Nutty banana muffins

Helllooo! Here it is Wednesday and I'm just saying hello to you — I think it must be this grey, grey rainy weather we've been having. But luckily I have just the thing for that — baked goods! These tasty, healthier-than-most muffins have been seeing me through the gloom. Feel free to add chocolate chips or chunks for an added treat — I did!

Banana Espresso Walnut Muffins
Adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts
1 Tablespoon instant espresso
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

Combine flours, baking power, salt, espresso and 3/4 cup of the walnuts in a medium bowl, whisking to combine.

In separate large bowl or mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and then blend in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and yogurt. Gently stir in the dry ingredients just until combined. Do not over work, or your muffins will be tough.

Spoon into prepared pans all the way to the top of each cup and sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Bake until golden, about 20 - 25 minutes. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Grapefruit, Honey and Yogurt Scones

On a day that certainly has hints of spring to it, it seems right to post a recipe with a fresh citrusy flavor. Oranges and grapefruits bridge that line between winter and spring with their bright flavor that on a cold, grey day tastes like pure sunshine — or on a sunny day reminds that there is  plenty more to come. These scones are such a surprising combination of fresh flavors — just right for this in between season. And the pink is just so darn purdy. Enjoy!

Grapefruit, Honey, and Yogurt Scones

Via Joy the Baker

Makes: 6 scones

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

1 Ruby Red grapefruit, zested and segmented

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Set aside.

Zest the grapefruit and combine zest and granulated sugar on a clean cutting board.  Rub together the zest and sugar with the back of a spoon or a plastic bench knife. The sugar will be tinted a pale orange color and smell of grapefruit. Measure 2 tablespoons of the grapefruit sugar and whisk into the dry ingredients. Save the remaining grapefruit sugar for topping the scones just before baking.

Segment the grapefruit next.  Slice off the bottom and top of the grapefruit, exposing the wheel of grapefruit flesh inside.  Use a sharp knife to cut away the peel and pith of the grapefruit, exposing the pink grapefruit flesh.  Slice in between the white skin segments to the center of the fruit, at a slight angel, circling the grapefruit.  Little grapefruit segments should fall from the fruit as you slice.  Set segments aside.

Dice cold butter into 1/2-inch chunks and add to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips, and working quickly, break the butter down into the flour mixture until butter chunks are the size of oat flakes or small peas and resembles coarse meal. Add the honey, plain yogurt and grapefruit segments. Toss together with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened by the yogurt and  honey. 

Turn the scone dough out onto a lightly floured surface. It will be very wet. With floured hands, form into an 8-inch circle as best you can, about 1 inch thick. Use a knife or a bench scraper to cut the dough into six scone triangles. Place on the prepared baking sheet. It was so wet that I used the bench scraper to scoop each scone onto the baking sheet.

Lightly brush the tops of the scones with milk or buttermilk, and sprinkle generously with grapefruit sugar. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown on top and firm but soft in the center.  Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with butter and jam. These scones are definitely best served the day they’re made.

Yogurt and spice and everything nice

Maybe you ate one too many paczki on Tuesday? Maybe you still want a baked good, but the paczki memory is still too near? Or, just maybe, you really wanted a sweet treat and didn't want to go to the store and you just happened to have all of the ingredients for these on hand? Yes, taht's it. These little spice bombs are just the answer: moist, flavorful... and healthy! And -- for those us counting on occasion -- each one has just  127 little ol' calories.

Spiced Yogurt Muffins
Adapted from Food and Wine

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plain low-fat yogurt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line 18 muffin cups with paper or foil liners. Lightly spray the liners with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and the 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg. Whisk together until fully blended. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, butter, applesauce and vanilla. Fold the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients until just blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg over the muffins. Bake for 18 minutes, until the muffins are springy; let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I didn't have any applesauce, but I did have an apple. Peeled it, cored it, and whirred it in the mini food processor. Bingo!

Ginger Pear Muffins

These lovelies were made especial for the boy. He loooves pears and also loooves these other mufins, so I thought I'd try these on for size and see if there would be loooove. Definitely something close to it. The ground ginger I have packs a wollop, so I would declare these spicy, but it all depends on the spice level of your ginger. I found this recipe on Canadianliving.com and the best part of that site is that the recipes include a serving calculator. So, for example, you could find out what you need to make just a pair of these pear muffins. Or one for that matter! The site also had a Pear Ginger Muffin recipe that I may have to try — just cuz.

Ginger Pear Muffins
From Canadian Living, October 2005
 Makes 12 

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups chopped peeled pears (from about two large pears)

Topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp ground ginger

In bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, salt and cinnamon.

In separate bowl, whisk brown sugar with oil; whisk in egg and buttermilk. Pour over dry ingredients; sprinkle with pears and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and ginger; sprinkle over batter. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until tops are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Note: If you don't have buttermilk, you can pour about one tablespoon of white vinegar into a measuring cup and add milk to make one cup. Let stand for five minutes and it will curdle slightly. Use this in place of the buttermilk.

Summer berry muffins in red, white & blue

I picked up some beautifully ripe and tender raspberries at the Westside Farmers Market last Thursday. I nibbled quite a few of them straight from the box — fresh raspberries need nothing to dress them up. But I couldn't resist throwing some into my favorite muffin recipe, along with some blueberries I had in the freezer. So I ended up with some very patriotic red, white and blue muffins for the July 4th weekend. Yay!

I was also really happy to find out that Michigan's only shrimp farmer — Russ Allen from the Shrimp Farm Market in Okemos — is now selling at the Westside Market. (You can read more about this farm in an article I wrote for Edible WOW last spring here.) I splurged on some of his shrimp salad — it cannot be beat. Next time I think I will have to try the ceviche. The freshest most local shrimp you'll find in these parts!

Now, back to those muffins…


Browned Butter Summer Berry Muffins

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Makes 12 muffins.

7 Tb 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
2 cups fresh berries: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, or any combo

Topping:
3 Tb cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 Tb sugar

Put a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375º F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. After it melts, continue cooking. It will make a distinct crackling sound as it cooks. Keep a close eye — and ear — on it this point as it turns very quickly. The crackling will subside and the butter will begin to brown fairly quickly after that. Keep cooking until the butter has a nice brown color and little brown bits appear in the bottom of the pan. I like to use a pan with a white inside so I can really see the color of the butter as it cooks. Remove from heat.

Whisk together milk, egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the brown butter and stir to combine.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl Add milk and butter mixture all at once and stir gently to combine. Gently but thoroughly fold in the berries.

Divide the batter among muffin cups and spread evenly. I use an old, large gravy ladle that my mom always used — it works like a charm for muffins.

For the topping, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and gently rub together with your fingertips until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the batter.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.