Muffin Monday/Gem and Pearl Breakfast Muffins

Today's recipe comes from The Cornbread Book which you may remember from this post.  These are fun muffins to make and to eat! Jeremy Jackson begins by saying:

Some will accuse these of being cupcakes in a cunning disguise. I plan to ignore such naysayers, cynics, and out-of-work poets and enjoy my muffins without worrying about semantics. The cream cheese buds that crown these muffins do resemble pearls, but the gems - the dabs of jam - are hidden inside. Freeze a whole batch of these for breakfast on the run. In a pinch, call them cupcakes and serve them for dessert. Just don't tell me about it.

Gem and Pearl Breakfast Muffins

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk
 1/2 cup unsalted [I always use salted] butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 large egg

Jam or preserve of your choice
Cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese (Unfortunately, low-fat versions tend to "melt" while baking, leaving you with a hole in your muffin. I call such muffins "Stolen Pearl Muffins" and they taste great, but don't look very nice.)
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional

1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF.
Grease 12 muffin cups with vegetable shortening or nonstick cooking spray [what I did] or line them with paper.

2. Sift the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.
Separately whisk together the milk, butter, and egg.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir quickly until everything is just combined - there should still be some tiny lumps in the batter.

3. Fill each muffin cup one-third full with batter.
In the middle of each cup place about 1 teaspoon of jam or preserves.
It helps to make a little well in the batter to hold the jam, otherwise it may leak out the sides of the muffin.
On the other hand, don't make a well so deep that the jam's actually resting right on the metal of the muffin pan.

4. Fill the muffin cups with the rest of the batter, so that each cup is about two-thirds full.
Smooth the batter tops to cover any jam that may be peeking through.
Take teaspoon-size balls of cream cheese (a melon scoop works well) and push one into the top of each muffin.
Don't push them too far - just so they're about half buried.
Sprinkle turbinado sugar [I used regular sugar] over the muffin tops, if desired.




5. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, until golden and firm.

Jeremy offers some alternatives:

Berry Muffins: Instead of jam and cream cheese, stir 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or other berries into the batter.
Cherry-Chocolate Muffins: Instead of jam and cream cheese, stir in 1/2 cup dried cherries and 1/2 cup semisweet, bittersweet, or white chocolate chips.

My cream cheese 'pearls' sunk into the muffin, and the muffins were a little bit hard to remove from the pan, but did that spoil the taste? Not a bit! These are really a delightful treat whether you call them muffins or cupcakes. We had them, not for breakfast but for supper, with Bean, Lentil, and Grains Stew. Perfect. The sweetness of the muffins balances the heartiness of the stew. I will certainly make these muffins again. They are so good.

You may well ask, where's the jam?



I think it must have sunk down through the muffin into the pan. And that's why they were a little tough to remove. But it matters not at all. These are great muffins! Don't be afraid to try them. They are fun to make, and delicious to eat regardless of how they cook.

Muffin Monday/Fluffy Muffins

Today's recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. There is another recipe from this delightful little book here.

Tonight's muffins are called

Fluffy Muffins

Cream together:
1/4 cup soft butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 beaten egg

Sift together:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add dry mix to creamed mixture.
Add 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup sour cream or heavy sweet cream. (I used sour cream)
Spoon into greased muffin tins.
Bake in preheated 400º F. oven until brown. (took about 15 minutes)

These are very quick and easy to make, and absolutely yummy. We had them for supper with Gladys Taber's Leek Soup.

Muffin Monday - Biscuit Muffins

If you look over on the sidebar under 'Letter Topics,' you'll see one called Muffin Monday. Before today, there were only 11 postings, and the latest one was almost two years ago! I've decided to bring it back, and will post a different muffin recipe as often as I can on Mondays.

Today I thought I'd make a recipe which I got it from a Yahoo baking list eleven years ago.


