Rhubarb Walnut Muffins

Sara Bareilles is the best.  I love the lyrics in this song, and the video makes me giggle.  It's perfect for a little dance party in your kitchen as you're waiting for your Rhubarb Walnut Muffins to be done baking...you can just trust me on that one.

I had some leftover rhubarb, and my dad wanted muffins.  Muffins, he got.  I haven't tried them yet, but he informed me that they're good.  You'll have to trust him on that one.

 

Rhubarb Walnut Muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins-

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 heaping cup diced rhubarb

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping-

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1.  Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

2.  In a separate bowl, combine oil, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.

3.  Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.

4.  Gently add the rhubarb and walnuts.

5.  Spoon muffin batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup to the top. 

6.  Stir together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins.

7.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

8.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan.  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Kitchen Table Friends

The Mystery that is Buttermilk

I will never in my life understand buttermilk.  It smells so horrendous!  

Regular milk smells bad enough.  Funny story...I used to make my roommate in college check the milk to make sure it hadn't gone bad because I swear I wouldn't notice since milk smells terrible anyway (thanks, Dani!).  

Buttermilk smells even worse than regular milk!  How on earth does it make such delicious baked goods?  No, seriously...how does that happen?  'Cause these muffins are really darn yummy.  They're not an overly sweet muffin, but they have a gorgeous muffin-y shape and a perfectly soft middle.

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

2.  Whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, canola oil, egg, and vanilla extract.

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4.  Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Fold until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

5.  Fill muffin cups with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until muffins are golden.

7.  Cool slightly in pan before removing to a wire rack.

Source: Munchin with Munchkin

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins

Who loves the mini doughnuts that are sold at fairs?  I do, I do!!!

Because of their crunchy cinnamon and sugar topping, these muffins remind me so much of mini doughnuts.  They were so simple and quick to make.  Plus, I had all of the ingredients on hand and didn't have to buy anything out of the ordinary in order to make them!

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins


Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup oil or melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk


1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg, and milk.
4.  Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.  Pour batter into muffin cups.  Bake for 22-24 minutes or until muffins are golden.
5.  Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping.  When muffins are done, immediately remove from the pans, dip in the melted butter, and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.


Source:  Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Glorious Muffins

As I was growing up, my family often ate breakfast for dinner.  We would have muffins whenever we had eggs, but they would be the kind you buy in a little package, add a couple of ingredients, and bake.  They were good, but they weren't GOOD.  They did not compare at all to a coffee shop muffin, for example.  

By the way, I'm convinced that my favorite coffee shop has a secret muffin recipe that they will not share with anybody.  Hence, I need to get a job there and learn their secrets.  

Anyway, I've learned that making muffins from scratch results in much tastier muffins than those you can make from a little package.  These Banana Crumb Muffins are one of my new favorites!  They were moist, fluffy, and super sweet.  They also had a muffin-y shape...they weren't flat on the top like sometimes happens with homemade muffins.  You know what I mean?  Basically, they were perfect.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  In another bowl, beat together bananas, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and oil.  Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Sprinkle topping over muffins.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Source:  Sweet Pea's Kitchen