[ Cinnamon Apple Muffins ]

 

Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe

19yr old Siah needs work lunches ... and I need to still do mom stuff lol.  So I added this to my roster.  It's never too late, apparently lol.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour for coating apples
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for coating apples
• 2 cups diced apples
• ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup milk

Topping:

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup  ground cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375º F. Spray muffin tins with bakers spray or coat well with shortening or butter and flour, making sure to discard any excess flour from the tins after coating.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside. 
• Mix flour with ground cinnamon used to coat the apples. Toss diced apples with the flour/cinnamon mixture to coat apples in a separate bowl. Set aside.
• Cream together butter and sugar until lightened in color, about 3 minutes. Add an egg, one at a time, taking care to fully incorporate before adding the other. Mix in vanilla.
• Gently fold in flour mixture, alternating with milk. Stir until just combined. Fold in diced apples and scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes.
• Prepare topping for muffins while the muffins are baking by melting the butter and allowing to cool slightly. Pour butter into a separate bowl sized easy for dipping tops of muffins. Mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl and set aside.
• Once muffins have baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the muffin tin. Then, remove each muffin and brush the butter on with a pastry brush (or dip into the melted butter) and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place onto a plate to finish cooling.

Updated Cinnamon Sugar Topping:The original recipe called for a 1 to 1 mixture of sugar and cinnamon. If you prefer a less cinnamon flavor in your topping, reduce the mixture to 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 

[ Disco Trixie's Thai Wraps ]

                                                 

These are SO good.  Tracy made them for our sturgeon fishing day on the boat.  I've never made them, but I've been meaning to for soooo long.  Not my pic.  

Ingredients:

- wraps (she likes using the x-large burrito wraps or the spinach wraps)

- sauce: mayo, lime juice, peanut sauce (optional: sriracha hot sauce, sesame dressing)

- romaine or large leaf lettuce

- jasmine rice

- half to whole red pepper

- cucumber

- carrots 

- optional: crushed peanuts, sprouts, shredded cabbage

- Protein // chicken or beef or shrimp ...

Directions:

- Set out a square of tin foil

- put the wrap in the tin foil

- mix up the mayo based peanut sauce (mayo, peanut sauce, lime juice, sesame dressing if wanted)

- cook the rice, but add in a generous glob of peanut sauce and the diced pepper while it's cooking.

- spread a layer on the wrap, with the sauce (like you're putting tomato sauce on a pizza)

- lay down a large leaf of lettuce

- spoon out a line of rice on the lettuce leaf

- add protein

 - slice up the cucumber in thin strips, add a line of those.

- grate carrot, add a line of that.

- add whatever add ins you want (sprouts, crushed peanuts, extra sauce etc ...)

- fold the bottom up and inch first, then wrap the left side over, then the right, and wrap the foil tightly around it all (same order, the bottom, left then right)

[ Chocolate Zucchini Muffins ]

                             

Perfect as mini muffins.   Perfect for camping.   Perfect for everything.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups finely grated zucchini, slightly drained
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup mini milk chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin pan wells with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in zucchini until it is evenly distributed into the batter. Stir in semisweet chocolate chips.
6. Use a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons) to distribute batter amongst the prepared muffin wells.
7. If desired, sprinkle mini milk chocolate chips onto the top of each muffin.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes.

[ Scones ]

Josiah made these after coming home from school, excited about what he had learned in foods class.  They were AMAZING.

Ingredients 

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp OR ½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten
½-¾ cup cream

Directions

• Heat the oven to 450F
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tbsp of the sugar.
• Cut in the butter with a knife/fork/pastry blender.  The butter should be broken down into tiny pieces.  You can use your fingers to help break up the butter.
• Beat an egg in a small bowl, then add it in to the flour mixture, along with ½ cup of the cream.  Mix everything together well.  If the mixture is a bit sticky, add a tbsp of flour.  If it is too dry, add a tbsp of cream.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 1 or 2 times.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle about ¾ inch thick, then cut into wedges like a pizza, or into smaller circles.
• Place the wedges onto the baking sheet and brush the top of each scone with some cream and the remaining sugar.
• Place in the oven and bake for 9-11min, or until the scones are a light golden brown.
• Best served warm.

