Recipe #29: Best Bran Muffins

Recipe #29: Best Bran Muffins

Posted by Unknown

Currants seem to be the theme lately in my baking adventures. First step is to plump the currants which is simply simmering them in some water for 10 -15 minutes. What's interesting about this bran muffin recipe is that you add a ripe banana and molasses. Once the recipe is put together you refrigerate it overnight.

I pulled the batter out the next day and it plumped up in size. I rechecked the recipe to see how many muffins the recipe was supposed to yield and it said 12. There was so much batter that I thought there is know way I am going fit all of it in just 12 muffin cups. So... I filled them out as much as I thought would be appropriate and saved some batter and made an additional 4 muffins. However, once they baked they didn't plump up and rise like other muffin recipes so in hindsight I would make sure all the batter is evenly distributed into 12 muffins. I should know by now that Tom Douglas knows what he is doing and to just follow the damn recipe!

The result: They were truly delicious and you only need one. They are moist, dense, full of flavor and a hearty breakfast choice.

For full recipe see page 77 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Additional note: Baked them again and this time fit all the batter into 12 muffin cups. They turned out beautifully!

Recipe #28: Carrot Muffins with Brown Butter and Currants

Recipe #28: Carrot Muffins with Brown Butter and Currants

Posted by Unknown

It appears my husband's creative eye went out the window with this picture. I think he took a bite out of one of the muffins (but to me it just looks like the batter didn't fill the cup) and then he also chose one of the muffins I tested to see if done.  Anyway...

I loved reading through this recipe and seeing all the fun ingredients - cinnamon, ginger, carrots, and grated orange zest, yum! There are a few steps to this before you can throw it all together (i.e. browning the butter and plumping the currants). And before putting them in the oven you sprinkle them with a pinch of raw sugar.

The recipe says they should cook for 18 minutes (turning halfway through) and then test with a wooden skewer ofcourse. Since my oven is so old the cooking time is never exact. I tested at 18 minutes and there was still too much dough sticking to the skewer. I cooked another 5 -7 minutes and decided to pull them out. After letting them cool I split one open and it was slightly undercooked and later my husband had one and it was severely undercooked. Needless to say these muffins did not get shared with our friends.

The flavors reminded me of Christmas time and there wasn't one particular flavor that overpowered the other; it was the perfect blend of spices, orange zest, and currants. Next time I just need to  cook a little longer and take a better picture. :-)

For full recipe see page 75 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook 

Recipe #16: Cornbread Bacon Muffins

Recipe #16: Cornbread Bacon Muffins

Posted by Unknown

I try to make a dish for dinner once a week that will provide enough leftovers to where I get a night off from cooking. Growing up I can recall my dad making three really good dishes – spaghetti sauce, omelets, and chili. So I called my dad to get his chili recipe. I actually can’t believe I haven’t asked for this before being that I have made chili quite a few times in my life yet it has never turned out as good as my dad makes it. Ofcourse when I asked for the recipe he just said “well it’s all in my head”. That’s pretty much what I expected to hear but what I really wanted to know is what the seasonings were. Turns out he buys a chili seasoning kit that comes in a little brown box and it’s amazing! I looked through the book to see what might pair with the chili and there it was… cornbread bacon muffins.

I took a double take when reading the recipe – you not only add bacon to muffins (which is AWESOME) but you also add in the bacon grease. I have never come across a recipe that calls for bacon grease (except when leaving some in the pan to sauté up vegetables for a soup or something).

This recipe was quite fun and simple to get through and it was nice to have a few simple steps to follow and bust these out while alternating between making the chili. 

One of the most fun parts is after cooking the bacon and collecting the grease you put the bacon back in the pan and add some maple syrup until it reduces to a beautiful glaze.

After all the rest of the ingredients are mixed accordingly you make a well in the dry ingredient, add the wet ingredients, and then fold together with a whisk until just combined.

The result: They are pretty dense and the flavor is just amazing with the sweetness from the maple glazed bacon. You only need one to fill you up.  These went along perfectly with the spiciness of the chili. This post is dedicated to my dad - thank you for sharing with me; I won't be trying a new chili recipe anytime soon.

For full recipe see page 72 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook

Recipe #5: Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Recipe #5: Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Posted by Unknown

Well this recipe was just what I needed. After the amount of work that went into the peanut butter sandwich cookies it was refreshing to make something easy and straightforward. I whipped these up after dinner one night and they made an excellent dessert. I have to say I don’t typically ever order muffins from a bakery. I will usually go for a scone, cookie, or a donut. These turned out light and fluffy and full of flavor and I loved the raw sugar on top.

What was most helpful for this recipe was the scoop. It was so easy to scoop the batter into the cups and have the 12 muffins all look relatively the same. AND don’t forget to reserve some of the flour mixture to coat the blueberries. I almost forgot to do that and would have had to start from scratch as my intent is to always follow the recipe exactly. 

The only outstanding question I was left wondering was the best way to store the muffins  I let them cool and then stored them in Tupperware and I was disappointed to find that they were a little soggy on the top the next morning. They were definitely the best when right out of the oven.


For full recipe: See page 79 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook