Sour Cream Muffins

This recipe I tried for the 1st time today and it is delicious. It's a perfect base to add in blueberries, peaches, strawberries.... whatever your heart desires. I've made muffins before, but never had a recipe that I would try again...till now. I am loving this recipe book King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.  There hasn't been a recipe that I haven't wanted to make again and again. Plus you feel better eating muffins/cookies/brownies since they have more whole grains in them.

***This recipe can hang out in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you are not using all the batter at once, then wait to add the fruit.
Seriously you might want to double the recipe because my 2 year old and I just ate 3 muffins a piece, in one sitting.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose or bread flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp soften unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen fruit

Directions:
Mix up all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Cream together sugar and butter till light and fluffy
Add eggs one at a time and make sure they are incorporated
Add the vanilla and sour cream, mix until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time on low speed, till the batter is smooth.
Fold in the fruit and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat the oven 400F. Scoop the batter into a muffin pan.Top with course sugar, strudel, cinnamon/sugar.
They recommend using papers if you are using fruit, so they won't stick to the pan.
Bake 22-26 minutes or until cake tester is clean.
Let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Every year I make sure to plant sugar pumpkins so we can have pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies (w/cream cheese frosting of course), and pumpkin spice muffins. In the fall, once the pumpkins have turned their gorgeous orange color I roast them in the oven.  I take the soft fleshy inside to puree it and freeze in ziplock bags for just this purpose.  It's really a nice reward, when it's February and you aren't going to find any sugar pumpkins in the grocery store.  Sure you can go with the canned pumpkin, but I really prefer the homegrown kind.  These muffins are so tasty that you might want to double the recipe because they really disappear that quickly.  You can add a cream cheese frosting to these, but I don't think they really need it. Also these are fantastic snacks for your little ones. Miss Rosalie absolutely loves them (10 months old). 

                                                    Rosalie contemplating how to eat her muffin

Ingredients:
1 cup All-purpose Flour or Organic Bread Flour (which is what I always have on hand)
1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Butter soften, cut into pieces
1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Milk
1 whole Egg
1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400.
Take the soften butter and whip it in your mixer.  
Add in one at a time, mixing after each addition the sugar, eggs, milk, pumpkin, and vanilla.  

Mix the rest of your dry ingredients in a separate bowl before you add them to the pumpkin mixture. Do not over mix, but make sure it's all incorporated.  


Grease your muffin tins or use paper ones. Fill up the tins 1/2-3/4 of the way. Bake for about 20 minutes depending on the size of the muffin tins. 

 Enjoy!


Yes, she ate the whole thing!

Pancakes

 Whenever there is any sort of question of what to do for dinner at dinner time and you're hungry... breakfast seems to be a great answer whether it's pancakes, waffles, frittata or quiche. I have tried many pancake recipes and this one I found through King Arthur, and it's my absolute favorite.  So toss out your Bisquick and pull out some flour, you won't be disappointed!

 

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (buttermilk is even better)
3 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups All-purpose or bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
Place eggs and milk in a mixer and place on high speed for about 3 minutes. You want it to be nice and fluffy/airy.   Stir in the oil/butter.  In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture until they are incorporated. Scrap down the sides if necessary. Do not over mix! Let it rest for 15 minutes. Perfect time to fry up some bacon. Cook on a griddle or frying pan with butter.  Enjoy with some real deal pure maple syrup!

Variations: Add in blueberries, chopped apples, sliced bananas, strawberries, pumpkin puree, pecans, and/or spices.