[ Lemon Poppyseed Muffins ]

                           

ingredients

1⅓ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons)
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond) extract
zest of 2 small lemons (or 1 large lemon - about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¾ cup plain fat free greek yogurt
1.5 tablespoon poppyseeds

icing

2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 and grease a muffin pan. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice, and greek yogurt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in poppyseeds.
3. Fill muffin tins about ⅔ full with muffin batter. Bake for 12-16 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
4. To make the icing cream melted butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes until very fluffy. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice and mix well. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired. Drizzle icing over cooled muffins. (If icing is too thick you can warm it up in the microwave for a few seconds ) Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.

SaveSave

[ Jam Filled Muffins ]

                               

These were Josiah's favourite for his school lunches, back in elementary school.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1/4 cup jam or preserves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with non- stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. In a medium bowl, beat the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla extract with a fork until well blended. Add the milk mixture to the the flour mixture and stir until just combined (the batter will be lumpy.)
3. Fil the muffin-pan cups one-third full with batter. Drop a teaspoon of preserves on top of the batter. Top with the remaining batter. 
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 1 minute, then remove muffins from pan. Allow to cool on a wire rack. 
5. Store leftovers in a sealable container. 

[ THE BEST White Chocolate Chip Muffins ]

Mattias and I made these tonight for the kids lunches tomorrow.  The original recipe called for milk chocolate chips --- but the kids prefer white chocolate, so that's what we did.
Ingredients 

Ingredients 

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
½ cup greek yogurt, at room temperature (OR 1cup sour cream/1cup greek yogurt)
1 cup white chocolate chips.

Instructions

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 400F
2. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. Beat the butter on medium high speed until creamy and lightened up; 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the sugar and beat together until lightened up in both color and texture; 4 to 5 minutes. The color should turn very pale and texture should look fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla and beat together for one minute.
7. On lowest speed, add in one-third of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Add in half of the sour cream and lightly stir until almost mixed in. Continue with adding another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining sour cream and ending with the last third of flour mixture. Mix until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX.  
8. fold in the chocolate chips.
9. Fill muffin tins.
10. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes (for regular muffins), or until the top are golden brown and spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Mini muffins should bake in about 9 to 12 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE or the muffins will dry out.
11. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving. Served warm or at room temperature. Allow to cool completely before storing. Store leftovers in an airtight container to retain its moisture.

[ Copycat Starbucks Banana Bread Recipe ]

I had some overripe bananas, found this online.  Gave it a whirl.  If this recipe is here, it means it was a goodie.

COPYCAT STARBUCKS BANANA BREAD RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 egg

• 1⅛ cup sugar

• ½ cup vegetable or canola oil

• 2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• 3 bananas mashed very well

• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Add flour, baking soda and salt to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix egg, sugar and oil and stir until well combined
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well. The mixture will be thick and dry.
5. Next add milk, vanilla and bananas and stir until incorporated.
6. Mix in walnuts and pour into a loaf pan
7. Cook 50-75 minutes, checking regularly until a knife comes out clean.

[ Salted Pretzel Rolls ]

Mattias LOVES pretzels ... and pretzel rolls even more.  Found this on Pinterest - and I think my photo here shows that these are LEGIT.  Holy moly --- so yummy.  Another addition to the freezer for fast + easy school lunch ideas.

Salted Pretzel Rolls

Yield: 8 large rolls
Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 1 1/2 hours rise time)
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Make the rolls smaller if you just want to use them as small dinner rolls. 

ingredients:

1 ½ cup warm water (110°F)
1 package or 2 ¼ tsp of active dry yeast (not instant rise yeast)
2 teaspoons sugar
4-½ cups unbleached all-purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted Butter, melted
¼ cups baking soda
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
Pretzel Salt, for sprinklingdirections:

1.  In the bowl of your stand mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment), add the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir and let rest 5-10 minutes until foamy.

2.  Add the flour, salt, and melted butter and mix using the dough hook until combined well. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk (again, mine didn't look like it rose all that much, but turned out amazingly). Punch the dough down and turn it onto a lightly floured clean surface.

3.  Line 1 large sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Cut the dough into 8 pieces (4 1/2 - 5 ounces each). To shape the dough "take a piece of dough and start forming a round, smooth ball by pulling the sides to the center and pinching to seal. Place, pinched side down, on a counter and lightly cupping your hand around the dough ball, rotate your hand in small circles lightly rolling the ball around the palm of your hand."

