Banana Bran and Toasted Walnut Muffins
A couple weeks ago I scored a deal on bananas—14 overripe bananas in a bag for $1—and bought a bag with plans to make muffins, smoothies, and freeze a few, only none of them made it to the freezer because we used them up. I had wanted to try this banana bran muffin recipe from The Sweeter Side of Amy’s Bread, and this was the perfect opportunity. (Cookbook reviewed at Andrea’s Reviews.)
The recipe made a large amount of batter and I had to abandon the usual instructions about filling a muffin cup 2/3 full because the cups overflowed with batter. The baked muffins were large and hearty with a lot of texture, and one was more than enough for my breakfast or a snack, though my hungry crowd seemed to disagree. Read more
Orange Blueberry Muffins
July 24, 2008 by Andrea
Filed under Breads, Breakfast, Summer Favorites
When I acquired a copy of Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours a couple months ago, my reasoning was I needed it for whatever challenges The Daring Bakers might throw out, but really it’s because I wanted to try every recipe in the book. I’d seen wonderful samples all over the cooking blogs for so long I couldn’t hold out any longer.
Even though The Daring Bakers made Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake in March, I felt I should start at the beginning and work my way through the book, so we started with her Orange Blueberry Muffins for breakfast one morning, and they were gone in a flash. As I studied the recipe the night before, I realized I had some homemade candied orange peel stored in a jar of sugar in the pantry, and I couldn’t resist adding it. I chopped about 1/4 cup of the peel (sorry, I forgot to weigh it) and then sprinkled some of the orange sugar on top of the muffins. As it turns out, it’s a good thing I added the chopped orange peel because Top Gun was stealing blueberries behind my back, so adding the orange peel helped make up for the loss of the blueberries.
We enjoyed the extra orange flavor, and now I have to make more candied orange peel so we can have these muffins again. The orange and blueberry combination was delicious. And as for the color, they really were that orange!
ORANGE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.
Equipment
regular sized muffin pan, buttered or lightly coated with cooking spray
baking sheet
large glass measuring cup or bowl
large mixing bowl
#20 (large) cookie scoop (3 tablespoons)
Ingredients
grated zest and juice of 1 orange
about 3/4 cup (178 ml) buttermilk (I use 1 tablespoon lemon juice + enough skim milk to make 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons honey
1 stick (8 tablespoons/113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (141 g) blueberries, fresh preferred, frozen ok (not thawed)
1/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
orange sugar (from storing the orange peel)
Preparation
1. Place the baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400° F. Place the muffin pan on the baking sheet.
2. Pour the orange juice into the large glass measuring cup and add enough of the buttermilk to make 1 full cup (237 ml). Whisk in the eggs, honey, and melted butter.
3. In the large mixing bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar until you can smell the orange. It should smell strong.
4. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to quickly and gently stir. The batter will look lumpy and bubbly, and that’s ok.
5. Gently stir in the blueberries and the chopped orange peel.
6. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle the orange sugar on top.
7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. The tops should be golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully remove and allow to cool a few minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Apple Cinnamon Crunch Muffins
Weekday morning breakfast is usually a quick affair for us with leftovers from the weekend or perhaps cereal with fruit. But today we woke up to ice on the roads and an announcement that schools were closed, so I decided to do something fun and make muffins. The recipe comes from Michael’s mother, a variation on her blueberry muffins that we enjoy during our treks to the family camp. The boys made quick work of them and there are none left for a snack!
My three-year-old wanted to help make breakfast, so I put him to work sifting the dry ingredients. I measured the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon, and he sifted and whisked the mixture for me. He was quite a little helper!
These are easy to whip up on short notice, and you can save time by premixing the dry ingredients and topping the night before. The muffins are on the small side, not like big gourmet muffins, but for little appetites that’s a good thing. If you want bigger muffins, you can make just eight muffins or you can make a double batch of batter and bake 18 muffins instead of 24. Whether you like big or small muffins, these make a tasty treat on a cold morning. With a hot cup of English Breakfast tea, I enjoyed a nice breakfast today, even though the boys were bouncing off the walls.
The topping makes enough for at least two batches, so you can save the extras for another time.
[Updated: October 4, 2008] Read more
Blueberry Muffins
This weekend we’re leaving for our annual vacation to the family camp in the Adirondacks. We’ll enjoy a week of fishing, hiking, and playing at the lake, as well as some good family cooking by Michael’s mom. She fixes these for us every year when we visit and it’s rare to have any left after breakfast, especially with my boys there!
[Updated: October 4, 2008] Read more
Maple Raisin Bran Muffins
Michael’s favorite cereal is raisin bran and we always have a box or two in the pantry. This is a fun and tasty way to get some healthy bran and add a little variety to breakfast. I adapted this from an old recipe I’ve had for years that used oil as a binder. I substituted applesauce to lighten up the recipe yet still keep the muffins nice and moist. The maple syrup adds another layer of flavor, although you can certainly use honey as in the original recipe.
Equipment
large mixing bowl
small bowl
12 count muffin tin, lightly coated with cooking spray Read more
Oat Bran Flax Muffins
I remember when oat bran muffins became all the rage as a health food in the late 1980s. Adding lots of oil or butter practically nullifies any benefits you would get from the oat bran, but they can be made healthier. This version uses skim milk and applesauce for binding liquids and ground flax seed as part of the dry ingredients. You can use pre-ground flaxseed meal or grind your own in a blender or coffee mill, just make sure the coffee mill is dedicated to grinding spices and grains. Either way, keep the flaxseed in the refrigerator or freezer as it can go bad rather quickly.
These aren’t delicate, fluffy muffins—they are substantial and have a hearty texture. I adapted this recipe from one on Bob’s Red Mill website. The recipe was already good, I just tweaked it a little bit. The nuts are called for in the original recipe, but I often skip them. Read more
