Maple Muffins

I’m so sorry that it has been over a week since my last post! I think I almost burned myself out of cooking for a while due to the week of arctic weather we had here in Texas! I cooked every single day since I couldn’t leave my house, so when we finally got some warm weather, I was outside running, washing cars, and NOT staying inside the house!

This is a new muffin recipe my mom tried, called Maple Muffins. My dad said these are very good and that “they’re a keeper”. I’ve never had a maple muffin, so these were a nice change to the typical blueberry or banana muffin we always make. The maple flavoring is just right… not too subtle, but not overbearing either; just perfect. You can serve these with jam, butter, MORE maple syrup, or my favorite…sweet honey. I love the crunch from the walnuts or pecans in these. These muffins are a great recipe for any breakfast brunch.

We got this recipe from Sarabeth Levine’s, Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hand to Yours cookbook. Levine writes, “This recipe was literally forced upon me by a customer who said her family had made these muffins for more than a hundred years. She promised they would be fantastic, and she was right! Their rich, bold maple flavor and crunchy tops are simply irresistible.” Enjoy!!!

Whisk the unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Whisk the maple syrup, melted butter, and milk together in a another bowl.

Then whisk in the egg and yolk.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.

Stir in the walnuts (we used pecans).

Let the batter stand about 5 minutes so the dry ingredients can absorb the liquids. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter into the prepared muffins cups.

Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and bake 15 minutes more, or until tops are golden brown and wire cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Maple Muffins
Ingredients
Softened unsalted butter, for the pan
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup, preferably Grade B
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (we used pecans)

*Baker’s note: Grade B maple syrup refers to its color and flavor. It is darker and stronger than Grade A. It does not mean that grade B is inferior.

Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush the insides of 12 muffin cups with softened butter, then brush the top of the pan. I used silicon pans and did not butter the pans.
2. Whisk the unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the maple syrup, melted butter, and milk together in another bowl, then whisk in the egg and yolk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until smooth. Stir in the walnuts. Let the batter stand so the dry ingredients can absorb the liquids, about 5 minutes.
3. Using a 2 1/2-inch diameter ice-cream scoop, portion the batter, rounded side up, into the prepared muffins cups.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until the tops of the muffins are golden brown and a wire cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes more.
5. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool completely.

Yield: 12-14 muffins
Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hand to Yours by Sarabeth Levine

Banana Nut Muffins

These are the best tasting and easiest Banana Nut Muffins you will ever eat. I always make these when we have bananas that have have become overly ripe. The riper (mushier and darker) the bananas are, the sweeter and better tasting the banana nut muffins will be. No mixer is required, and you should have all these ingredients on hand. Unlike banana bread, these muffins cook in half the time, so you should have one from oven to plate just under 20 minutes! Enjoy!

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Mix together the egg, brown sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.

Add the mashed bananas and chopped nuts.

Fold wet ingredients into dry mixture.

Pour batter into greased muffins pan, or directly into a silicone muffin pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Toothpick inserted in center of muffin should come out clean.

Cool in pan for a few minutes, then transfer muffins to wire rack to let cool completely. Serve muffins fresh and warm from the oven…they are best the day you make them!

I love drizzling a bit of honey on the top of mine.

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

2/3 cups packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Mix together the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients together, and fold in with the dry mixture.

3. Lightly butter a regular sized (12 capacity ) muffin pan and pour batter in. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.Yield: 12 muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

My mom and sister made these Pumpkin Muffins this past weekend and we all loved them! We normally don’t use pumpkin until the fall, but the season is just around the corner! These muffins have the perfect amount of spice to them and they taste great with pumpkin butter spread on top. Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

10 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 cups)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup golden raisins (We omitted because the men in our family don’t like dried fruit)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

cooking spray

2 tbsp granulated sugar (We left off because my dad would have just peeled the tops off!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in raisins; make a well in center of the mixture. Combine brown sugar, canned pumpkin, buttermilk, canola oil, molasses, vanilla extract, and eggs, stirring well with a whisk. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

3. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 18 servings (serving size: 1 muffin).

Calories: 202