Sweet Potato Muffins

Annoyingly, grocery stores seem to think that people don't use canned pumpkin year-round since I haven't been able to find it in any stores near me. Thus, I decided to make sweet potato muffins instead! I used fresh sweet potatoes that I boiled and then pureed, but if you don't have time, you can use canned, just decrease the sugar by 1/4 cup since it usually comes canned in a sugar or corn syrup.

Notes:

1. These muffins are soft and creamy inside, and a little dense; if you prefer a drier muffins, increase the flour by 1/4 cup (but they will come out a little heavy).
2. To really kick these muffins to the next level, add 1 tsp of lemon or orange zest.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked, pureed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup soy milk or other substitute
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Mix together sweet potatoes, soy milk, eggs, vanilla and sugar.
2. Sift together baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, flour and salt and stir into wet mixture.
3. Fold in pecans. Divide evenly into 12-muffin tin; bake at 350 18-22 minutes or until tops are browned.

The cost:
sweet potatoes: .98
soy milk: 1.99
other ingredients: <2.00

Grand total: $4.97

No-Sugar-Added Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

 

A few nights ago I came home from a really long day at work but still wanted to cook or bake. I made onion smothered chicken and a batch of my ever favorite chocolate chip banana nut muffins. The chicken was fantastic. The muffins were a bit of a crapshoot.

This is a testament to how tired I was--I've made these muffins hundreds of times, and I felt like I was forgetting something. I remembered two minutes after I put them in the oven: I had completely left out sugar! There wasn't much I could do at that point so I just let them bake and figured a little experiment couldn't turn out too terribly...right?

They were in fact a huge success. They came out much lighter and fluffier than my usual muffins (fine, a little mutant looking too), and the chocolate chips and banana itself added just the right amount of sweetness; honestly, if I thought of them as mini banana bread rolls (or almost popovers?), I couldn't find anything wrong with them. In fact, AK liked them better than my original recipe because they are so light and airy.

I guess sometimes mistakes/accidents can reveal great things (it worked for potato chips)...And this really makes me want to experiment with gluten free bread :)

No-Sugar-Added Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

4 bananas, pureed
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 + 1/4 cup flour (I used gluten free)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Combine bananas, eggs, vanilla, and spices.
2. Sift together BP, BS and 1 cup of flour. Stir into wet mixture. Add additional flour as needed (depends on how big your bananas were; you want the batter to be relatively thick). Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
3. Divide evenly into a 12-muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes until edges are browned and tops are firm and golden.

The cost: $4.00, give or take.

Dinner Party Side Dish: Sriracha-Spiked Corn Muffins

I like corn bread, but it frequently suffers from being dry and crumbly. I got the idea a while back to make corn bread with creamed corn to give the corn flavor but keep it nice and moist, and it was a total score! The corn chunks also added a nice texture.

Corn bread does nicely when it's spicy (jalapeno corn bread is pretty popular), and I really like the play of sweet and spicy together, so I decided to kick the flavor up with a couple shots of sriracha (or you can use hot sauce). As usual, when given the choice I baked these as muffins :)

Spicy Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can creamed corn
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
1 Tbsp sriracha
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour (I used gluten free)

Directions:

1. Blend together eggs, oil, sugar, creamed corn, salt, pepper, and sriracha. Stir in baking soda, baking powder and flour.
2. Pour into greased muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until edges are golden brown and tops are browned and firm. Cool on a baking rack.

The cost:
eggs: .28
corn: .79
flour: 1.15
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $3.22; store muffins in airtight container

An Adventure in Vegan Baking: Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I've been thinking for a while I'd like to try vegan baking (which mostly means no eggs). Last week when I saw a recipe from my Twitter friend, the Lazy GF Chef, that looked delicious and happened to be vegan, I decided to try it :)

I made a few adaptations: My cocoa looked yucky so I used chocolate chips instead; my vanilla and cinnamon are both very strong so I used half of what the recipe called for (learned from experience on this one); I used a bit less soy milk because my bananas were quite large; I added nuts because I like the texture they add; and I did muffins instead of a loaf because portion (read: self)-control is much easier when I have muffins with finite mass.

These muffins were great--moist and sweet (although a very different flavor with agave rather than sugar, I hadn't baked with agave before as a main sweetener; it also makes these significantly more expensive because agave by volume costs a lot more than sugar does).

Thank you, Lazy GF Chef, for facilitating my vegan baking adventure with your utterly delicious looking chocolate cinnamon banana loaf!

Vegan Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
Adapted from The Lazy GF Chef

3 overripe bananas, pureed
1/4 cup light olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup agave
1/4 cup soy milk

pinch of salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Bread Mix)

1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Combine bananas, oil, vanilla, agave and soy milk. In a separate bowl, combine salt, cinnamon, BP., BS and flour. Using a whisk, stir dry ingredients into wet until well mixed.
2. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Divide evenly into greased 12-muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

The cost:
bananas: .57
agave: .75
soy milk: 1.79
flour: 1.25
other ingredients: <1.00

Grand total: $5.36

Recipe Remix: Zesty Banana Nut Muffins

I had an abundance of brown bananas desperately calling to me last night (thanks EZRJ :)), but halfway through my batter mixing process I realized I was out of chocolate chips! Banana nut muffins without the chocolate chips just don't do it for me, so I had to quickly think of another way to jazz the muffins up.

I settled on the zest and juice from a meyer lemon (leftover from last week), along with a bit of freshly ground nutmeg. The result: The best batch of gluten free muffins I have made yet!

