Day #34: Apricot & Banana Muffins & Thanking God for Jesus

Today, I made the Apricot and Banana Muffins from the 100 Muffin Cookbook in my Rose-shaped pan. These turned out so pretty, light and yummy, and I plan to serve them at the Friday morning Bible Study that I host in my home each week. These muffins would be the perfect addition to a women's brunch or tea party. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to give them just a little bit of spiciness.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Sticky Toffee

Yesterday, my three year old son and I played his new Boz the Big Green Bear Board Game. One of the cards he drew required him to say one thing that he wants to thank God for. I asked him the question, and his response was, "I want to thank God for Jesus." So simple. So honest. So sincere. So convicting! How often do I come to God with all the burdens, worries, desires in my heart, but forget to thank Him for the greatest gift He can and already has given me-Jesus. Thank You, God, for the Gift of your Son, His Sacrifice, His Love, and His Compassion!

Apricot & Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (my addition)
Heaping 1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup plumped, dried apricots, finely chopped
2 bananas
2 large eggs
2/3 cup skim milk
6 tbsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12muffin pan liners. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and dried apricots.

Mash the bananas and make a puree with the 2/3 cup of milk.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk mixture and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Day #33: Raisin Bran Muffins & Happiness for Your Heart!

My absolute favorite cereal in the world is Raisin Bran Crunch-YUMMY! It first came out while I was in college (way back in 1998), and I would eat two bowls of it for dinner on days when cooking seemed like a daunting task because of the huge amount of schoolwork that awaited me. So, today's Raisin Bran Muffins from the 100 muffin cookbook sounded especially appealing to me.

If you are new to my site be sure and check out my original post about my 100 muffins in 100 days adventure here: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/01/julie-julia-christina-style-100-muffins.html

The Raisin Bran muffins can be made into a healthy-heart breakfast treat by subsituting egg substitute for the eggs, applesauce for the oil, and skim milk for whole milk (see the recipe details for exactly how to do this). It will be like sending a little "happy healing" to your heart. Eat 1-2 of these with a container of yogurt for breakfast and you are sure to be full of energy until lunchtime.

Speaking of Happiness for your heart, one thing that helps me find happiness on the days that aren't so happy is reviewing my list of 100 Things that make me Happy. You can find my list here: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/100-things-that-bring-me-joy.html I encourage you to make a list of your own as a safety-net for the yucky days. Pull it out and remember your many blessings. Most importantly, remember that the greatest JOY can only be found in relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Having a JOY list WORKS FOR ME :-)!

God promises to “show you the way of life, granting you the joy of His presence and the pleasures of living with Him forever" (Psalm 16:11)!


Tomorrow's Muffin: Apricot & Banana

Raisin Bran Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups wheat bran
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon (my addition)
1 cup raisins
Heaping 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup skim milk
6 tbsp canola oil (1/3 cup applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12muffin pan liners. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the wheat bran, raisins, and sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, vanilla extract and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Day #32: Halloween Pumpkin Muffins in March :-)

So, today we are taking a Seasonal Leap to Autumn by making the Halloween Pumpkin Muffins. After making my Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/muffin-madnessblueberry-cream-streusel.html) for the CoffeeShop that I supply, I had some left over pumpkin that was begging to be used this week. And, there is absolutely NO reason at all why Pumpkin Muffins cannot be enjoyed year round. I love all things Pumpkin :-).

I could not find Dulce de Leche Topping at any of our stores, so I had to use Caramel Ice Cream Topping instead. The Caramel Topping ended up adding more of a pretty and tasty glaze to these yummy muffins rather than a thick icing like the dulce de leche would have added. I made some with the topping and left some plain because these are delicious simply by themselves without any added adornment. I also added extra spices (like I normally do) by upping the pumpkin pie spice from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon.

Tomorrow's Muffin:Raisin Bran

Halloween Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I used 1 tablespoon)
1/8 tsp salt
Heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canola oil
15 oz canned pumpkin (1 regular size can)
4 tbsp Dulce de Leche (from a jar) (I used Caramel Ice Cream Topping)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin pan liners. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the pumpkin. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Spread a teaspoon of Dulce de Leche over the top of each muffin before serving.

Day #31: Sunflower Seed Muffins & Spring Flowers

Where we live in Southern Texas, it already feels like Spring! The weather has been near perfect-low 70s, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. My son and I have spent lots of time at the park, sliding, swinging, blowing bubbles, and laughing. Spring days just naturally bring my heart joy and remind me to consciously thank God for His Beauty, Faithfulness, and Love. Being that it feels like Spring here, I planted some petunias last week in a beautiful new butterfly planter...just a little happy for my heart and front porch. As I was enjoying my flowers, I decided that today (March 1st) would be the perfect day to make the SUNFLOWER MUFFINS from the 100 muffin cookbook. These Sunflower Muffins are super healthy, very hearty and filling, and have a salty crunch to them. Enjoy!

