Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

Today's weather is just glorious.  Spring comes a little early to Oregon because it's been warm and dry lately.  I don't complain much, rain or sun is fine with me, but it's actually nice to not to put on layer upon layer of clothing.  Although the rain will come towards the end of the week, I'm planning to enjoy this warmth as much as I can.

For my weekend baking--this has become my thing, bake only on the weekends--I made pecan sour cream muffins.  The recipe comes from Maida Heatter's book, Cake.  I borrowed it from the library and has started to read it back and forth, and I decided to try this for breakfast today.  There's a lot recipes to try from the book and hopefully I can make as many as I can and blog it.  Sometimes weekend baking is just too short of a time for me, but it's the only time I have during the week to bake.  My family loves it when I bake though, they always have snacks for lunch boxes and after dinner treats.

This muffin batch is easy to make and make wonderful moist and rich muffins.  Yes, they look a little plain but they taste pretty special to me!

Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

Yields 12 large muffins

1 1/3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
5 1/2 ounces (1 1/3 cups) toasted pecans broken into large pieces, plus 12 large toasted pecan halves


Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 400F.  Either butter 12 2 3/4-inch muffin tin or line them with cupcake liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg, and set aside.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft.  Beat in the sugar to mix, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition.  On low speed, add half of the sifted dry ingredients, then all of the sour cream, and then the remaining sifted dry ingredients.  Beat only until smoothly incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the 5 1/2 ounces of pecan pieces.

Spoon into the prepared muffin tins.  It is not necessary to smooth the tops; the muffins will do it themselves during baking.  Place a pecan half, flat side down, on each muffin; press them only slightly into the muffins.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly with a fingertip.  During baking the muffins will rise with high, nicely rounded, golden-brown tops.

Remove from the pans immediately and place on a rack.  These may be served warm or cooled.


Source:  adapted from Maida Heatter's Cakes

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

When life gives you blueberries, you'll make blueberry muffins, won't you?  I've abundant blueberries right now and since last week I've made blueberry pancakes to use them up.  The two blueberry plants in the backyard won't stop producing even some fruits fell to the ground.  One produces slightly sour and smaller fruits whereas the second one yields sweeter and bigger fruits.  I've never had to pick or buy blueberries for many years to come!

One of my favorite things to make with blueberries is muffins.  I like soft, fluffy and slightly sweet muffins to be the backdrop of juicy, sweet, some tart blueberry fruits.  These are good for breakfast, but don't let it stop you from eating it for snack as well.  

I like this recipe from America's Test Kitchen baking book, it's a great base muffin recipe that can be used for a variety of fruits or nuts fillings and it always makes good size muffins with soft texture.  I had last bit of Nancy's honey yogurt in my fridge (Nancy's a local yogurt company, based in Eugene, OR) and that's what I used to make these babies.  Often time I don't have yogurt but sour cream, and I think that works out well too.  Because of the soft texture of the muffins, I leave them longer in the pan after they're done baking.  That way, it'll hold its shape well when it's taken out.  

I also sprinkled some cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the muffins to give them extra flavor.  Any little touch will make these muffins extra special :)

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups whole plain yogurt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ½ cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cinnamon-sugar mixture, optional

Place a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375F.  Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.  Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, eggs, lemon zest, and melted butter until smooth.  Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined, then fold in the blueberries.

Using a greased ice cream scooper, portion the batter into each muffin cup.  Scatter some cinnamon-sugar mixture if desired.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source:  The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Kabocha Squash Muffins

Entering a blustery first day of November, the rain was relentless today.  But towards the late afternoon, the sun peeked for a few hours among the black clouds.  The color of changing leaves looks so pretty.  I've been observing the red, yellow, and brown of the scenery and I felt that autumn is a lovely time of the year.  It also helps that the temperature is surprisingly mild this year, I hardly need to turn up the heater at home.  And look, the moon is visible while I'm writing...

Just when I think that I will have time to savor the slowness of my life's pace, I'm asked to do assignments.  Excited?  Sure.  Every assignment is a blessing and I like to do them when I've plenty of time to research, think, and execute.

Lately, I've grown to love kabocha squash for its naturally sweet taste and smooth texture.  My mom has cooked thin slices of kabocha and dipped them in tempura batter for a few times already.  They came out crispy on the outside and tender inside, and I could eat all of them; nothing for the rest of my family.  Yes, I'm selfish that way when it comes to food that I love.

Last Saturday I finally made a batch of kabocha squash muffins.  These are incredibly delicious, especially when they're still warm because they're immediately coated with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon-nutmeg sugar coating.  Oh, these smell not unlike snickerdoodles...  And no, I'm not selfish to have the recipe for myself, I'm happy to share it here.

Kabocha Squash Muffins

Yields 12 muffins



2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup kabocha squash puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

Cinnamon-nutmeg coating

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted



Preheat oven to 350°; coat a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.  Blend buttermilk, milk, squash puree, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Cream butter and brown sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Alternately stir dry and wet mixtures into the butter, starting and ending with the dry; do not overmix.  Fill muffin cups 1/2 full and bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg in a shallow dish.  When cool enough to handle, yet still warm, remove muffins from the pan, brush them completely with the melted butter, and roll in sugar mixture to coat.  Serve warm.



Source:  adapted from Cuisine at Home magazine, October 2006.

Cheesy Potato Corn Scones

The weather has been nice, there's no rain in the forecast for several days, life has been good, why not baking something cheesy?  :)  I'm going back to baking for fun again and I like it so much, thank you.

For a long time I haven't participated in any blogging events,  that I almost forgot that it's supposed to be a fun activity to  do--in my leisure time when I have it.  The annual World  Bread Day is one of them; Zorra, the founder of the event  reminded many of us the food bloggers to participate in this  event this year.  It's the fifth one, and I'm certainly grateful  for her nudge for I haven't been a faithful participant.

Since time is short, just like the fall days ahead, I decided to  bake something quick as well.  It's quick but big in flavor and  it's tender-warm-cheesy-potatoey scones.  Bite into it and  you'll find pockets of cheesy morsels along with the  crunchines of cornmeal and poppy seed.  Scones may not be  hip but it's the food that feeds the soul.

Cheesy Potato Corn Scones

Makes 8 scones



2/3 cup water

2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup milk



Lightly greased a baking sheet; set aside.  In a small saucepan, bring the water just to a simmer; remove from heat.  Stir in potato flakes until moistened.  Stir in butter until it's incorporated to potato flakes.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, 3/4 cup of the cheese, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds; stir in potato mixture and milk.  With floured hand, gently knead and fold the dough for five to six strokes, or until the dough comes together in one mass.  Pat the dough lightly to flatten it into a 9-inch circle on prepared baking sheet.  Cut dough into eight wedges using a pizza cutter or floured knife (do not separate).  Sprinkle edges with remaining cheese.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Gently pull or cut scones to separate.  Serve warm.



Source:  adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Baking 2009