Zesty Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

3 overripe bananas, pureed
2 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
splash of vanilla (bourbon for the adventurous)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
zest and juice of 1 meyer lemon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 + 1/4 cup flour (I used gluten free bread mix)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Blend bananas, eggs, applesauce, sugar, salt, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice.
2. Sift together BP, BS and flour. Using a whisk, stir dry ingredients into wet until combined. If the mixture still seems a bit too loose, add a few Tbsp more of flour (you want a pretty thick consistency). Fold in walnuts.
3. Divide batter evenly into a greased 12 muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes until edges are browned and tops are firm and golden.

The cost: Less than $4.00 per batch.

The Magical Properties of Zest

I recently saw a Food Network segment on how citrus zest can take a great dish to the next level (yes, that is why my recent recipes have utilized the ingredient :)). I was skeptical that a little bit of shaved lemon peel could really make that big a difference, so I decided to try it out.

(cue music)

I have to say, I'm a believer. I've tried it in dressings, and this weekend I baked it into a batch of sweet potato muffins. It doesn't take much, and the effects are sublime.

P.S. Big shout out to my colleague AY: I took a batch of muffins into work and she was the only one able to discern the secret ingredient :)

Note 1: These muffins are dense, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. If you prefer a more crumby texture, increase the amount of flour.

 Note 2: Don't waste the lemon after you zest it; try this recipe, which requires the zest of one lemon but the juice of 2!

Sweet Potato Muffins

2 large sweet potatoes
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (I prefer fresh)
pinch of ground clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour (a bit less if you are using a gluten free baking mix)
chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Heat a pot of water to a boil and cook until tender. Drain and cool in cold water, then mash or puree with an immersion blender.
3. Add eggs, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, zest and spices. Stir to combine.
4. With a whisk, stir in baking soda, baking powder and flour until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. Divide mixture evenly between 12 muffin tins and sprinkle pecans over the tops. Bake at 350 12-15 minutes or until edges are crispy and muffin tops are golden brown and firm.

Fun variations:

• Play with the spice proportions, or try orange or lime zest in place of the lemon zest.
• Sprinkle chopped candied or spicy candied pecans.
• Add a splash of whisky or bourbon in place of the vanilla.

The cost:
sweet potatoes: .98
eggs: .33
applesauce: .35
lemon: .20
sugar: .45
flour: .25
nuts: .30

Grand total: $2.86; makes 12 muffins

Going Gluten Free

Some of you may have noticed that my recipes are frequently gluten free. That's because I'm slowly going gluten free (and feeling much better as I go!). I've found a lot of ways to substitute high gluten things in my diet, but by far the biggest challenge will be substituting flour in baking (I've been avoiding it).

So tonight, I turned over a new leaf and baked gluten free pumpkin muffins. It's actually the exact same recipe as my usual pumpkin muffins, I just substituted the regular flour for gluten free--and to my glee, they came out great! My favorite part of these muffins are the fresh cranberries--the little burst of tartness balances the sweetness of the sugar really nicely. And of course, nuts make everything richer, in my opinion.

Disclaimer: I can't say any gluten free flour would work since I've only tried it with one brand, but if you've used others, feel free to comment and let me know.

Addendum: If you don't like or are allergic to pumpkin (sorry SG!), you could substitute cooked & pureed squash or carrots, although you may need to increase the dry/decrease the wet ingredients just a bit for the right consistency.

Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 (14 oz) can pure pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 heaping Tbsp pumpkin spice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. Using a whisk, combine eggs, pumpkin, applesauce, sugar, pumpkin spice, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk in baking soda and baking powder, then flour until just combined; don't overmix.
4. Fold in pecans and cranberries with a rubber spatula.
5. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 12-15 minutes or until risen and firm, and edges are a golden brown.

The cost:
eggs: .33
pumpkin: 1.49
applesauce: .35
sugar: .45
flour: 3.50 (I only used 1/3 of the package but I had  to buy it new, luckily on sale!)
nuts: .40
cranberries: .33

Grand total: $6.52 ($5.36 once gluten free flour becomes a staple)

Greatest Hits: Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

I love muffins. It's easy portion control (if you have self control), and I can easily grab one on my way to work or as a quick snack while I'm getting dinner together (whoever said you can't have dessert first was a moron). I like to substitute extra bananas or applesauce for the oil so be aware loaf pans don't work so well for this recipe (unless you like the ooey gooey uncooked center, in which case, have at it!).

I have three main go-to muffin recipes (sorry, you'll only get one today :)). This is my absolute fave: A sumptuous combination moist sweetness, crunchy nuts and melty chocolate chips, with the white pepper providing that perfect little bit of pizazz.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:

3 overripe bananas, pureed
2 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce (or 1 extra banana, pureed)
splash of vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar (1/4 cup more if you like really sweet muffins)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

1 + 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree and spray a 12-muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, blend bananas, eggs, applesauce and vanilla.
3. With a whisk, stir in brown sugar, salt & pepper. Add baking soda and baking powder and whisk to combine.
4. Add 1 cup of flour and stir just to combine (it'll get tough if you mix too much); the batter should be pretty thick, so if you had large bananas add up to 1/4 cup more flour.
5. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes; muffin tops will be firm and edges will be just browned.

These muffins will keep up to one week if stored in the fridge in an airtight container. They also freeze well, and you can easily double the recipe. (Banana Tip: If you have one or two but not enough to make muffins, throw in the freezer, then defrost when you are ready to use)

Other fun variations:

• Sub in candied pecans or spicy candied pecans (but leave out the pepper).
  
• Try milk chocolate or peanut butter chips, or chocolate covered raisins.
  
• Leave out the chocolate chips and nuts, and sprinkle a combination of flour, melted butter, cinnamon and sugar over the muffins just before baking.
  

The cost:
bananas: .57
eggs: .33
applesauce: .35
sugar: .45
flour: .25
chocolate chips: .35
nuts: .40

Grand total: $2.70; makes 12 muffins