My Recipe Reviews

Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

Main navigation

muffins

Gold Medal Strawberry-Smash Muffins

by 1 Comment

It’s time to start using up those summer strawberries. The summer fruits and berries seem better this year than last year – not sure why. Usually I have to pick through my local grocery store’s selection, often just giving up, or go down to Central Market where I know the quality will be top-notch. This last batch of strawberries came from Costco and they were ripe and sweet – perfect for recipes or just eating one-by-one.

I wanted something different and decided on these Gold Medal Strawberry-Smash muffins. I altered the recipe slightly by adding almond and they were so very, very good!

These muffins came out tender and loaded with strawberries. The recipe starts out by macerating the strawberries simply with sugar and leaving them for about 15 minutes. The result is a bowl full of beautiful, sweet strawberries swimming in strawberry juice. Don’t skip this part!

The rest of the recipe is easy. Just stir in the rest of the ingredients, making sure you don’t over blend or they’ll be tough. You may see a touch of flour, but that’s OK. It’ll take care of that when you bake the muffins.

I thought they were great when I ate one warm out of the oven, but they were even better after they were completely cooled. Those strawberries really shined through. These will definitely stay in my regular strawberry-season baking routine!

Print
Gold Medal Strawberry-Smash Muffins

****Loved these lightly sweet, full of strawberries muffins.  Tender and delicious with a hint of almond.

Servings: 12
Calories: 171 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 C fresh strawberries chopped
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 1/3 C vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten with a fork
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 410°.  Put a paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups.

  2. Place the strawberries and sugar into a medium bowl and stir until strawberries are coated.  Leave for 15 minutes, stirring once.

  3. Lightly smash strawberries with a fork, leaving a few larger pieces of strawberry. Stir in the sugar, oil, eggs, and almond extract until mixed.

  4. In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Add flour mixture to wet mixture, just stirring 6 to 7 strokes, until just blended.  You may see a little flour still, but that's OK.

  5. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and bake 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Store at room temperature in a loose container or freeze after completely cooled.

Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The color of the muffin batter is slightly brown from the strawberries.

For more almond flavor and to look pretty, you could place sliced, toasted almonds on top of the muffins before baking.

 

Pineapple Coconut Cakes with Pineapple Syrup

by 20 Comments

 
It was hard to choose among this month’s Cake Slice Bakers challenge choices. Besides this Pineapple Coconut Cake, there was a Lime and Poppyseed cake, Genoise with Raspberries and Cream, and a Sacher Torte. I’ve already made a Sacher Torte, so my next choice is the Pineapple Coconut Cakes with Pineapple Syrup. I was sure the pineapple-coconut-lime combination would be wonderful – and it was!

The recipe calls for “eight small fluted petit-Brioche pans,” so of course I used my 8 oz. ramekins instead. Raise your hand if you have fluted petit-Brioche pans in your cabinet. That’s what I thought. They worked fine in the ramekins, although I did find you have to fill them only about two-thirds full or they’ll overflow. It took about 12 minutes longer to cook, but they came out so fluffy and flavorful.

The cakes were so soft and wonderful, but the real show stopper was the pineapple-lime syrup you pour over them while they’re still warm. You let them cool, then serve will a little more of that sweet-tart syrup and the result is heavenly. One of those wow moments. These little cakes would be perfect a dinner party – your guests would swoon.

I’m so happy I chose these cakes for the Cake Slice Baker’s May challenge and having peeked at the June recipe choices, I know you’ll want to stay tuned! Be sure and visit the other Cake Slice Bakers’ May challenge results (see below).

Print
Pineapple Coconut Cakes with Pineapple Syrup

Outstanding!  From Roger Pizey's World Class Cakes book.  

Servings: 8
Author: Roger Pizey
Ingredients
  • 1/2 C butter, softened
  • 3/4 C superfine sugar (I used regular granulated)
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 3/4 C buttermilk room temperature
  • 1 2/3 C self-rising flour sifted
  • 1 C dry unsweetened coconut
  • 5 1/2 oz fresh or canned pineapple diced
  • For the Syrup**
  • 26 oz fresh or canned pineapple diced
  • 1 1/3 C superfine sugar
  • juice of 6 limes
  • 1/2 C water
  • 1/2 C white rum
Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°.  Grease or spray eight small fluted petit-Brioche pans 41/2"x2" and place on a baking sheet.

