More Muffins

A few weeks ago we were 'muffined', as I made dozens of muffins for our son's graduation reception. I have a couple more recipes to post. But I also have some information from a recent K-State Extension 4-H judges training session for possible foods judges. It's almost summer and many 4-H family ovens will be heating up for quick breads, cookies, and breads to practice for the county fair. Being a judge is harder that it looks, its not just about tasting lots of goodies! You also have to have knowledge about the standard for each product and what might have gone wrong if there's a problem.
Muffins not only have to be tasty, but have a uniform appearance with a rough, pebbled surface, golden brown, and slightly rounded tops. The texture should be tender with little resistance when bitten or chewed. Cells should be evenly distributed with no tunnels, and the flavor should be pleasing. One of the most common problems is over mixing, we cooks want to do a thorough job and get everything blended. But with muffins, it can cause peaks, toughness and tunnels. However, if the batter isn't blended enough there will be yellow spots and dry crumbs of flour. It is also important to have the oven temperature correct - test it with an oven thermometer.
One question I've always wondered is - cupcake wrappers/papers or not? It seems the answer is usually not. Muffins are a firm enough product they can hold together without the paper, unlike a cupcake which would crumble. But, for ease of transporting and serving to a group, I prefer to use the cupcake papers as we did for the reception.
Here are a couple of our family favorite - tried and true - muffin recipes:

PUMPKIN CHIP MUFFINS

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

          In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Makes 24 muffins

WHOLE GRAIN BANANA MUFFINS

 1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

½ cup packed brown sugar

⅓ cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 cup mashed banana (2 med)

¼ cup canola oil

        Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Mix flour, oatmeal, sugar, nuts and baking powder in large bowl.

      In another bowl, beat egg and mix in mashed banana, milk and canola oil. Stir in to dry ingredients and mix lightly. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffin tops are browned. Loosen muffins and serve warm.

Makes 12 medium muffins.

The new Drs. enjoyed the muffins and other treats!  

Beef for Dinner

May is the month of beef promotion, but we like eating beef every month. In fact, at our house, that is almost every day! And in spite of the media wave of nutrition warnings, beef is still healthy for us to eat. Beef is the number 1 dietary source of protein, and helps build strong bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. A 3-ounce serving of lean meat provides 51% of daily value for protein. This protein is complete, meaning that it contains all the essential amino acids that work together in the body for optimal health. Beef is also the number 3 source of iron, which helps carry oxygen to body cells and tissues, assists in making new red blood cells, and supports the immune system.
Another thing I like about beef is it is so versatile. I have many, many beef recipes that are favorites. This one is similar to lasagna, but I think easier to make. It makes a big casserole, and I often freeze part of it. Like many casseroles, it contains pasta, so with a salad and a side serving of green beans, you've got the meal ready. It is also a great casserole to make ahead for baking later for the family, or to take to share with another family.

Cheesy Beef Tetrazzini

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

½ to 1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese softened

1 cup small-curd cottage cheese

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

¼ cup chopped green pepper (could add more)

¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

1 package (7 oz) thin spaghetti, cooked and drained

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream until blended. Stir in green pepper, onions and spaghetti. Transfer to a greased 2 ½ quart baking dish. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes or until bubbly. 

The Muffin Man

Oh, do you know the Muffin Man,

The muffin man, the muffin man,

Do you know the muffin man,

Who lives in Drury Lane? 

When my son was much younger and in   4-H, one of his food project demonstrations for 4-H Day was making muffins. The talk started with this well-known children's rhyme. Muffins are a favorite breakfast, brunch and snack food now, just as they were in Victorian English households where they (actually more of a bread product then) were delivered door-to-door by a muffin man. 
I reminisced of that young child as I watched the young man he has become receive a PhD degree this weekend. This occasion certainly called for a celebration of family and friends - and food. The following morning we hosted a celebratory brunch with the family of another new PhD, who is a good friend of Clint's. I had baked several dozen muffins, which together with the sausage/cheese/meat tray, fruit tray and veggies made a great buffet for guests to  munch and visit with. 
A couple of new muffin recipes are now added to my collection. I'll share these here, and in a later blog post the old favorites that I also made. 


Cappuccino Muffins  (from Taste of Home Grand Prize Winners)

2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons instant coffee granules

½ cup butter, milted

 1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir milk and coffee granules until coffee is dissolved. Add butter, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 4 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve with espresso spread.

Espresso Spread: (I forgot to take this to the reception, but the muffins were fine without it!)

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 tablespoon sugar

½ tsp. instant coffee granules

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a food processor blender combine the spread ingredients; cover and process until well blended. Transfer the espresso spread to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Muffins (from Pinterest)

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Peanut butter swirl:

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.  Combine  butter and 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl, microwave 20-30 seconds, stir, repeat until melted and smooth. Set aside. 

Whisk together (in mixing bowl) flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a liquid measuring cup, combine buttermilk, egg and vanilla and whisk to combine. With mixer on low speed, blend dry ingredients with buttermilk mixture just combined.  Blend in melted chocolate mixture. Stir in the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips with a spatula. Divide the batter between prepared paper liners, filling each no more than 2/3 full (muffins will rise a lot!)

To make peanut butter swirl, combine the peanut butter and butter and microwave biefly until smooth. Whisk in the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drop a small spoonful of this mixture on top of each muffin and swirl together using a skewer. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.