Biscuit Muffins

2 cups  flour  
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (one stick) cold butter 
1 egg - slightly beaten  
3/4 cup  milk - I used buttermilk and because the buttermilk was so thick, I added a little regular milk to increase the moisture


In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork or two knives.
Combine egg and milk; stir to mix.
Add to the flour mixture and mix just until flour is moistened.
Spoon into a muffin tin, greased with cooking spray; filling about two-thirds full.
Bake at 400º F for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and tester inserted in center comes out clean.

My note on the recipe from October 28, 2002:

Delicious!  They really do taste like biscuits, without the time of rolling out, and cutting.

I can't believe I haven't made them for ten years. They are great! Tom and I each ate four for supper along with Chickpea and Bulgur Stew.

Muffin Monday/Sour Cream Muffins (and Chili)

I had some sour cream in the refrigerator, so I thought I'd make sour cream muffins this cold, dark November day. I found a recipe on the internet.

Sour Cream Muffins

Whisk an egg.
Whisk in:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon soft butter
1 cup sour cream

Mix together the following, and then add to egg mixture:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

I found this a little bit dry so added maybe half of 1/3 cup milk.
Fill greased 12-cup muffin tin.
Bake in preheated 400º F. oven for 20 minutes, but check at 15.


These are so very good. They will go perfectly with tonight's chili. Everyone has their own favorite chili recipe. This one is adapted from a friend's, and we just love it.

Chili

Put 1/2 cup dry black beans, and 1/2 cup dry cannellini beans into crockpot. Add 1/4 cup farro. Turn on high. Add maybe a teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder. Add salt, as desired.

Sauté a diced onion, some chopped summer squash, maybe a cup of frozen corn, and a sliced carrot in 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and then add to crockpot. I used the vegetables I had on hand today. If I'd had an orange or yellow pepper, I would have added it, too.

Aren't these colors beautiful - like a summer bouquet.



Put a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes through the food mill, and add about 2/3 of it to the crockpot.
Cook for several hours.

Farro is a new-to-me grain, but it has been around for a really long time. More here, and here, if you are interested. I think it adds a nice touch to the chili.

This is the best picture I could get of the steaming chili in the crockpot. :<)
There's a giveaway going on through Sunday, the 28th!

Muffin Monday - Rice Muffins

Here is another recipe from Nava Atlas' American Harvest. Her philpy is a long-time favorite, and these muffins are a bit similar.

Rice Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup cold, well-cooked brown rice
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 400º F.
In a mixing bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, rice, and melted butter.
Gradually add wet ingredients to the dry and stir vigorously until thoroughly blended.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 cups of a greased muffin tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of one tests clean. (keep checking after about 15 minutes - mine cooked faster than the recipe said)
When the muffins are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a plate or rack to cool.

These muffins are great! Not a sweet or fruity muffin, but more 'bready,' more substantial.

We are having them tonight for supper with Gladys Taber's Leek and Potato Soup, using frozen leeks from this summer's garden.

Muffin Monday - Gladys Taber's Sally Lunn Gems

I used to offer an occasional feature called 'Muffin Monday.' It has been ages since I've posted a recipe, but hope to do so more often. Today's muffin is from Gladys Taber's My Own Cookbook. Her notes:

I have no idea who Sally Lunn was as this is a very old recipe from my childhood. I like to think of her using cast-iron muffin pans (which can't be beat) and wearing a starched and ruffled apron.

I'm sure if Gladys had had access to google, she would have gone right to her computer and looked up Sally Lunn, just as I did. I found something interesting here and here and still another, here. I saw that even if she had searched, the results wouldn't have been definitive. I think I'll stick with her image of the woman. My pans are not cast-iron and my apron isn't starched and ruffled,


but still these 'Gems' live up to their name. They are simple as can be. I've found that many old recipes call for less butter and sugar than new ones, and yet still taste just as wonderful. Plus, when there is less butter inside, you can put more on top of the muffins!

