Berry Muffins

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, beat butter, eggs, sugar and salt until well blended.  Stir in milk and vanilla; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift flour with baking powder.  Pour egg mixture over flour and baking powder and stir to blend.
3. Gently fold blueberries into batter.  Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full with batter.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately turn out onto a wire rack.  Makes 1 dozen.

Source: Recipe from Shirley

Whole-Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins

1½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened (but not melted)
½ cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
¾ cup carrot shreds (can use a cheese grater)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper, foil, or silicone liners, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
3. In a large bowl fitted with an electric whisk (or beaters), mix the butter, honey, egg and vanilla together on medium speed. Turn the speed down and slowly add in the flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be fairly thick at this point.
4. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the applesauce and carrots. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake for 22 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick comes and muffins are beginning to turn golden brown on top.

Source: 100 Days of Real Food

Banana Cinnamon Muffins

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2/3 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 small)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottoms only of 12 regular-size muffin cups with shortening or spray, or line with paper baking cups.
2. In medium bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar, the oil and eggs with wire whisk. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in remaining muffin ingredients just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. Bake 17 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack.
4. In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip muffin tops into melted butter, then into cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

Source: www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/banana-cinnamon-muffins/

Try #1 - March 1, 2016
Abby made these for a bake sale at the HEE and they were a hit!  She was very proud that all of her muffins sold.    

Zucchini Muffins

http://pinchofyum.com/honey-olive-oil-zucchini-muffins

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice)
3/4 baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup peeled and chopped apple

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin, and oil.  Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten.  Fold in apples.  Spoon batter into prepared cups.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes

Try #??:

I halved the amount of sugar (to 1/2 cup), and used some brown sugar because I had run out of white sugar. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (use mini chips for mini muffins)

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla. 

3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 

4. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. 

5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes (10-12 minutes for mini muffins) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - October 24, 2014

Yummy!  

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular whole wheat flour)
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom (I omitted this)
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin or winter squash
1/2 cup milk or water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil muffin tin or line with paper muffin cups. Mix together flours, baking powder, salt, spices, and unrefined cane sugar in large bowl; set aside.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add molasses and honey to warm butter and stir together. Put cooked pumpkin or squash in blender, add butter mixture and milk; blend until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and pulse to blend.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and fold gently, using a minimum of strokes. Fold pecans into batter. Fill muffin cups full with batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Source: Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair

Try #1 - September 13, 2012
These baked up big, dense, cake-like muffins, and were fun to make with Abby.  We ate them with quinoa chili.  The molasses and spices reminded me of my Christmas spice cookies... mmmmmm.  Will make these again!

Yellow Squash Muffins

1 pound yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place 1 in. of water in a saucepan; add squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash; stir in the butter and egg. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the squash mixture just until moistened.
2. Fill greased muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Yellow-Squash-Muffins

Try #1 - July 23, 2012
Mmmmm, these were a hit with the family!  I think I used too much squash (I used a fairly large yellow eight ball squash), so the muffins were literally heavy and kind of goopy on the inside, but they were still yummy. As Nathan said, "a delicious way to eat squash!"  I think you could reduce the sugar and still have a good tasting muffin.  Best when still warm.

Try #2 - August 7, 2012
This time I used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.  Still turned out fine.  I reduced the sugar slightly.  I also weighed the squash this time (we just bought a kitchen scale), and the consistency of the muffins was much better.

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Streusel:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
3 Tbsp light or dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Muffin:
1 large egg
1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup diced rhubarb, in 1/2-inch pieces (from about 6 to 8 oz of stalks)

Preheat oven to 375.  Butter 12 muffin cups.

Make streusel:
In a small dish, stir together flours, sugars, spices and salt.  Stir in butter until crumbly.  Set aside.

Make muffins:
1. Whisk egg in the bottom of a large bowl with both sugars.  Whisk in butter, then sour cream.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir them into the sour cream mixture, mixing just until combined and still a bit lumpy.
3. Fold in rhubarb and 1/3 of the streusel mixture.
4. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle each muffin with remaining streusel, then use a spoon to gently press the crumbs into the batter so that they adhere.
5. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean.  Rest muffins in pan on cooling rack for two minutes, then remove muffins from tin to cool them completely.

Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/rhubarb-streusel-muffins/

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 cup of whole wheat)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water and mix well. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add in the pumpkin mixture and stir until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill greased or lined muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Let's Eat!