lemon yogurt muffins

there once was a muffin demon. it was terrible and had poor posture.

but these muffins here are far from demons. they are cheerful and light. they are the friendly kind, easily compatible with butters and jams of all sorts.

---

Lemon Yogurt Muffins

from the breakfast book by marion cunningham

makes 12 muffins

*tips to make those big top muffins that everyone wants..fill those suckers up to the top with batter. also baking at a higher heat for the first few minutes will make the tops burst up quickly. hooray muffin tops. 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp honey

2 large eggs

1 tbsp lemon zest (2 lemons)

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/4 cup plain yogurt

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

pearl sugar for topping (totally optional)

lemon syrup:

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

3 tbsp water

preheat oven to 415 degreesF. combine the dry ingredients in a bowl - flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. in another bowl combine the sugar, honey, eggs, zest, extract, yogurt, and melted butter. whisk until combined well. dump the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined..don't over mix. Don't!

fill muffin tins, either greased or lined with papers, to almost the top. sprinkle with pearl sugar if using. 

bake for 5 minutes at 415 degreesF and then drop the oven down to 350 degreesF and finish baking, about 10 more minutes. 

while those bake, make lemon syrup. combine the lemon juice, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and boil until the sugar dissolves. when the muffins finish baking, poke a few holes in each muffin with a toothpick or fork and brush the lemon syrup all over the tops of each muffin. let cool.

brown butter blueberry cranberry muffins

honey, you baked!

baked what?

baked muffins.

muffins for americuh. red white and blue. and brown butter.

the best most crummy and delicious muffins can be made right now, if you get up off your bed and out of child's pose.
you need things from the pantry like flour and baking powder, things from the fridge like milk and butter. and things from the freezer like frozen blueberries.

i'm gonna have to advise you to lick this batter. brown butter is one of the great wonders of the food world, you know.

is that not the prettiest crumb?
the baking nerdiness is reaching new heights with sentences like that.

the batter yielded me 11 muffins. all the muffins shouldn't have to sacrifice just so you can have one extra muffin.

mad respect.

Brown Butter Blueberry Cranberry Muffins

adapted from this wonder

7 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup fresh cranberries

for the topping:
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tbsp sugar

preheat the oven to 375 degreesF. 
melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat while keeping an eye on it, melt and cook down the butter until it starts crackling and little brown bits appear. butter will begin to brown and brown quickly so keep a close eye on it and pull it off heat as soon as the butter is evenly browned. careful to burn! set aside to cool a bit. 
whisk milk, egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. add brown butter and stir to combine. 
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. add milk and butter mixture all at once and stir gently to combine. gently fold in the cranberries and blueberries. 
to make the topping, combine the butter flour and sugar in a small bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. 
divide the batter among muffin cups ( i got 11 muffins). sprinkle topping over the tops. 
bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. cool in pan set on a rack for a few minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature. 

plum topped zucchini muffins

i will take one summer fruit and one summer vegetable, and turn them into sweet breakfast.

i should, after all, be overloading myself with summer produce..because hello end of august, hey end of summer (swhaat!?), you always sneak up fast.

sweet breakfasts. can't stop won't stop.
and muffins, they're the cutest.

i want them in the morning, i want them in the evening. and that's the problem, because i'm an annoying muffin eater to everyone else but me.

i'll ruin the tops of your muffins in no time. and when i say ruin, i mean eat off.
i know it's the selfish thing to do, i'm sorry for acting selfish. i'm sorry for ruining your box of muffins by nibbling the tops off every last one.

i've truly pissed some people off, and i totally understand, people love the muffins. i love the muffins. and everyone is well aware that the top is by far the best.
i'm going to need to make more muffins.

soft zucchini-flecked muffins, lightly spiced, topped with streusel, and plums. and then more streusel.

they have big delicious tops.

..no you are.

