Jam Breakfast Muffins

I like variety but don't mind a basic recipe from which to start my creativity. This is a fun one as you can use up that jar of jam everyone has gotten tired of by now and still make them enjoy it.

Jam Breakfast Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup jam - your choice!
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon (only if it goes with the flavor of the jam you chose)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Vegetable oil spray two, twelve-cup muffin tins or use cupcake paper liners.

Mix together the eggs, sour cream, sugar, jam, butter, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Fold in the flour until just combined. Stir n the nuts. Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pans. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until brown.

Idea . . .
For an extra kick to the presentation, combine brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and enough softened butter to form a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle over the tops of the muffins before they go into the oven.

As usual, a drizzle of lemon or orange icing is never out of place!

Cereal Killer Muffins!

Here is a creative way to begin the morning and insure you get your children to eat their cereal! When I read the recipe, my thoughts go to bran cereals, cornflakes, and if I'm being wild, possibly a raisin bran type of cereal. Knowing my children, even at the college age, they would want to try some colorful, sweet cereal just to see how it worked in a muffin. It is a good way to use up that half box of cereal that wasn't popular with milk!

Cereal Killer Muffins
2 1/2 cups dry cereal - your choice!
1 quart buttermilk
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (that's two sticks)
4 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
Raisins, nuts . . . optional

Cream sugar, butter, eggs and 1/4th of the buttermilk in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, baking soda, the rest of the buttermilk and the cereal and mix to just combine. It makes a bunch so how many you get depends on the size muffins you are making.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15-20 minutes. Mixure will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator so you can make it the night before.

Ideas to change/improve recipe.
Vanilla extract has yet to hurt most any muffin recipe.
Cinnamon takes muffins to a whole, new level.
Soaking the raisins in juice or brandy does a muffin good.
Grating some lemon or orange zest into the batter puts you on superior baker level.

Cranberry Nut Muffins

Sharing the recipe I just prepared and put into the oven. Hey, I have to keep busy while I wait for the baking to get done, right? I like this recipe because you dump all the ingredients in a bowl, mix it up, and put into the pan(s).

Cranberry Nut Muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking sod
1 large egg
1 2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup vanilla chips
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest, finely grated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin pans with cupcake papers. You should get 12-18 cupcakes depending on size.

Scoop the batter into the muffin pan filling it no more than 2/3rds full. Bake for approximately 25-45 minutes depending on size of your tin, heat of your oven, etc. Poke one with a toothpick to test for doneness. It should come out 'clean'. Cool and remove from tin and complete cooling on a rack. You can drizzle with orange or lemon icing. A dusting of powdered sugar is fast and easy, too.

Pumpkin-Nut Muffins

There is something about having a can of pumpkin in the cupboard that turns on the creative juices . . . at least for me! I like finding uses for pumpkin other than just pumpkin pie. My older daughter, however, would probably exclaim, "What do you mean just pumpkin pie?" as that is a favorite of hers. Bowing to the superiority of a good pumpkin pie, I do want to share a muffin recipe that you can claim as being totally healthy as it has nuts and pumpkin in it. Okay, perhaps not in the category of a life-saving treat but the sugar content is somewhat lower and pumpkin and nuts are good for you, right?

Pumpkin-Nut Muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans - your choice!

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the flour, sugars, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, oil, extract, zest, and nuts. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixtures and mix until just combined. Don't overdo it!

To make the topping, combine all the ingredients, cutting in the butter until you have a crumbly texture.

Fill each muffin cup with 2/3rds of the batter and top with the Streusel topping.

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes depending on your oven and the size of your cupcake pan. Cool before removing from cupcake tin. Taste great warm and aren't bad at room temperature, either.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can use 1/2 cup whole milk and add two teaspoons of either vinegar or lemon juice to approximate the same thing.

Chocolate chips or even butterscotch chips wouldn't be too bad in your muffins, either.

I'm thinking about trying some toasted coconut added to the Streusel Topping.

Orange-Scented Cranberry-Bran Muffins

Still on my mild health kick, here is a recipe for a good-tasting treat that sneaks in a few good things in the diet. I like using dried raisins but dried, snipped pineapple can be substituted or plain, old raisins! If you opt for raisins, I'l suggest a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.

Orange-Scented Cranberry-Bran Muffins
1 cup flaked bran cereal, your choice
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line 8 muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to mix. The batter will be a bit lumpy. Fill the paper-lined muffin cups about 2/3 full to allow for rising.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Cranberry Muffins

As I've mentioned before, this is my favorite time of year because fresh cranberries are available. What I like about them is you can freeze them and they work just fine straight from the freezer for most any dish. I watch for the sales so I can stretch this treat to the next season they are available. Some people like blueberry muffins. Me, I like the tart tang of cranberries in mine. I think my family is in agreement as I hardly get to eat one before the rest disappear!

Cranberry Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You can either grease the muffin tins or line them with cupcake papers.

Combine all the ingredients except for the cranberries, orange zest, and vanilla. When just moistened and mixed, fold in the remaining items and divide into the 12-place muffin tin. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. Cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing to a rack to finish cooling. Serve warm, cold, or even the next day . . . if they last that long.

Ideas . . .
No cranberries on hand, you can peel and dice up fresh apple instead.
Fresh blueberries will nicely substitute.
Adding 1/4 cup chopped nuts is good.

Inspiration Scones . . .

Like a blouse or skirt that can be used in different combinations, a recipe that is flexible and useful is always a great addition to your recipe collection. I like this recipe because you can easily substitute just about anything for the blueberries and come up with a winner.

Original Blueberry Scones

1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon each of lemon & orange zest, freshly grated
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pea-sized chunks
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use vegetable spray to grease a baking sheet.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and zest in a mixing bowl.  Add the butter and blend with a fork of pastry tool until the mixtures looks like rough crumbs.

Beat the milk and egg together in a separate bowl. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir until the dough comes cleanly off the side of the bowl.

Flour your working surface. 

Knead the dough on the floured surface until it sticks together. Sprinkle in more flour if it's too sticky and clings to your hands.

Form the dough into six balls. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and flatten each to about 1/2-inch thick.

Bake for about 12 minutes until light brown on top and cool before serving.

You can substitute the blueberries for dried cranberries
Roughly ground cranberries with a bit of sugar makes an equally good scone.
One-half cup of chopped nuts would never hurt.
Chocolate chips are always welcome and even better if you use them half and half with one of the fruits.
Some finely chopped banana sprinkled with lemon juice is good.