Gladys Taber's Sally Lunn Gems

1 egg
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Beat egg.
Add butter, sugar, and milk.
Mix flour and baking powder and add.
Pour into greased muffin tins.
Bake in preheated 400º F. oven until tops are a delicate brown and the edges draw away from the pan. For me, this was between 15 and 20 minutes. They are wonderful. Perfect for breakfast or with afternoon tea or coffee.

Muffin Monday/Apple Muffins

I got this recipe from an internet friend back in 2002, and finally I'm making these muffins. The original recipe says:
Roland Gaujac's Raw Apple Muffins
Roland's Place Restaurant
New Haven, Vermont







The best adjective to describe these muffins is 'hearty.' Even though they have a fair bit of sugar and butter, the ingredients are very healthy, and the taste is delicious!

I found there was more batter than would fit in my 12-cup muffin tin so I put the remainder in an 8x8 pan.
Grease muffin pans.
Preheat oven to 325º F.

Mix together:
4 cups diced apples
1 cup sugar
Add 1/2 cup melted butter (it called for corn oil - but you know I always use butter)

In another bowl, mix together:
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a third bowl, mix:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Stir egg mixture into apple mixture, and then add flour mixture.
Stir until well combined.

Then add:
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.


To go with the muffins, I tried another stew. 1/2 cup quinoa washed under running water for 5 minutes. Cook about 20 minutes until the little ring appears. Drain. Chop 6 smallish potatoes, and cook in a separate pan until soft but not mushy. Drain and add to quinoa. Then add 1 cup tomato sauce. There's more info about quinoa here. Not everyone (including Tom) likes quinoa, but I love it, and these few ingredients mixed together with a little added salt made a stew that I just love.

Muffin Monday/Poppy Seed Muffins

Poppy Seed Muffins
from Scratch Made Easy at Adair Country Inn by Judy Whitman

Preheat oven to 375º F.
Grease muffin tins.

Mix together:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

In the bowl of the electric mixer, cream:
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar

Beat in:
2 eggs

Blend in:
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 Tablespoons lemon juice (called for 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, which I didn't have)
zest of one lemon

Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them about 3/4 full.
Bake about 20 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing them.

I love lemon, sour cream, and poppy seeds so I was quite sure I'd like these muffins, and of course I do. They are really wonderful. We've having them with Louise's Soup which I changed a bit tonight. When I sautéed the onions, I added some frozen corn and zucchini, and left out the garlic. Still delicious and light with just a little different taste.

Muffin Monday/Maple-Oatmeal Muffins

Here is another recipe from the writer Eileen Goudge's cookbook. You may find the first one I posted here.

Maple-Oatmeal Muffins

1/2 cup milk
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup melted butter (she called for vegetable oil, but you know by now that I always use butter!)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375º F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line with baking cups.

Stir the milk into oats; set aside.

Place the maple syrup, egg, and cooled butter into large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or beat with an electric mixer on low speed, until blended. (I used the mixer)
Add the oat/milk mixture and blend well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to the maple syrup mix, and stir just until incorporated. Stir in 1/2 cup of the nuts. (All muffin recipes say to stir just until mixed, and I usually do, but today I just let the mixer beat everything together and the muffins turned out great)

Spoon batter into muffin cups to about two-thirds full, and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup nuts over the tops.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Let cool in the tin for a minute or two, and then turn out onto cooling rack.

Boy, were these ever good!

Muffin Monday - Apple Cranberry Muffins

I found this recipe nine years ago on the Prince Edward Island, Canada - Island Christmas site. My notes from then say, "first made 12/21/99 - delicious!" And they are. As you may have noticed on the sidebar recipes, I am very fond of cranberries. I think, in fact, that they are my favorite baking fruit. I love strawberries and blueberries and raspberries for fresh eating or mixing with yogurt, but for baking it is cranberries that are number one in my recipe book.

Apple Cranberry Muffins

1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen) mixed with 2 Tablespoons flour (don't need this much flour)
2 Tablespoons sugar (for tops)

Sift together dry ingredients.
Combine egg, milk, applesauce, and melted butter, mix well, and add to dry mixture.
In a small bowl toss 2 Tablespoons flour with a cup of cranberries, and then fold them into the mix.

