Cafe' au Lait Muffins ~ By Victoria

 I recently re-discovered this recipe and we're all thrilled to have them again! We have had this recipe for many years but it had nearly been forgotten. These muffins are perfect for breakfast or for an afternoon pick-me-up!   Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 Tb baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups milk
1 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Ts instant coffee granules
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Wisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a saucepan, scald milk and remove from heat. Add butter, eggs, vanilla and coffee granules.  Combine with the flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.  Grease and spoon fill cupcake pans 3/4 full with the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes.   This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes ~ by Caroline

First off, we give all the credit for these amazing cupcakes/muffins to their creator at http://granolagirlbakes.com/   She came up with the recipe, and she also has some awesome pictures to go along with it!   We just recently stumbled across her site, and at the time, these were what were posted on her home page.  The only thing we didn't do was frost them as they are wonderful and just to our liking, even without the extra sweetness.

Yields 24 cupcakes
Cake Ingredients

• 1 1/2 sticks butter{softened}
• 4 oz cream cheese{softened}
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract{optional}
• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 pint fresh strawberries diced

Icing

• 1 stick butter{softened}
• 6 oz cream cheese{softened}
• 3 cups powder sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract{optional}
• 1/2 tsp salt

Topping

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Line muffin tins with paper!
2. Cream butter, 4 oz cream cheese, and sugar in an electric mixer on high-speed for 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each egg. Stir in Vanilla & almond extract and scrape sides.
4. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time and salt until completely combined!
5. With a rubber spatula, gentle fold in strawberries. Place 1/4 cup batter in each muffin cup. Bake for 14-17 minutes or until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean!
6. Allow to completely cool while you make the icing!

For the icing:

1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat on high for 3 minutes. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and mix for another minute!
2. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with graham cracker crumbs!
3. Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes ~ by Victoria

Even though, at the time of this posting, it is the first few official days of summer, we LOVE to bake with pumpkin year round!!  And chocolate goes with everything, right? These cupcakes/muffins are delicious, fairly nutritious, and are very quick to make!!  They have been some of our favorites for years! 

 

We usually do not frost them, as we like them just the way they are! ;-) 

 

15 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (Your preference; we usually omit them.)
• 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
• FROSTING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil, honey and water. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined; fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
• Fill greased or foil-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes.
• Yield: 15 cupcakes.

Source:  Old Taste of Home magazine clipping

ABC Muffins (Apple-Banana-Cinnamon) ~ By Victoria

These muffins are so moist and delicious.  They have been a family favorite for many years.  We usually quadruple the recipe as they don't stay around long, and we like to freeze some for breakfast on-the-go!  They would be easy to make even healthier with a couple easy substitutions! : -)

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (We double this . . .at least!)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar  (We use less.)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 apples, peeled, cored and shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease and flour 24 muffin cups (probably less when you fill the cups to the top) or use paper liners.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then stir in the vanilla and buttermilk.  Beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Fold in the mashed bananas and shredded apples.  Fill each muffin cup half full.  (We fill them all the way full, as they do not rise much.)

Bake for 20 -25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool.

Source:  The Doughmakers Cookbook published in 2004.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins ~ by Valerie

Disclaimer:

These are truly delicious, prize-winning muffins!

It has been our family's favorite muffin recipe for a while now!

Daddy and our pastor especially love them as they love blueberries,

and we are blessed to live in a land flowing with this sweet little fruit.

HOWEVER, I'm not sure I would go so far as to agree that they are worth dying for!

So, no need to take their title literally! : -)  



 

For Brielle's birthday party, we substituted raspberries for the blueberries,

and some folks thought they were even more delicious that way!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 egg

1/3 cup milk 1 cup fresh blueberries (we use frozen, and roll in flour) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup butter, cubed 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2.	Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3.	To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4.	Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Source:  Allrecipes.com