Psalm 85:11
"Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven."

Hosea 6:3
"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."



Tomorrow we will take a giant leap from Spring to my all-time favorite season, Autumn, and make the Halloween Pumpkin Muffins

(I would wait till October but the 100 muffins in 100 days adventure will long be over by then :-))

Sunflower Seed Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
Heaping 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

2 large eggs
1 cup skim milk
6 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin pan liners. Sift together all-purpose flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, oats, golden raisins, and 1/2 cup of the sunflower seeds.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, vanilla extract, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the remaining sunflower seeds over the tops of the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Day #30: Cornmeal Muffins

Today's Cornmeal Muffins would be the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of chili or soup. We enjoyed our Cornmeal Muffins with Cold Italian Chicken Pasta Salad so the options are very versatile. You could substitute a cup of creamed corn instead of the frozen corn to make these muffins extra moist and yummy.

Tomorrow's Muffin: Sunflower Seed Muffins

Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
6 tbsp canola oil
1 cup frozen corn kernels

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12 muffin pan liners. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the cornmeal.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the milk and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Day #29: Fresh Orange Muffins

Today, I made the Fresh Orange Muffins from the 100 Muffin Cookbook. These were messy to make, and I was not very impressed. But, then again, I don't really like Orange Juice; so for the Orange-Lover these are probably delightful, light, and refreshing. My own personal culinary expert (a.k.a: my hubby) said he thought the muffins were good, but just weren't his favorite flavor. I made a few adjustments-I added a teaspoon of cinnamon, and then I sprinkled the muffin tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture before baking to give them a little extra flavor.

Exciting news in my personal Baking World-A Local Coffee Shop called Jitterz (http://www.jitterzcoffeebar.com/) will be selling my Jumbo Muffins starting next week! I am so excited about this and even more blessed that the CoffeeShop is run by amazing Christian people who host local Christian Artists/Bands. So, if you are in the mood for a Jumbo Blueberry Cream Streusel Muffin (http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/muffin-madnessblueberry-cream-streusel.html)
or a Chocolate Cinnamon Muffin http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-25-chocolate-cinnamon-muffins-and.html)or a Banana Nut Muffin then put on a cute apron and start baking (or just stop by Jitterz :-)!)

A very Special Friend of mine has been encouraging me to DREAM BIG (I have so many dreams in my heart, and I have been trying this year to give God my WHOLE hand and my WHOLE heart (http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-whole-hand-my-whole-heart.html) These two verses are encouraging my heart in this pursuit:

Psalm 147:11
"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."

Isaiah 40:31
"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."


Tomorrow's muffin -Cornmeal (Perfect for a Chili Supper)

Fresh Orange Muffins

Ingredients:
5 oranges
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
Heaping ½ cup superfine sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh orange juice
6 tbsp canola oil

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12muffin pan liners. Finely grate the orange rind from 2 of the oranges and set aside. Using a serrated knife, remove the peel from all of the oranges, discarding the white pith. Cut the flesh into segments, reserving 6 segments Cut the reserved segments in half and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining orange segments.

Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and the baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the orange juice, reserved orange rind, and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients, and add the chopped oranges. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Place the reserved halved orange segments on the tops of the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen, golden brown, and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Day #28: Malted Chocolate Muffins

Today I made the Malted Chocolate Muffins and my Hubby thought they were something special! He loves to get chocolate chip malts at Braums (a northern Texas & Oklahoma fast-food/ice cream joint), so he was super excited to try these muffins. Plus, they involved one of his favorite treats-WHOPPERS. This muffin should definitly be reserved for a dessert or snack rather than breakfast unless you want a sugar-rush to get you started on your day :-).

To crush the Whoppers, I just put them in a ziploc bag and used my rolling pin to beat them to a pulp. Such a stress reliever that was :-)! And, for the 2 oz of semisweet chocolate, I simply used 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips.

These fun and chocolatey muffins would be a great goodie to take to a weekend party. You can even get your kiddos to help with crushing the malt balls and decorating them at the end.

Next muffin that makes it appearance....FRESH ORANGE MUFFINS

Malted Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:
5 1/2 oz malted chocolate balls (Whoppers-I movie theatre-sized box)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Heaping ½ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
6 tbsp canola oil

For the frosting:
2 oz semisweet chocolate (I used 1/4 cup chocolate chips)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or line with 12muffin pan liners. Coarsely chop the malted balls, leaving 12 whole ones to decorate. Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar and crushed malted balls. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the buttermilk and oil. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl for 30-45 seconds. Stir. Put the softened butter (to soften 1 stick of butter microwave for 15 seconds) in a bowl and beat until fluffy with a mixer. Sift in the confectioners's sugar and beat together until smooth and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and beat together until well mixed. Spread the frosting on top of the muffins and decorate each with one of the reserved chocolate malt balls.