Plum Topped Zucchini Muffins

adapted from america's test kitchen

2 zucchini (1 lb), ends trimmed

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

pinch nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

2-3 plums, thinly sliced

streusel:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

dash of cinnamon and salt

preheat oven to 375. line muffin pan with papers or spray with nonstick cooking spray. shred the zucchini on a box grater and then squeeze the water out with paper towels. whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. in another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. 

next make the streusel by simply combining all the ingredients together in a small bowl til clumpy and crumbly. 

gently fold the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture with the zucchini and walnuts. 

evenly divide the batter into the muffin tins. top each with a bit of streusel, then layer 2 plum slices on each. top with a bit more streusel and bake for about 20 minutes. 

makes about 14 muffins. 

bran muffins + sunday scenes

it's spring. and it's nice.
i've been trying to admire all these pretty things around me. like magenta blurs and green beach houses.

i've been embracing spring's finicky weather, with fireplaces when it's cold and open doors when it's hot.

and i've been loving all up on sunday, bigtime.

if there was any day built for taking it easy, for loving the simple things, it's sunday.
stay in pajamas longer, sit on the floor. wear love socks.

sundays are for homely romance, and walks with my two favorite boys.

sundays are for trying not to think of all the crap you need to do.

for drinking bouzy coffee out of giant mugs.

how about appreciating people you don't know. whoever's gate this is here, sir or ma'am, i appreciate you. i took a picture of your gate and now it is on my blog. we're connected.

sundays are definitely about food too... there is certainly no better day to bake muffins. shall i smell up the house with some sweet muffin smells?

yes. always yes.

bran muffins.

bran muffins are homely and perfect like a sunday. i'm not talking about the god awful dry health-food bran muffins. those make me angry.

i'm talking about these ones, these ones that make me grin. and stuff my cheeks like a squirrel.

they are light and a little chewy, punched up with some orange, and softened with buttermilk.
they are homely and perfectly sweet like a sunday.

the leftovers were breakfast this morning, as i longed for more frangelico and another weekend.

Bran Muffins

adapted from Nancy Silverton via David Leibovitz

2 cups wheat bran

1/2 cup dates, pitted

1/2 cup prunes, pitted

1 cup + 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

zest of half an orange

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour ( i used graham flour )

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 350. grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with papers. 

spread the wheat bran on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes, stirring a couple times so it cooks evenly. let cool. 

while the bran is toasting, heat the dates and prunes with 1/2 cup water. simmer for 10 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. puree the softened dates and prunes in a food processor until smooth. 

in a large bowl, mix together the toasted bran, buttermilk, 1 cup water. then mix in the fruit puree, orange zest, and brown sugar. 

stir in the oil, egg, and egg white. 

mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to the wet ingredients. stir until the ingredients are just combined. spoon the batter into the muffin tins, mounding the tops. bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the muffins feel set in the center. 

blood orange cakes

i spy,
something awesome.


snow?
no. it doesn't do that here. i only can dream about being in the snow right now. 


your baby? nope. it's not your baby.
i'm sure your baby is really awesome, that's just not what i spy.


food? well, yea. 
it's beautious fruit in the dead of winter!


have you seen this citrus invasion? 
i plan on taking full advantage of february's citrus bounty. 

juice. snacktime. salads! CAKE. 


lovely blood orange cakes that you get all for yourselves. this is time to whip out the jumbo muffin pan. 


more cake, bigger muffin top surface area.


a serving is a serving. everyone knows that. amIright?

these cakes here are packages of winter citrus celebration. 


a denser, creamier texture than a muffin. 


heck chyea, bring on the creaminess. (and the buttermilk tang!)


buttermilk. yes! you my main man. 

...also my boyfriend, you are too. 


boyfriend and buttermilk. you guys are the best. 


always there for me to lean on when things get weird tough. 


what? are you still reading this? 


i should stop. 
wrapping these thoughts up is getting tough weird. 


so.. these cakes are wonderful. all in favor of a winter brunch?

