Muffin Mania (The Obsession Continues): Berry Oat Bran

I haven't posted anything in a while because we've been super busy! Also, I have had several of failures trying some new things: vegetable strata, peanut butter & banana muffins, corn fritter patties, etc. Sometimes it is disappointing to have high hopes & have a string of failures. But, without failing, how would you ever appreciate success? In the end, you find some gems....

I believe the world to be a muffin pan, and there certainly are a lot of muffins here. -Aaron Funk

Behold the modern muffin. It's not as sexy as the glazed donut, but it hasn't quite let itself go the way shredded wheat cereal has. It walks the tightrope between cupcake and cardboard. And when nibbled, the eater is torn between guilt and comfort. I get it. The muffin is my friend. Perhaps because I am a housewife. Perhaps because I have a muffin top. If you aren't perfecting your balancing skills, you may not appreciate this lowly little baked good. Maybe that is why I post so much on them--I'm championing the appreciation of the AVERAGE.

Well, the following are more than average to me  and quite DELICIOUS. I love love love them. Probably because I feel closer to comfort than guilt when eating them--they have only 2 Tbsp. of oil for a dozen and made with fat free Greek yogurt and whole grain oat bran (LOVE the crunchy, nutty, chewiness of this grain). So, now you're thinking...'oat bran'? What is 'oat bran?'  It is the outer husk of the oat grain. It has the most dietary fiber and nutrients of oats. (Keep in mind fiber helps you feel 'full' and is an important tool in weight loss.) Oat bran looks like this (photo from Google):

You can find oat bran in the bulk food section of natural food health stores. But recently, while on the hunt for mason jars (random), I found a bag of Bob's Red Mill Oat Bran for $2 at Big Lots (I know you're thinking I'm so classy right now):

I have made the muffins three times in the last month (yes, I definitely share with others). And enjoyed them just as much with fresh raspberries and almonds as with fresh blueberries and lemon zest. And they come out lighter in color than a lot of whole grain muffins. So you can still feel like you're cheating.

BLUEBERRY OAT BRAN YOGURT MUFFINS
Adapted from www.chocolateandzucchini.com

Makes one dozen muffins

·         1 cup oat bran (apparently wheat bran may be substituted--but your muffin will come out darker)

·         1 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

·         1 tsp. baking powder

·         1/2 tsp. baking soda

·         ~1/4 tsp. salt

·         1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar (or regular sugar)

·         1 cup blueberries (no need to thaw them if frozen)

·         1 cup plain yogurt (apparently buttermilk can be substituted--but I use Greek fat-free yogurt)

·         2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used some nut oils with great success, but apparently sunflower oil works well too—if you have it)

·         1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

·         *2 eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 360°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the bran, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, until no lump remains. Add the blueberries and toss gently to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold it in gently with a spatula until no trace of flour remains. The mixture will be lumpy, but resist overmixing.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling each muffin mold by about three quarters (apparently to minimize the mess, but I fill them all as equal as I can until I use up all the batter & I have no problems with spillage). Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until set and golden.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. (I store them in the refrigerator and before I eat it, I pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds--makes all the difference!)

*I have a trick for this--because I don't have time for my eggs to get to room temperature since I don't always plan ahead, I put really hot tap water in a bowl and set my eggs in there while I measure out the dry ingredients and take them out to crack when I'm ready to use them.

I love you little guy! (as my 2 year old daughter says)


For a Raspberry-Almond Oat Bran Muffin (really delicious), substiute raspberries for blueberries and add ~3/4 cup of sliced almonds to the batter with the raspberries. Otherwise all ingredients and directions remain the same.

I just added a few almonds slices to the top--I think using just two slices to make a heart would be wonderful for Valentine's Day.

BEST EVER Coffee Cake: Blueberry, Lemon, Almond Crumb Heaven

This coffee cake is the BEST coffee cake I have ever made! I first made it years ago when my in-laws came to visit and it was the first time my mother in law asked for one of MY recipes! I always ask for hers! Anyway, it's not 'my' recipe--it's from a Cooking Light magazine from June 2005. And I made it again this weekend while my friend from college and her family came to visit. And Lila asked for the recipe too. We were talking about how there are people out there that don't give credit or share recipes and since neither of us are those types of people, the recipe is below for your enjoyment!

The texture of this moist coffee cake is crumbly and delicate. And the flavors of the blueberries, lemon, and almond are absolutely perfect together. It's the perfect side to a cup of coffee (or as dessert with a scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream). And one of my favorite recipes ever! A great weekend brunch item or a delightful treat to have if you're lucky enough to have afternoon tea!

BLUEBERRY LEMON (ALMOND) COFFEE CAKE
Adapted from Cooking Light

For cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup almond paste

2 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup fat-free milk

1 1/2 cups blueberries

2 tsp. grated lemon rind (I never measure-just use rind of a whole lemon)

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted (light butter is fine)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Place 1/2 cup sugar, almond paste, and 2 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and lemon juice, beating well. Add flour mixture and fat-free milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries and rind. Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray (I use an 8X8 inch pan and it always works out perfectly).

To prepare topping, combine 1/4 cup sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, tossing with a fork until moist. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter.

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Note: Almond paste is found in the baking section of the grocery store. (Don't substitute marzipan, which is sweeter and has a smoother texture.) If it is hard, soften it by microwaving at HIGH 10 to 15 seconds.

Makes approximately 12 pieces.

Blueberry Citrus Spelt Muffins

There is no secret about my love affair with Whole Foods muffins. Or Whole Foods for that matter...if I won the lottery, I'd only shop here. A girl can dream....

Maybe you're not thinking, 'what is spelt?'--but I certainly was when I eyed another strange flour in the Whole Foods bulk department. What, indeed, is spelt?! It is wheat. Used more commonly in Europe and apparently has found its place on the shelf  in health food markets along with other whole grain flours. And instead of boring you with science talk about it, here's a link you can use to learn more about it.

These muffins are definitely different than what I'm normally used to and I can't put my finger on it. I liked the texture. And aren't they pretty? We enjoyed them. If you are interested in trying something with spelt flour, give these a whirl. If you are interested in comparison baking between spelt flour and whole wheat flour, check out this really awesome blog post on it.

 

 

BLUEBERRY CITRUS SPELT MUFFINS

 

 

Makes 1 dozen muffins

The classic blueberry muffin gets an update with spelt flour and a flavor boost from orange juice and zest.

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) softened butter or canola oil (I used canola oil)
• 2/3 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup honey & 1/3 cup raw sugar)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, cream together butter or oil and sugar. Stir in applesauce, eggs, orange juice and vanilla.

 

In a second large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, zest and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter-egg mixture until just combined. Gently stir in blueberries.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes (but check to see a few minutes earlier).

 

 

(I had to bust out the Mexican pottery in anticipation for our next Mexican vacation. Also, sorry if I'm driving you crazy with too many muffin posts. I think I'm obsessed with trying a new muffin recipe every 6-8 weeks. They're the perfect vehicles for whole grain flour experiments and baked fruit/nuts PLUS breakfast on the go or afternoon snack with tea. Surely I can't be alone in muffin-love?!....)

Amaretto Peach Blueberry Crisp

Ever since my email friend, Jenn, mentioned to me a few years ago that she loved Giada's Nectarine-Blueberry Crisp, I've been wanting to try it. Problem has always been that I never had that many nectarines on hand....we like a few here and there, but we're mainly a peach household. So, why not try peaches? The best thing about this crisp is the almond flavors--so intricately woven as part of the filling (amaretto), the crisp topping (amaretti cookies), and crunch (actual almonds).

The Amaretti cookies are SOOOO wonderful! I wish I could have made them, but alas, I found my way to the International grocery store for convenience. And I was so excited to discover that one of my International grocery stores carries natural sugar (packed as in bulk) for less than half of what it costs at Whole Foods (per pound)--so I use that whenever I can; because, honestly, how much sugar do we use? Not much! It's worth it.

Of course I modified this crisp to make it slightly healthier--below is my modified version. Here is Giada's. I recommend NOT using frozen blueberries--not sure why, but I could tell the difference in texture (I used some frozen & fresh).

I hope you enjoy it. If you make it with nectarines, let me know how it varies.

AMARETTO PEACH BLUEBERRY CRISP

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar or raw natural sugar (such as Turbinado)
1 cup crushed amaretti cookies, coarsely crushed
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) light butter, cut into small pieces (preferably at room temperature)

Filling:
2 Tbsp. sugar (any kind)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
3 lbs. peaches or nectarines, pitted and sliced into thick wedges
8 oz. blueberries
3 Tbsp. Amaretto liqueur

To make the topping: Stir the flours and sugar in a medium bowl to blend. Add the cookies and almonds and mix well. Add the butter and rub in until moist clumps form. This is what the cookies look like:

To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Stir the sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add the peaches/nectarines and blueberries, and toss to combine. Stir in the liqueur.

Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the cookie topping over. Bake until the peaches/nectarines are tender and the topping is golden and crisp, about 45 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes. Spoon the warm crisp into bowls.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Serve with vanilla ice cream (Giada recommends mascarapone cheese, but really?!).

Banana Blueberry Bran Muffins (or how to make your GI system happy)

Yes, there are a million recipes out there & most muffin recipes are good. Some are even dessert-like. And if you like sweet, cakey muffins, these are not going to fit the bill. These will, however, keep you regular (ha!), full, and healthy as they are low in fat, full of fiber—and thanks to the blueberries, contain antioxidants.

This is my all-time favorite muffin recipe that I have perfected based on many other muffin recipes I’ve tried. When I used to travel for a living (back when I had a paycheck motivating job), my breakfast on the run was a Whole Foods bran muffin, a container of raspberries, sometimes some Greek yogurt, and a black coffee. I would nibble on it all through lunch (because I only took lunch less than half the time) and this would tide me over until an early dinner.

Since then, I have sought to come close to the way that Whole Foods makes their muffins (because they do not publish the recipe)….this is the closest I’ve come—and I think mine are moister. Also, one that comes close to this is Bread & Company's (in Nashville, TN) bran muffin (yum!).

If want a plain bran muffin, omit the banana and blueberries and reduce the cooking time by about 20 minutes—but check on them at the 20 minute mark anyway. Oh, and if you're wondering where to get some of the ingredients, take a little field trip to Whole Foods--the bulk food section, specifically--definately eye-opening.

I’m really proud of these and if you try them and don’t like them—I’m sorry. Give them to your grandparents or your gastroenterologist.

BANANA BLUEBERRY BRAN MUFFINS (triple threat muffins)

(Alternately, for a lighter colored & a bit lighter textured muffin, you can use 2 cups oat bran and 1 cup wheat bran)

2 cups wheat bran
1 cup oat bran
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup skim milk or soymilk
2/3 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
2 small ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (wild if you can get them)

Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 375°. Grease a standard size muffin pan or line cups with paper liners (which makes clean up so much easier).

Combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey and bananas in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.)

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Then add blueberries over all this and very gently mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Generously fill muffin cups with batter.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes--but check because ovens vary so much--if edges start to brown signifantly, the muffins are most likely done. Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy the muffins plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam. Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave.

Makes 12 very large and very moist muffins or (14-15 smaller sized ones).