Strawberry Ricotta Muffins

When I saw these strawberry muffins, I knew that they would be a perfect addition to my tried and true strawberry recipes. They were very tender and minimally sweet- a perfect summer breakfast.

This recipe was adapted from Bake from Scratch, via Cooking with Aunt Juju.com. I incorporated whole wheat flour and modified the topping. The recipe also included a ricotta glaze for the topping which would also be a tasty option (see link above). Nice.

Yield: 16 muffins

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice or 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups diced fresh strawberries
• turbinado sugar, for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Spray 16 regular muffin wells with cooking spray or use liners.
3. Whisk the flours, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl whisk the ricotta cheese until smooth.
5. Add the eggs, milk and lemon zest or juice; whisk until smooth.
6. Add the oil and vanilla and stir until combined.
7. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and fold in with a spatula; gently fold in the strawberries.
8. Divide the batter among the 16 prepared wells, filling about three-fourths full.
9. Sprinkle the top of the batter in each well with turbinado sugar.
10. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. (mine were ready in about 17 minutes.)
11. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes; remove. Finish cooling on the racks.

Sourdough Muffins: Oatmeal Raisin & Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon

I love making muffins with my sourdough starter discard. Both of these muffins were very wholesome, minimally sweet, and had a wonderful crumb/texture. I incorporated whole wheat flour into both varieties and also sprinkled the top with cinnamon sugar prior to baking. I think that the sweetness on top was an essential addition.

The Oatmeal Raisin Muffin recipe was adapted from Food.com, contributed by Yankiwi. I weighed the ingredients, incorporated whole wheat flour and cinnamon in the batter, and sprinkled the tops with cinnamon sugar prior to baking. I also reduced the baking time for a convection oven.

Sourdough Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

• 90 g (1 cup) rolled oats
• 1 cup milk (I used whole milk)
• 113 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter, unfed
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 57 g (1/2 cup) whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• cinnamon sugar or turbinado sugar, for sprinkling (see Note)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C), preferably on convection.
2. In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats and milk. Set aside to soak.
3. Grease 12 muffin cups; set aside. (I used cooking oil spray.)
4. Stir sourdough starter, oil, egg and raisins into soaked oats; set aside.
5. In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar.
6. Add oats mixture. Stir until dry ingredients are just moistened; don’t over mix.
7. Divide batter among the 12 cups. (I used a cookie scoop.)
8. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar or turbinado sugar.
9. Bake in preheated oven 15 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove promptly from muffin cups.
10. Can be served hot or cold.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins

The Whole Wheat Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffin recipe was adapted from tastykitchen.com, contributed by baking barrister. I weighed the ingredients, added salt, incorporated brown sugar and reduced the total amount of sugar by half, modified the proportions and baking time, and used a Pink Lady apple. They were very moist and tasty.

Yield: 12 muffins

• 170 g (3/4 cup) sourdough starter, unfed
• 113 g (1 cup) whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour
• 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 100 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 T ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 T (1/4 cup) canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch chunks (I used a Pink Lady apple)
• cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling (see Note)

1. Preheat your oven to 350F, preferably on convection.
2. Thoroughly mix the starter, flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, egg, vanilla extract, and oil.
3. Fold in the apple chunks.
4. Using cooking oil spray, generously grease a muffin tin.
5. Divide batter among the 12 cups. (I used a cookie scoop.)
6. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar or turbinado sugar.
7. Bake for 17 to 24 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test. Promptly remove from muffin cups.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature. Let cool completely before storing.

Note: I usually have leftover cinnamon sugar in my kitchen. Proportions vary, but 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon is a nice start. More sugar can be added to taste.

Blueberry Sourdough Muffins

I am going to share a couple more breakfast recipes that use sourdough starter. I was in LOVE with these muffins! They are sweetened with pure maple syrup, are loaded with blueberries, and incorporate cornmeal. Delicious.

This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour. I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour, and added vanilla extract. Wholesome and tasty!

Yield: 12 muffins

• 1 cup (113g) whole wheat pastry flour or 1 cup (120g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup (138g) yellow cornmeal, preferably whole grain
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard
• 1/4 cup (57g) milk
• 1 large egg
• 4 tablespoons (57g) melted butter or 1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup (156g ) maple syrup or 1/2 cup (170g) molasses or honey
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (340g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
• Turbinado, Demerara or coarse sugar, for sprinkling tops

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, preferably on convection.
2. Grease the wells of a 12-cup muffin pan, or line with papers and grease the inside of the papers. (I used cooking oil spray.)
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4. In a second bowl, beat together the starter, milk, egg, melted butter, sweetener, and vanilla.
5. Blend the wet ingredients with the dry, taking about 20 seconds.
6. Gently stir in the blueberries just until blended.
7. Fill the cups of the prepared pan two-thirds full; sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar.
8. Bake the muffins for 17 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Don’t let them cool in the pan, or they’ll steam and the outside will become tough.

Note: If using frozen berries, don’t thaw them before adding to the batter; you’ll have fewer blue streaks if they’re added frozen, just before scooping.

English Muffin Bread

I have another special breakfast to share. Having a treat to start the day brings a little sunshine. 🙂

I am not really a bread person, but I do really enjoy English muffins. I often have a whole wheat “British muffin” from Trader Joe’s for breakfast. Naturally, this bread full of nooks and crannies caught my eye.

The recipe is from Shauna Sever’s Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland. It is easy and relatively quick to prepare, with only one rising time. She suggests baking the loaf in a German Rehrucken (crimp loaf pan) or standard loaf pan. I baked the loaf in my favorite Pullman loaf pan and modified the baking time accordingly.

The original recipe recommends making it a day ahead to serve it toasted the next day. We ate warm from the oven, slathered with salted Irish butter and our homemade strawberry-vanilla bean jam. We did toast the leftovers! Perfect.