Blood Orange Cakes

adapted from dinner with julie

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups sugar

finely grated zest of an orange

5 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 blood oranges, washed and sliced very thin

sugar, for sprinkling

3 tbsp fresh orange juice

3 tbsp sugar

preheat oven to 350. in a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, sugar, and orange zest for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. then add vanilla. in a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

add about a third of the flour mixture, beating on low speed until combined. add half the buttermilk, then another third of the flour, then the rest of the buttermilk, and then the last of the flour. 

divide the batter between lined or greased muffin tins, filling them 3/4 full. top each with a slice of orange and a sprinkling of sugar. bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and tops are springy to the touch. 

let cool for about 10 minutes and make glaze: put orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. stir until the sugar melts and you have a hot syrupy glaze. generously brush glaze over cakes as they cool. 

*i used a 1/2 dozen jumbo muffin pan and had enough batter to make some extra regular sized muffins.

apple millet cakes + almond glaze

apple cakes. with millet. the millet adds a beautifully pleasant nutty crunch.

impossibly soft velvety cake with the tiny crunches of millet and the gooey spiced apples.
good good things.

some of the cakes got splattered with an almond glaze. and the rest, left bare with a quick sprinkle of raw sugar.

oh me oh my. this is definitely my kind of thing. apple cakes and me are quite a match.. i've loved every one that's ever crossed my path.

but these ones.
THESE ones, have stolen my heart.

Apple Millet Cakes

adapted from smittenkitchen

*this can be made as a whole cake in a large tube or bundt pan. also feel free to sub 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.

5-6 apples, i used a mix of honeycrisp and fuji

1 tbsp cinnamon

5 tbsp sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted

1/2 cup millet, raw

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

raw sugar for sprinkling tops (optional)

preheat oven to 350. grease or line two muffin pans with papers. (or for a full size cake, grease a tube pan). peel, core, and chop apples into chunks. toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside. 

stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and millet in a large mixing bowl. in a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla. mix wet ingredients into the dry, then add eggs, one at a time. scrape down the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated. 

fold about half of the apples into the batter. put spoonfuls of batter into the bottom of the cupcake papers. top with a layer of the cinnamon apples. then top with a second layer of batter. sprinkle the tops with raw sugar.

bake until a tester comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. 

for the almond glaze: whisk about a cup of confectioners sugar with a little milk and almond extract, until the desired consistency is reached. 

orange cinnamon glazed donut muffins

as much as i would love to sit down and ramble on about how i've been having freaky dreams (thank you Almodovar) or why my legs aren't shaved (thank you lazy arms)...i simply am not going to do that.

thanksgiving is in a couple days and my brains feel crazy. running around, getting things done, not getting things done that I need to be getting done, getting parking tickets because crazy brains forget about the meter, running on caffeine-y things, pretzels, and cookie dough instead of good old fashioned rem cycles.

i'm starting to emulate a squirrel. and i need to be tranquilized.

no tranquilizer guns in sight. so i must take the next best thing, a few deep breaths and donuts in the form of muffins.

when behaving like a maniac, one should not be messing around with sizzling hot oil. but maniacs should get to eat donuts too.

donut muffins. they will be baked, glazed, admired, and then feasted upon.

no need to twiddle your thumbs as you wait for dough to rise. this will be instant success!

first. bake up some soft, lightly spiced muffins that taste like donuts. tilt them on their sides to let them cool down.

whisk up some beautiful glaze with orange zest and juice, butter, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and a touch of cream.

dunk their puffed tops in glaze. let dry. repeat.

how about some minis? like donut holes!!

glaze double dippage! uhuh, toooootally.

Orange Cinnamon Glazed Donut Muffins

adapted from my baking addiction

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

for glaze:

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 - 2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

zest of 1/2 an orange

2-3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1-2 tbsp heavy cream

preheat oven to 425. lightly grease a standard muffin tin, or line with papers. (I had enough batter for 12 regular size muffins and about 6 minis). in a medium sized bowl, cream butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth. add the eggs, beating to combine. stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. stir the flour into the butter mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. mix til just combined. spoon batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full. bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes until they're pale golden brown and a cake taster inserted in the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. flop them on their sides in the muffin pan to cool. 
prepare the glaze: in a medium bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, zest, juice, and cream. add more sugar and orange juice until you get your desired consistency. whisk til smooth. 
when the muffins are cool, dip the crown into the glaze and set on a wire rack to dry. if you want to go for double dippage of glaze (DO IT), dip them again and let dry. serve warm or cool. they are best on the day they are made. 

banana coconut streusel muffins

oh boy muffins!


banana and coconut. woot woot, splendid!


the batter is not too sweet and full of wonderful banana flavor. coconut adds spunk and that delightful chew. they look nice and scrappy and welcoming. they taste like wonderful things taste. and their densely plump crumb would make any muffin enthusiast beam.

and you'll get streusel fingers. when the buttery coconutty streusel cakes onto your fingertips as you crumble it over the batter and you get to lick it off, finger by finger.


major life bonus.

today you should take the time to get a muffin and share it with someone you like.


i said share, not bicker about who's getting more of the muffin top.


or better yet, whip up a batch of these and you can each have like 4 muffins.


go crazy, it's friday.


if you have a bestie and it's her day of birth, she probably wants muffins. make them for her. if she lives in new york and you do not, stick a candle in one, take a picture and send it to her.

i ate your birthday muffin aviva. if you were here, i'd be the best muffin top sharer this land has ever seen. maybe even let you have the whole thing...the whole batch!


then i'd let you beat me at bananagrams and we'd behave like monkeys.

Banana Coconut Streusel Muffins

adapted from The Perfect Finish by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark

1/2 cup dry grated unsweetened coconut (can use sweetened if that's all you have)

2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed

1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt, plus a pinch for the streusel

2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, sliced

6 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup neutral oil, preferably safflower or grapeseed

3/4 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2 small bananas)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup buttermilk or whole milk

1 large egg, room temperature

preheat oven to 350. lightly grease and flour cups of a standard muffin tin, or use paper muffin cups. 

for the streusel, in a bowl stir together the coconut, brown sugar, 2 tbsp of flour, and a pinch of salt. add the butter and rub the mixture together with your fingertips until you have large crumbles. set aside. 

in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining cup of flour, the sugar, baking powder, and the remaining 1/8 tsp salt. in another small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cup of oil with the mashed bananas, milk/buttermilk, vanilla, and egg until they are well combined. add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. 

using an ice cream scoop, fill the prepared muffin cups halfway. top the muffins with streusel, dividing the streusel evenly among the muffins. bake on the center rack until they rise and are golden and bounce back when pressed, about 30 minutes. let cool in the tin for 15 minutes and serve warm. the leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in foil and kept in the refrigerator and then re-warmed in the oven before serving. 

almond cherry ricotta muffins

pillows could be one of my favorite things. does that sentence sound grammatically off? whatever. this muffin is like eating a pillow. 

go have a pillow fight. with these muffins. throw them at your friend’s face.

because they’re soft and creamy like any pillow that i want to have. 

alert! i thought of something cool. a waterbed but instead of being filled with water it's filled with ricotta. some of you are scoffing, “that couldn't possibly be done...this imbecile online is talking about filling a bed with cheese...refridgeration issses...blah”
go away nay sayers and logical people. right now i just want to think about laying in a squishy ricotta bed. no one can argue that it wouldn’t be ridiculously comfortable. 

maybe ill just fill my comforter with these muffins for now and lay on it.

on second thought, i will not do that because they are way too delicious to squash. how about just eating them like a normal person? cool

sweet cherries + almondy almond + soft ricotta. oh my, these are a dream.

Almond Cherry Ricotta Muffins

adapted from here

this recipe is lovely base for all kinds of variation. orange ricotta and pecan anyone? raspberry hazelnut? oh the possibilities!

1 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract (almond emulsion is the best!) 

1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved

handful of slivered almonds

preheat your oven to 350. line your muffin tin with liners. mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. cream together the butter and sugar in a mixer til fluffy. Add the egg, ricotta, and extracts. mix well. then mix the wet with the dry ingredients just until combined. fold in the cherries. scoop batter into the muffin tins (yields about 10 muffins) and then sprinkle the tops with more sugar and the almonds. bake for 25ish minutes, test with a toothpick. anxiously await them to cool.