chocolate covered raisins I want to use. The original recipe is from Vegan with a Vengeance - the Best Pumpkin muffins.
**After trying the original version, with great success & many compliments, I tried the healthier version, subbing 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour & reducing the sugar to 3/4 cup. Instead of eliminating most of the oil, I used 1/4 cup coconut oil + 2 tablespoons & added 2 tablespoons of applesauce. The variation resulted in a noticeable difference in the muffin texture, but I believe the strong spices & pumpkin make the muffin.

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Dark Chocolate-Raisin Pumpkin Muffins

• Fold in 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips + 1/2 cup dark-chocolate covered raisins

Healthier Version
Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Cherry-Almond Muffins

My aunt has been in & out of the hospital recently so I was hoping to contribute a little something to their family. What better to bake Saturday morning than muffins! I decided on Cherry-Almond Muffins from Vegan with a Vengeance. The recipe calls for soy yogurt, sliced almonds & fresh bing cherries. I only had regular yogurt, whole almonds & the choice between frozen or dried cherries. I still fear the use of fresh fruits in certain baked goods, especially after my pear pie muffins became soggy. With my reservations in mind, I decided on dried cherries. I think frozen chopped cherries would work for this...I would probably remove the cherries from the freezer, quickly coarsely chop them & return them to the freezer. I would then mix them into the batter in their frozen state with as few strokes as possible, to reduce reddish messy batter. They may need another minute or so in the oven, not sure. I may try this later, I can imagine the extra moisture being a nice addition to these muffins. But they may need to be consumed sooner than later. These muffins have a very distinct almond flavor, which pair quite well with cherries. I also used almond milk & vanilla yogurt. The muffins were not at all sweet & the cherries added the extra specs of sweetness surprise.

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Cherry-Almond Muffins
2 cups AP flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup rice/soy milk (half almond/half rice)
1 (6-ounce) container soy yogurt, plain/vanilla (regular yogurt)
2 tsp almond extract

1 cup sliced almonds (chopped almonds)
3/4 cup fresh bing cherries, halved & pitted (dried cherries, chopped)

• Preheat oven 350F.
• Lightly grease a twelve-muffin tin.
• In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients & stir to combine.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
• Create a well in the center of dry ingredients & add wet ingredients.
• Mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Do not over mix.
• Fold in 1/2 cup almonds & all of cherries.
• Fill muffin cups three-quarters full; top & press in remaining almonds.
• Bake 18 - 22 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
  

Black Bottom Cupcakes

I wanted to use the cream cheese I had leftover from making cream cheese frosting & thought these seemed interesting. I reduced the sugar & the end result wasn't sweet enough, so I think the original amount should be used.
For the filling, if trying to avoid egg whites, give this recipe a try.

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Cream Cheese Filling
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 tblspn soy yogurt/yogurt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

• Beat cream cheese, sugar & yogurt till smooth.
• Beat in cornstarch and vanilla extract & pinch of salt. Set aside & follow recipe for cake batter.
  

Farewell Muffins

Tomorrow is one of my co-worker's last day. :(
To bid her farewell, I wanted to bake up some goodies. The hard part was deciding on what to bake!! It was basically down to muffins, cupcakes or cookies. I finally decided on breakfast, instead of an afternoon snack in case she was leaving early.
So the debate was...what muffins!?!?! I know, I have such a difficult life...such serious dilemmas! My next serious issue was...vegan or "regular" muffins? I was also scared of baking up 24 new muffins with a recipe I haven't tried & have them not turn out. We all have experienced similar set backs. So I decided on regular muffins from Baking Bite's blog. I wanted something simple & easy, yet tasty of course! Finally, after many hardworking hours of searching on the internet, I decided on Cinnamon-Anise Chocolate Chip Muffins & Apple-Walnut Streusel Muffins. I was seriously considering Banana Crumb Muffins too, but decided against it since it's probably similar to banana bread. Deviation from her original muffin recipes, here is what I changed...
Cinnamon- Anise Chocolate Chip Muffins: Added 1 cup of infused anise chocolate chips (This was an accident, I had stored my chips with a whole jar of anise stars & the fragrant smell infused the chocolate!). Made 12 muffins and for some odd reason my muffins didn't turn out as tall & pretty as the one you see in her picture. I think I might have shorted the flour by 1/4 cup, but I can't be sure. I left my muffins in the oven for a few extra minutes.
Apple-Walnut Streusel Muffins: Finely grated two medium-sized braeburn apples and squeezed out the excess liquid, did not want to have soggy muffins again. Finely chopped 1 cup of walnuts, 1/2 cup for the topping and 1/2 cup was mixed into the wet batter. Made 10 muffins. Again, my muffins did not rise vertically high, but spread out horizontally instead, I think I would split among 12 tins next time so the topping will be contained within the muffin cup. These taste like coffee cake.
From previous muffin sessions, I have learned to not overmix & barely just combine the wet & dry ingredients. I think this key factor definitely contributed to a more cake-like result versus bread-like muffins.