4.  Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet pinched seam side down, with at least 1” between each roll (2 rolls side by side, then one down one row but between the two in the top row) Cover with a towel and allow to rest in a warm place for another 30 minutes until they rise & double (may not rise a whole lot).

5.  Preheat oven to 425°F and place oven rack in the middle position. In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a low boil. Remove from heat and slowly add the baking soda ( don't dump it all, as it will boil up and overflow)  Place back on heat and lower to a simmer. 

6. Place 2-3 of the rolls at a time into the poaching liquid, seam side down. Poach for 30 seconds and then carefully turn the roll over and poach for another 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to the same prepared sheet pan, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

7.  Using a pastry brush, brush each roll with the beaten egg, making sure to coat all sides completely & then prinkle each roll with a little pretzel salt. Using a sharp straight edged knife, cut a slash (or 2) -or- an “X” shape in the top of each roll. 

8.  Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot!

[ 30 Minute Dinner Rolls / Lunch Rolls ]

30 Minute Dinner Rolls  / Lunch Rolls

I've been looking for a last-minute dinner roll for soup nights on Pinterest  and these are AMAZE-BALLS.  And made it into my "recipe-box-blog".  My iPhone pic taken right now ... those four missing?  I'm not telling. 

Ingredients  

1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water
⅓ C vegetable oil
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
¼ C sugar
1½ tsp salt
1 egg
3½ C bread flour (seems to work better but all purpose flour will also work)


Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In your mixer bowl combine the water, oil, yeast and sugar and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Using your dough hook, mix in the salt, egg and flour.
3. Knead with hook until will incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. (Just a few minutes)
4. Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a greased 9 x 13 pan (I used a cookie sheet with a silpad instead) and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

[ Banana Bread ]

This is the PERFECT "after school" snack for the kids.  And even better that it can be packed into their "nut-free" lunches, the next day.

Banana Bread
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 bananas, finely crushed
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs and crushed bananas.

Combine well.

Sift together flour, soda and salt. 

Add to creamed mixture, and then add vanilla.

Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Keeps well, refrigerated.

[ Cinnamon Crumb Banana Muffins ]

OH WOW.

I made these for their lunches tomorrow - and they've already eaten 6 of the dozen for an after-school-snack.  Off I go to make some more LOL.  Probably should double this ... 

Cinnamon Crumb Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 + ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking power
½ tsp salt

1 egg
¾ cup white sugar
⅓  cup melted butter
3 mashed bananas

topping

⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
• Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 
• In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. 
• Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
• In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. 
• Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
• Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

[ Caramel Popcorn.]

*  my own pic.

Caramel popcorn always intimidated me -- well -- I actually never realized that you could MAKE it yourself LOL.  When my cousin served it to us one night, I couldn't eat it fast enough -- I asked for the recipe and it's now on "snack" rotation.  This recipe is very similar to my cousins -- I found it on Pinterest.  And it was SUPER easy, and SUPER yummy.

Caramel Popcorn:
10 cups (100g) air-popped popcorn
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (80g) light corn syrup
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Ingredients

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 200F degrees. 

- Spread the popcorn out onto 2 large baking sheets. Set aside.

- Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar, and salt in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. 

- Stir constantly and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.  

- Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda.  

- Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir gently until all the kernels are coated.

- Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.  

- Allow to cool on the pan and break apart large clusters if desired. 

-  Cover the popcorn tightly once cooled; it will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.

[ Chocolate Zucchini Muffins ]

Last night's NYE fondue left me with a bunch of extra zucchini ... so I got this recipe off of Pinterest --- which sent me to a site called Eat Drink Love.

I made them in mini-muffin tins ... planning on bagging there for our upcoming ski trip.  And extras, put in the freezer for school lunches.

Dry Ingredients :

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients :

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin pan by spraying cavities with non-stick spray or insert muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and the cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, vegetable oil, milk, and the vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the zucchini and the chocolate chips.
4. Divide the batter evenly amongst each cavity. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes -- I cooked them for 12-15 in the mini muffin tins. Let muffins cool. Store leftovers in an airtigth container.

Nutrition (1 muffin): Calories: 221; Fat: 9.3g; Carbs: 34.5g; Sugar: 19.7g; Protein: 3.4g; WW Points Plus: 6