  2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes).  Slowly add the eggs and buttermilk and combine well.

  3. Stir in the sifted flour, coconut and pineapple, then spoon the batter into the prepared pans.

  4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  5. Meanwhile, make the syrup by combining the pineapple, sugar, lime juice and water in a pan.  Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until syrupy.  Cool, add the rum (or leftover pineapple juice) and pour through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding solids.  Cool completely.

  6. Remove the cakes from the oven when done and carefully drizzle half of the syrup, then turn them out of their pans and cool on a wire rack.

  7. Serve with the remaining syrup and some sliced pineapple on the side.

Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:

If you don't have self-rising flour, you can take 1 cup of flour and add 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder as well as 1/4 tsp. salt.  Do that for each cup you need.

I used regular granulated sugar and sweetened coconut.  The batter seemed a little salty and I can't figure out why because there's no added salt.

I used ramekins, but you could use a loaf pan or muffin pan - just grease well and adjust the baking time accordingly.  My ramekin cakes took about 12 minutes over the original bake time.

Also, don't forget the baking sheet in case they overflow.

**I only made half the syrup and it was plenty.  I didn't "throw out the solids" because it tasted wonderful and I'll use it on ice cream or in plain yogurt.  I used canned pineapple, so used leftover pineapple juice in the syrup instead of the rum.

I couldn't turn out mine from the ramekins because they overflowed a bit, so I ate it right out of the container.  It was wonderful!  Don't forget to serve with the extra syrup.

 



Blueberry Muffins (Cooking for Two)

by 2 Comments

 
One of my favorite breakfasts is Blueberry Muffins. When I was in high school, my Mom worked, took care of us, got up early to get my Dad off to the early shift, then would make me breakfast before I went to school. One day I told her to go back to bed and not worry about my breakfast – Carnation Instant Breakfast (remember that?) was good enough for me.

Every once in awhile, though, Mom would make blueberry muffins from scratch and leave them in a warm oven for my breakfast. That was a real treat and every morning I checked the oven just in case! I’ve never found a blueberry muffin I like as well as that one until these came along.

These Blueberry Muffins are light and barely sweet and the lemon zest adds a freshness along with the burst of fresh blueberry. There’s a little crunch from the lemon sugar sprinkled on top that really completes the muffin. They’re terrific.

.
I made them twice because the first time I forgot to put my memory disk in the camera and didn’t realize it until I’d shot about fifteen pictures! Not to worry – I was ready and willing to make them again because they’re wonderful. They’re as close to the perfect Blueberry Muffin as I’ve found in a long time. And, oh that lemon zest. I just might have to make them again tomorrow.


Print
Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar Crunch
****Outstanding muffins. So easy to make and the lemon zest takes them over the top. Recipe slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen. Makes 4 to 5 muffins.
Ingredients
  • Topping:
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • Muffins
  • 3/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/4 C 2% milk
  • 1 large egg , room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 3 tbsp butter , melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/2 C . fresh blueberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare 4 to 5 cups in a muffin tin by spraying with Pam and then a light coating of flour. Stir the sugar and lemon zest together in a small cup and set aside.
  2. For the muffins, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, egg, and lemon zest together until smooth. Gently fold wet mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined (about 6 folding strokes). Fold in the melted butter and blueberries, gently.
  3. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle each with the lemon sugar. Bake until muffins are lightly browned or until a toothpick comes out clean, about 22-24 minutes, rotating the muffin tin halfway through baking.
  4. Let muffins cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and let cool for another 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:  The original recipe called for either 1/4 C. whole milk or 1/4 C. low-fat plain yogurt. It worked perfectly with the 2% milk I had on hand, but use what you have. When folding the butter and blueberries in, be very gentle for more tender muffins. I made 4 muffins the first time and they were really big, so the second time I made 5 muffins and they came out more normally sized. If you make 4 muffins, put an empty cup between the filled ones so they won't merge while baking!

