Banana Nut (or without nuts) Mini-Muffins

We hosted a brunch back in March for St. Patrick's Day.  As part of the menu, I made mini-quiches and blueberry mini-muffins.  I borrowed several mini-muffin pans from a friend.  But, I was hooked so I bought my own pan soon after.  I have now made two different versions of banana mini-muffins two weekends in a row.  The second batch turned out much better so I will only share that recipe here.  This recipe is adapted from two different recipes - Banana Walnut Muffins from my Totally Muffins Cookbook by Helene Siegel and Karen Gillingham and Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce.  The muffin recipe is from the muffin cookbook but with part of the flour substituted by the multigrain flour mix from the Good to the Grain cookbook.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup multi-grain flour mix
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease mini muffin tin.  If using, spread nuts on a tray and toast in oven for 8 to 10 minutes.  In a bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Note: I used a spoon for this step and it worked great - plus I didn't have to get out my mixer and then clean it up when I was done!  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add mashed bananas and beat until combined.  Stir dry ingredients into banana mixture just until flour disappears.  Lightly stir in nuts.  Spoon batter into muffin cups to the top.  Note: I use a mini ice cream scoop for spooning in the batter.  It is much easier than using two spoons.  Bake 15-25 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Multigrain Waffles

These days when I make things with flour, I like to experiment with different types of flours and whole grains.  My cookbook, good to the grain, has a nice multi grain mix that can be used in the place of some or all of the flour called for in other recipes.  I did just that in my old standby waffle recipe.  This recipe comes from my very first cookbook, The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook (copyright 1980).  It was given to me by my mother in 1988. A nice way to describe its appearance is well worn.  Not only did I learn to cook from my mother but also from this cookbook.  Every recipe in this cookbook has a picture to go with it.  That enabled me to envision what I was trying to make.  Anyway, that's a different story and maybe I should write about that in another post.  Below is my go to recipe for waffles these days.  One thing to note is that almost no published waffle or pancake recipes call for vanilla but in my book that is the secret ingredient that makes them taste so good!

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup multigrain flour mix (see below or click here)
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
2 cups buttermilk (you can also use plain yogurt thinned with some milk)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (make sure it is a neutral oil)
3 tablespoons milled flaxseed
2 eggs

Multigrain Flour Mix:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour
1 cup barley flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup rye flour

Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just incorporated. I usually let the batter sit for a few minutes in order to let the flours absorb some of the moisture.  For the waffle iron, I only spray with a little oil before putting in the first waffle.  For me at least, I don't have any issues with sticking for the rest of that batch.

Also, if we don't use all of the batter, I put the leftover batter in the refrigerator.  When I use it the next day, I whisk in a little more vanilla as it seems to evaporate while sitting in the refrigerator.

Carrot Muffins

Recipe adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spelt flour

2 tablespoons oat bran

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon sugar

pinch of salt (recipe calls for 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt but I found the topping to be too salty with those bigger grains of kosher salt)

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Dry Mix:

1 cup spelt flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup oat bran

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I think the kosher salt is fine here as it is dissolved into the batter; if you do substitute table salt, be sure to use less than a teaspoon; it is not a 1:1 substitution)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups coarsely grated carrots, about 2 medium

Wet Mix:

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Grease 8 muffin cups and the outer area with 1/3 cup capacity with butter.  If possible, fill alternate cups as these muffins bake out of the cup.

For the streusel topping, measure the flour, oat bran, sugars and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add the butter to the dry mixture.  Rub the butter between your fingers, breaking it into smaller bits.  Continue rubbing until the mixture feels coarse, like cornmeal.  The more quickly you do this, the more the butter will stay solid.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, puring back into the bowl any bits of grain and other ingredients that may remain in the sifter.  I also sometimes just use a whisk to mix up dry ingredients instead of putting through the sifter.  Stir the carrots into the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk and egg and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Using a spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Scoop the batter into 8 muffin cups, using a spoon or an ice cream scoop.  The batter should be slightly mounded above the edge.  Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the mounds of batter and press it into the batter slightly.

Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through.  The muffins are ready to come out when they smell nutty and their bottoms are a dark golden-brown.  Remove the pans from the oven, twist each muffin out, and place it on its side in the cup to cool.  This ensures that the muffin stays crusty instead of getting soggy.  I think I'll use a cooling rack next time instead.

Also, the book says that these muffins are best when warm from the oven or later that day.  Although they did taste the best that first day, they still tasted good 2-3 days later.  They can also be frozen and reheated.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles are a great cookie to make with a 2 year old. Logan "helped"measure the ingredients as well as mix them in the mixer. I did have to teach him that no hands could go past the bowl when the mixer is on. But the part he enjoyed most (besides sampling them) was rolling them in the cinnamon sugar. Next stop with all of these cookies: the firehouse!!

Recipe from the 2005 Martha Stewart Holiday Cookie magazine (printed version)

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.
In a small bowl, combine remaining sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 12-15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Whole Grain Waffles

I like to add as much healthy as I can to breakfast. When DS decided he didn't want to eat oatmeal for breakfast anymore, we started doing waffles instead. These have whole wheat flour, wheat germ and milled flax seed. They may not be as light as regular waffles but I think they're pretty good and Logan has consistently eaten them for breakfast for about 3 months now! Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook (1980 edition)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons milled flax seed
2 tablespoons wheat germ
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yogurt ( in a 2 cup or bigger Pyrex)
enough milk to make 2 cups in the Pyrex mention above (your making buttermilk so you could also used buttermilk)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Follow your waffle iron's instructions.

Apple Upside Down Cake

Found on kitchenmusings.com - Adapted from Rose Levy Berenbaum's recipe in Rose's Heavenly Cakes
http://kitchenmusings.com/2009/10/bring-on-the-apples.html

Apple and Walnut Filling
3 1/4 c sliced apples (about 2 large)
1 t lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/3 c light brown sugar, firmly packed, divided
4 T unsalted butter, divided
2/3 c pecan halves

One 9×2-inch round cake pan bottom coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round
baking stone optional

Preheat the oven, twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven, set a baking stone, if using, on the rack and preheat the oven to 350F.

Make the apple topping:
In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. Drain the apples, reserving their liquid.

In a small heavy saucepan, preferably nonstick, melt the butter. Use about 1 tablespoon to coat the parchment-lined bottom and the sides of the cake pan.

Add the remaining brown sugar and the reserved liquid that has drained from the apples to the butter remaining in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a light-colored silicone spatula, then stop stirring, but leave the spatula in place to judge the color, and simmer for about 3 minutes, until bubbling thickly and deep amber in color.

Pour this mixture (do not scrape) into the prepared cake pan, tilting to coat the entire bottom. Don’t worry if the mixture hardens; it will melt during baking. Place the apple slices, overlapping slightly, on the bottom and around the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Toast the pecans:
Spread the pecans evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes to enhance their flavor. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid over-browning. Cool completely. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Batter
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 c Greek yogurt, divided
1 1/4 t pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 c all purpose flour, sifted into the cup and leveled off
3/4 c superfine sugar
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
9 T unsalted butter

Mix the liquid ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, 2 tbs. of the yogurt, and the vanilla just until combined.

Make the batter:
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining yogurt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, drop the batter in big blobs on top of the apples. then smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula while keeping the apples in an attractive pattern.

Bake the cake:
Place the pan in the oven on the stone, if using it. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown, a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.

Unmold and cool the cake:
Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and invert the cake at once onto a serving plate. Leave the pan in place for 1 to 2 minutes before lifting it off. If any apple slices have stuck to the pan, use a small metal spatula to place them back on the cake. Scatter the toasted pecans on top. Serve warm or room temperature.