muffins » Living Lou

Corn Muffins

Corn Muffins are something that I’ve wanted to try making forever. I’ve always enjoyed them, but never got around to making them. For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to Robin’s blog Penny-Pinching Provisions. What I love about Penny-Pinching Provisions is that it’s really all about the food. There are so many recipes that all sound equally as good. I was so lucky to be assigned to Robin’s blog because there is such a large variety of recipes that really, I could have made anything I wanted!

With that said, I had a really tough time picking a recipe because there were so many good ones. I mean, hello – she has over 15 muffin recipes! At first I was planning on making her Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins (how good do those sound!) but when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to make these.

Corn Muffins (makes 7-9)
Recipe from Penny Pinching Provisions

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease muffin tin to line with muffin liners.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and scoop into muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes.

This is seriously, one of the easiest recipes and I found myself baking another batch of these on a Monday night between commercials of a really bad show I’m embarrassed to admit I watch.

- Lou

Muffin Donuts

Usually I try to share healthier recipes on Living Lou, but not today. It was one of those feel-sorry-for-yourself type of days. You know, one of those days when things don’t quite go your way?

Like not getting accepted into the college and program of your dreams. Yeah, one of those days.

A day when all I wanted was a donut (or a dozen), and then I realized that it was Victoria Day and that meant that every single store in the city was closed. From there, I decided that I would make my own donuts. Then I realized that I have a great fear of oil and deep frying. Then my phone decided not to recognized my sim-card. Then it dawned on me that there are only 3 episodes of Oprah left. Then I started to cry, I love Oprah.

I was going through my cookbooks and documents of saved recipes when I stumbled upon this little gem: Muffins that taste like Donuts. Seriously, finally someone decided that I could be happy for at least 1 minute today. The ever comforting muffins combined with sugary, unhealthy donuts, my oh my, a match made in heaven.

So I wiped away my tears and checked myself out in the mirror. Based on the state of my eye-liner, I had definitely been doing, as Oprah would say, the Ugly Cry. Then I felt my eyes stinging again because did I mention, there are only 3 episodes of Oprah left! So, I took a deep breath and set my alarm for 4pm so I wouldn’t miss a minute of the episode. Turned on my favourite feel good music, The Lion King soundtrack, and baked away my sorrows.

Donut Muffins (makes 8 large muffins)
Recipe Source: Lemanda on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cups oil
3/4 cups white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cups milk

FOR THE TOPPING:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cups white sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk oil, while sugar, egg and milk together. Pour over dry ingredients and gently mix together.

Scoop into a muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While muffins are baking, melt butter in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.

Loosen muffins with a knife and shake out of the pan. Dip in butter and then cinnamon sugar mixture. Cool on a wire wrack.

Well, Oprah is on, so I will go and eat another 3 muffin donuts while I watch the third last episode.

- Lou

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Confession, I had chocolate chips for breakfast. Why? Good question… well, it was because we were all out of these muffins! (And also, I was making mint chocolate chip cookies, so they were tempting me,) but really, it was because we had no more muffins. It was still a good breakfast, but not nearly as satisfying as these bad boys.

These are hearty, and scrumptious, and they are the perfect breakfast, especially when you are rushing out the door at 7:50 when you’re supposed to be somewhere at 8… no that didn’t happen to me this week, it’s just a hypothetical situation.

These have it all, protein (walnuts!) as well as some sweetness (apples!) and hearty (oatmeal!). Don’t these just make you want to dance a little jig? Or lick your lips in anticipation, whatever floats your boat.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins
recipe adapted from: Gourmetish

Ingredients
(makes 12 muffins)

1 1/2 cups chopped apple
1 cup oats
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a muffin tin.

Start by peeling and chopping the apples, place them aside in a bowl.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients, (flours, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg,) create a well in the middle.

In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients (yogurt, apple cider, vegetable oil, vanilla, and egg).

Pour the wet ingredients into the well in the dry ingredients. Mix just until combine. Add the apples and walnuts, mixing until evenly distributed. Be careful not to over-mix as that will create a very dense muffing.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into the muffin tin until about 2/3 of the way full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until when pricked with a toothpick it comes out clean.

Make a batch of these and enjoy them for breakfast this week! Yum!

- Lou