Doughnut Muffins

by Leave a Comment

 
You had me at doughnuts, but add muffins into the mix and I’m yours.  My sister, Glenda, kept telling me about this recipe that she and her granddaughter have made many times and how much they love it.  I finally got the recipe from her and I’m not sure if I’m glad or sad.  These light-textured, cinnamon-sugar wonder buns are very addictive and bumped a few long-time standards from my favorites list!

doughnut-muffins
There’s nothing outlandish in the ingredients, but the muffin comes out light and fluffy and oh, so barely sweet.  Then, the good part – you roll the warm muffin in melted butter and roll it completely in a sugar-cinnamon mixture.  After doused in this concoction and while warm, they are the best things I’ve tasted in a long time!

doughnut-muffins2
Even better…mini Doughnut Muffins!  I had quite a bit of leftover batter from the 12 regular-sized muffins, so I greased the mini muffin pan and used the rest of it up.  Rolled them in butter after they baked, then into the sugar mixture and popped a warm one in my mouth.  Heaven!  Next time I’ll probably make them all mini muffins.  Bret said ‘mmph, num, uh-huh, mmph yum’ when I asked him if he liked them; mainly, because he was stuffing the mini muffins down his gourd. He liked them.

Here are the cute little mini bundles of delight:
doughnut-muffins3
These are staying in my regular rotation of recipes, maybe even an every week thing!

Print
Doughnut Muffins
****Outstanding. Best warmed up and eaten the first day or so.
Servings: 12 muffins
Ingredients
  • 3/4 C butter , softened
  • 2/3 C packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C 2% milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 C all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • Coating:
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 C. melted butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars til light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in milk and vanilla.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda.  Add to creamed mixture and stir by hand til just moistened.
  2. Fill greased muffin cups and bake 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes and remove to a wire rack. Combine the coating sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and, in a separate bowl, melt the butter.  Roll a warm muffin in the butter and then dip and roll into the sugar-cinnamon mixture.  Repeat with all muffins.
  3. Best eaten when warm.
Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:  Make sure the softened butter for the batter is room temperature.  After adding the flour mixture, be sure and stir by hand just until combined so the muffins won't be tough.  The mini muffins are the best - next time I'll make them all mini!  Enjoy!

Raisin Bran Muffins

by Leave a Comment

 
When I was growing up, my favorite breakfast was muffins.  My mother made Ralston muffins (remember Ralston hot cereal?), blueberry muffins, Cream of Wheat muffins, and these Raisin Bran Muffins.  I’m thinking the recipes for the cereal muffins must have been on the side of the boxes!  It didn’t matter to me – I loved them and thought they were a real treat.

I finally found this Raisin Bran muffin recipe and it tastes just like the ones my mother used to make.
Raisin Bran Muffins
I’ll admit to my mother spoiling me a bit.  I was the baby and by the time my sisters left home, my parents fell back exhausted into a chair and said “whatever….do what you want, we trust you.”  Probably not the best tactic to take with a sixteen-year-old kid, but I don’t think I let them down.  It made me quite the independent person and that did come in handy later on in life.
Raisin Bran Muffins2
Anyway, these muffins brought a lot of good memories back and I’m really glad to have found the recipe again.  They’re tender and not overly sweet.  I love the texture of the bran flakes and the dots of raisins (although I’m thinking Kellogg’s is skimping on the raisins these days). It almost feels like I’m eating something healthy!
Raisin Bran Muffins3

Print
Raisin Bran Muffins

****Yummm.  I love these muffins - takes me back to my childhood!  Tender and not overly sweet.  Best after cooled.

Servings: 8 muffins
Ingredients
  • 2 C Raisin Bran (I like Kellogg's)
  • 1/4 C milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 C shortening
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 C flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 C sugar , plus enough to sprinkle on the top
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together the Raisin Bran, milk, egg, shortening and vanilla.  Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together, then stir into the Raisin Bran mixture by hand.  Stir just until combined, or the muffins will be tough. (The batter is very thick.)
  2. Fill greased muffin pans (I used cupcake papers) 3/4 full and sprinkle the tops of the uncooked muffins lightly with sugar.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Check at 20 minutes and remove when a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Some people like to add a touch of cinnamon to the batter.

I added about a tablespoon more sugar to the batter because I wanted them slightly sweeter.

Best after completely cooled, in my humble opinion.

Mine were done at about 20 minutes.