Yield: One loaf

• nonstick cooking spray, for pan
• 3 T (30 g) yellow cornmeal, divided
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1/3 cup (75 g) warm water (110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C)
• 3 tsp granulated sugar, divided
• 3 cups (384 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup (225 g) well-shaken buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 T plus 1 tsp (32 g) vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
• 1 T unsalted butter, melted

1. Lightly spray a 9×5-inch (23×12.7 cm) metal loaf pan, German Rehrucken crimp loaf pan, or Pullman loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Wipe away any excess that pools in the edges.
2. Dust the pan all over with about 2 tablespoons of cornmeal; tap out the excess.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the yeast, warm water, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let rest for a couple of minutes.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, the remaining 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar, salt, and baking soda.
5. On low-speed, stir in the buttermilk, oil, and finally the yeast mixture. Mix until incorporated. (It is very important that the buttermilk is at room temperature so that the dough can rise well.)
6. Increase the speed to high and mix for 1 minute, stopping halfway through to scrape down the bowl. The dough will be soft and sticky.
7. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan.
8. Oil your hands lightly and pat the dough gently and evenly into the pan.
9. Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of cornmeal.
10. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled and the dough comes about 1 inch from the top of the pan, about 1 hour. (I used a proofing oven.)
11. During the rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400°F/200°C.
12. Bake the bread until golden and risen, with a hollow sound when tapped int he center, 22 to 25 minutes for a standard or crimped loaf pan, or 18 to 20 minutes for a Pullman loaf pan. The internal temperature should register at least 190°F/88°C on an instant-read thermometer.
13. Turn out the bread onto a wire rack. Brush lightly all over with the melted butter. (I only brushed the top.)
14. Let cool completely before slicing- if you can wait!

Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

These muffins were incredibly moist, tender, and delicious. Perfect for a special autumn breakfast. 🙂 I divided the batter between standard muffin and mini-muffin pans. Mini-muffins are such a perfect after school or lunch box snack.

The recipe was adapted from The View from Great Island.com. I incorporated whole wheat pastry flour and halved the amount of cinnamon-sugar topping. Amazing!

Yield: 20 standard muffins or 15 standard muffins plus 24 mini-muffins

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup rolled oats (or 1 cup oat flour)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider
• 3/4 cup applesauce or apple butter
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil (corn, canola, safflower)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

• 3 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, preferably on convection.
2. Lightly butter muffins pans or coat with cooking oil spray. (I used standard and mini-muffin pans.)
3. Place the rolled oats in the bowl of a food processor and process until the oats resemble flour. (Alternatively, use oat flour.)
4. Whisk the dry ingredients together to combine.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
7. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for about 19 minutes for standard muffins or about 10 minutes for mini-muffins.
8. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping.
9. Let the muffins cool for about 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the pan.
10. Brush the muffin tops with melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat really well. If necessary, coat twice to get a good coverage.

Note: Muffins keep at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Zucchini Bread

As if my CSA zucchini wasn’t enough, my friend brought me more beautiful zucchini from her garden. I made four loaves of this bread (two batches) with a single zucchini! Amazing.

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen. I incorporated whole wheat flour. As suggested, I used less sugar and also omitted the add-ins. We ate some, shared some, and froze some for later. This loaf improves with time- perfect to make the night before serving it for breakfast. I imagine it would also be delicious lightly toasted and topped with butter.

Yield: 2 loaves or 24 muffins

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup sunflower oil (can also used olive oil or another vegetable oil)
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (can also used half (or even all) turbinado or half light brown sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 cups grated, packed zucchini, not wrung out (from about 10 oz zucchini)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• 1 to 2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or chocolate chips (or a combination), optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Generously grease 2 loaf pans (8×4 or 9×5) with butter and flour or with nonstick spray. Alternatively, grease 24 standard muffin cups or line with paper liners.
3. Whisk eggs, oil, butter, sugar, and vanilla in the bottom of a large bowl.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt over the wet ingredients and whisk them in well.
5. Stir in zucchini.
6. Gently stir in flours, mixing only until incorporated.
7. Fold in any add-ins, if using.
8. Divide between prepared pans and bake for 55 to 65 minutes for a loaf, 20 to 25 minutes for muffins, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let cool for 10 minutes on a rack before inverting and removing from the pans. The loaves can also cool completely in pans.
10. Store wrapped in foil at room temperature for up to 5 days. Loaves also freeze well.

Banana Honey Muffins

I loved these wholesome, naturally sweetened muffins more than everyone else in my house. The cookbook described them as “a great alternative to a heavier banana bread.” Agreed! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Kathleen’s Bake Shop Cookbook: The Best Recipes from Southampton’s Favorite Bakery for Homestyle Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Muffins, and Breads by Kathleen King, founder of Tate’s Bake Shop. I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour and wheat bran for the wheat germ.

Yield: 12 muffins

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup wheat germ or wheat bran
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups mashed, fully ripe bananas (about 4 medium)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with cooking oil spray.
3. In a large bowl, stir together flours, wheat germ/bran, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter. Add honey, vanilla, and mashed banana.
5. Add butter mixture to flour mixture and mix lightly.
6. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of one comes out clean.

One Year Ago: Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

Two Years Ago: No-Knead Bread from Sullivan Street Bakery

Three Years Ago: 

• Whole Wheat Banana Flaxseed Muffins
• Pullman Loaf

Four Years Ago:

• Tate’s Banana Flaxseed Muffins
• Healthy Morning Muffins
• Oatmeal Toasting & Sandwich Bread

Five Years Ago:

• White House Honey-Oat Muffins
• Blueberry-Cornmeal Muffins
• Pear-Granola Muffins