**Co-worker feedback: Nothing but compliments about both muffins. The Chocolate Chip Muffins were first to go, but both were devoured quickly! Yay, that's what we like to hear! :)

Chai Latte Muffins

The original recipe are Chai Latte Cupcakes from VCTOTW. I used whole wheat pastry & quinoa flour, therefore creating a more densely textured muffin. Make sure to not over mix the batter, small lumps are ok. I reduced the amount of sugar and added a little maple syrup. I was meaning to add white chocolate chips, but forgot. Below is the original recipe.

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Chai Latte Muffins
1 cup rice milk
2 tblspn loose black tea or 4 black tea bags
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup soy yogurt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups AP flour (2/3 cup whole wheat pastry 2/3 cup quinoa flour)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground pepper

• Preheat oven 350F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• Heat rice milk & add tea leaves. Put on low heat & let sit for 10 minutes, or remove from heat. Discard leaves & measure to make sure there is still 1 cup of liquid.
• In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, sift the dry ingredients & whisk together till thoroughly combined.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet & mix until large lumps disappear; SMALL LUMPS ARE OK, do not overmix.
• Fill tins full & bake for 20 - 22 minutes, till toothpick comes out clean.
• Makes 12 cupcakes.
  
• Make sure to cool completely if dusting with powdered sugar.
  

Pear Pie Muffins

We have two pear trees in our backyard & therefore lots of ripe pears. This was the perfect recipe. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but was definitely hoping for yummy & delicious results. Since I've learned my lesson about baking gone bad with frozen and fresh fruits, I halved the recipe. Next time I want to try using all whole wheat flour, or part whole wheat & part whole wheat pastry. The pears were really ripe therefore added a lot of moisture that I think whole wheat can handle. I might try patting off the pears to remove some of the excess liquid...wish I had a food dehydrator. Or I may need to use firmer pears that excrete less liquid and roll them in flour. Since I did not halve the spices + the moisture = muffins that tasted like apple pie...which is a good thing since I like full flavors, but the result was too soggy. Next time I will increase the amount of baking powder to 3 teaspoons & if baking for my parents, slightly decrease the amount of sugar. Fresh out of the oven, the muffin tops were crunchy and of course my favorite part. I veganized the recipe using ener-g egg replacer. I will definitely be making these again this weekend. Another recipe & additional pear info.

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Pear Pie Muffins
1/2 cup AP flour (whole wheat or ww pastry)
3/8 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder (3 tsp)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tblspn softened butter
3/8 cup brown sugar
1 ener-g egg replacer (1 1/2 tsp + 2 tblspn warm water)
1/4 cup vanilla soy yogurt (Stonyfield Farm O'Soy)

1 cup diced pears (2 small bartletts, firmer unripe)

• Preheat oven 375F. Line 6 muffin tins with liners.
• In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon & ginger, whisk together to mix.
• In another bowl, cream butter & sugar. Add "egg" & yogurt & thoroughly whisk together.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry & stir only till just combined (never overmix muffin batter). Add pears and stop when distributed.
• Divide among 6 tins, which will look quite full. (I filled two of the empty tins with water, but will not do this next time since the muffins are already moist). Bake for about 18 - 23 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
• Cool on wire rack and serve warm or cold.

Blueberry Almond Breakfast Cake

After a very disappointing round of blueberry apple muffins, I started my online search for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. Unfortunately I did not find anything that I had to try. Vegan Yum Yum did have some very appetizing pictures of blueberry breakfast cakes. After reading over her description, I had to try them. I agree with her when she describes them as "moist & fluffy...a crunchy sugar top".