Spoon batter into greased muffin cups. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons sugar on the tops.
Bake in preheated 400º F. oven for 20-25 minutes.
Note: the original recipe called for a mix of sugar and cinnamon on top, and I left out the latter.

Muffin Monday/Cranberry Orange Muffins

I just bought a new muffin pan, and thought I'd try this recipe I found online a few years ago.

Cranberry Orange Muffins

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped cranberries

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups.
Beat milk, butter, eggs, and orange peel.
Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, all at once, just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).
Fold in cranberries.
Divide batter between muffin cups.
Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
Immediately remove from pan.

Sorry no pics. My daughter is using the camera. Oh my, these are good! Cranberry and orange go together just perfectly - the sour and the sweet balancing one another. They took a very short time to make, and now I'm eating them warm with some nice cold milk.

Muffin Monday/Blueberry - Cranberry Muffins

This is an old recipe I found on the internet. It was for cranberry muffins, but I thought I'd add blueberries, too.

1/4 cup Butter

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar

1 egg
1/2 cup Milk

1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup cranberries

Coarsely chop cranberries (I didn't).
Generously grease a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

Melt butter; set aside to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In a small mixing bowl lightly beat egg and then beat in milk and melted butter.
Add to flour mixture; stir together quickly and lightly.
Add cranberries and blueberries.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin-pan cups, filling each slightly more than half full.

Bake in a preheated 375 F oven until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean - 20 to 25 minutes.

Pretty and delicious!

Muffin Monday/Barney's Banana Muffins

Continuing with the Mayberry theme, today's muffins come from Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook.

Barney's Banana Muffins

1 1/2 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup melted butter (recipe calls for oil, but you already know that I always use butter!)
1 Tablespoon water

Melt butter.
In large bowl, beat the egg, and then add the other ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
Pour into greased muffin pans.
Bake in preheated 375º F. oven for 10-12 minutes.
Makes a dozen.

This is the first time I've made these muffins, and boy are they good.

We're having them with corn chowder.

Corn Chowder

My corn chowder breaks all the rules. I don't use any fish/meat base. I don't use milk. I use only potatoes, onions, and corn.

Saute a small onion or shallot in 1 T. butter or olive oil (or a mix of each) in soup pan.
Add 2 1/2 cups chopped potatoes (peeled or not, your choice) and cook just a bit with the onions.
Then add 3 cups water, bring to a boil, and simmer on the stove.
When the potatoes have softened, add 1/2 of a 10 oz. bag of frozen corn and cook a little longer.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Because Tom likes milk, I remove my portion, and he puts in some milk. This is a good amount for two people. When the kids were home, I doubled it.

Muffin Monday/Plain Muffins

Just as I began Cookie Tuesday because I wanted to bake more cookies, I'm starting Muffin Monday. I just don't make muffins enough, and they are the perfect little breakfast food, or a nice complement to a supper soup. Tonight I'm making the Potato and Fall Onion Soup, and these simple muffins will go along well with it. The recipe comes from a book, very precious to us. Back in 1982, a dear friend was visiting, and we strolled into a used book sale sponsored by the local nuns. She bought us this book which had an inscription already. She added, "Passed along to Tom and Nan with love." It is dated eight days after our daughter was born. At the time, we had finished all our pre-adoption work, and were waiting to meet our child. We had no idea if or when she had been born. When I look back at the date in the book, it just brings tears of joy to my eyes that she was in the world by then and we were all going to meet in a few short months.

Muffins, Plain or Blueberry (if you wish, add 1/2 cup blueberries)

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Grease muffin tins with cooking spray.

Mix together:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

Over low heat, melt:
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons honey

Beat together:
1 egg
1/4 cup milk

Add butter, honey, egg, and milk to dry ingredients, and stir briefly (I used a fork).
Fill muffin tins half full and bake about 20 minutes.

This yields twelve small muffins. They are crunchy, with a delightful taste of honey.