Instead of 1 cup of sugar, I only used 1/2 cup. Next time I will increase to 3/4 cup of sugar. For the oil, I used 1/4 cup refined coconut oil & 1/4 unrefined extra virgin coconut oil. I added 1 teaspoon of almond extract & did 1/2 cup dried blueberries and 1/4 cup chopped almonds. For the topping, I used raw coarse turbinado sugar + chopped almonds + dried blueberries.
The cakes tasted closer to pound cake to me, but not really, plus I haven't had any since I was a little girl. It's possible that the addition of almonds plus the almond extract gave the cakes a denser texture & flavor. Although the cakes tasted good to me, I will add more lemon extract or the zest of a lemon or more vanilla extract next time because they lacked the complexity of flavor that I'm looking for in my desserts/baked goods. I increased the amount of baking powder to see if the cakes would rise more, but they looked very similar to Vegan Yum Yum's. Next time around, I think I will try 1/2 tsp baking soda and using about 2 1/2 - 3 teaspoons of baking powder to see if that makes any difference. This time I used all AP flour, I'm hoping to use at least half whole wheat pastry flour or spelt. Also, my cakes got quite brown on top, I think I will decrease the oven heat a bit next time to around 375F - 380F, as my oven runs a little hot. The recipe made 10 cakes for me.

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Blueberry Almond Breakfast Cakes

1 1/2 cups + 2 tblspn AP flour
1 tsp baking soda (1/2 tsp next time)
2 + 1/2 tsp baking powder (2 tsp)
1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (coconut)
1 ener-g egg replacer (1 1/2 tsp + 2 tblspn warm water)
1 cup vanilla soy yogurt (Stonyfield Farm O'Soy, my favorite brand)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract or zest of one lemon

1/2 cup dried blueberries + 1/4 cup chopped almonds
cupcake liners

• Preheat oven to 375 - 380F & line for 10 - 12 muffins.
  
• Mix & sift all the dry ingredients, including the sugar, into a large bowl. Use a whisk to incorporate everything. Remove 1 tblspn and mix with dried berries and almonds.
• Whisk all wet ingredients, oil, "egg", yogurt, extracts thoroughly together.
• Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a silicon spatula, gently fold until barely JUST INCORPORATED, lumpiness & little loss flour is ok. Add blueberries + almonds with only a few more stirs.
• Distribute the batter as evenly as possible. It's ok if the liners are full since these do not rise very much at all. Sprinkle the tops with blueberries, almonds + coarse sugar and slightly push the topping into the batter. Bake for 23-26 minutes. Use a toothpick to test for doneness & tops look lightly golden brown.
  
• Let them cool completely on a wire rack before tasting since they taste best at room temperature.

Side Note: I was browsing through foodnetwork.com and this recipe seems to be the veganized version of Alton Brown's blueberry muffins. Check it out if you're interested in another version.
08/02/07: My mom said these tasted a bit dry...I think I accidentally used 2 tsp egg replacer instead of 1 1/2 tsp. Or I may need to add more oil/yogurt next time.

Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

I wanted to try a new vegan muffin recipe today since I finally was able to dig up some old vegetarian cookbooks.
I had all the ingredients at the house to make Applesauce Muffins from "How it all Vegan!".
Instead of using raisins & cinnamon, I substituted with dried blueberries, ginger powder & a little freshly grated ginger. These muffins were disappointing! They turned out dense & lacked flavor. The recipe states that the batter makes 6 muffins & I got 9 large, rubbery and nasty tasting muffins. I think the recipe's lack of oil, sugar/sweetener & large amount of flour contributes to the taste & texture that I'm not very fond of. That or I somehow over mixed & totally pulverized this recipe, which is a highly likely possibility. :/ But if you're interested, give it a try...you may have better luck.

~*~
Applesauce Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I used ginger + small amount of cinnamon)

1/2 cup soy milk
1 tblspn apple cider vinegar
2 tblspn oil (coconut oil)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup applesauce

3/4 cup raisins (dried blueberries)

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Line 6-9 muffins tins.
• Sift together flour, salt, soda & ginger + cinnamon.
• Add milk, vinegar, oil, maple syrup, applesauce & dried fruit.
• Mix together gently until "just mixed". Divide among lined tins.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes. I think I had to bake mine for about 25 minutes. Test with a knife or toothpick.

Wanna try some spelt flour blueberry muffins?