Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

These muffins continue to be our favorite because they are just so easy! I usually try to keep some on hand in the freezer for a quick snack or early morning breakfast. I have since I posted these originally in 2009 experimented with doing all applesauce without the oil and that works too. The flavors are more subtle on this one, but that's why I like it. Feel free to add in a dash of nutmeg or do like my mom does and double (or triple) the cinnamon ;)

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1 rounded cup applesauce (so a little more than 1 cup)

1/4 cup veggie oil

Preheat to 375. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the egg, applesauce and veggie oil and stir only so that everything is moist and mixed evenly. (As with all muffins you don't want to over mix). Grease 12 muffin cups and divide the filling between the cups. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes....or 20 if you need to, but don't over cook! Mine are done at 15 minutes.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

 

I first fell in love with these in a college cooking class I took, but I had always been afraid to substitute the milk for soy milk and the butter for dairy free margarine. I went for it and they turned out awesome! Most blueberry recipes out there call for buttermilk, so just know that this one tastes great with soy milk. It also doesn't have large amounts of sugar, but the streusel topping adds the perfect sweetness. Today I used fresh blueberries and they tasted great, so you don't have to stick with frozen if you have some fresh around. So yummy!

Blueberry Streusel MuffinsRecipe from Shawna Shirley
Makes 12 Muffins

1 cup soy milk (or rice or regular milk)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1 cup frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Steusel Topping:
2 Tbsp firm dairy free margarine (or butter)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the Streusel: In a medium bowl cut margarine into flour, brown sugar and cinnamon using a pastry blender until crumbly

Preheat oven to 400 and grease the bottoms of muffin cups. Prepare streusel topping and set aside. Beat milk, oil, vanilla and egg in a big bowl. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once just until flour is moistened. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among 12 cups and sprinkle each with 2 tsp topping. Bake @ 400 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Muffins

 Looking through my recipe box I realized I had 4 recipes for pumpkin bread/muffins. Determined to find out which was best I made all 4 recipes last night and held a taste testing. The winner was my favorite pumpkin bread I already posted here, but this recipe was the runner up so I decided to post it too since it makes a little bigger batch and is really easy to remember. Chocolate chips are optional-I usually make up a pan of muffins for the kids without the chocolate chips, then add chocolate chips and pour the rest in a bread pan. Also you can substitute applesauce for the oil too if you want to make it a bit healthier and I always use fresh pumpkin (how to here) but you can use canned plain pumpkin as well.

Pumpkin Muffins
Recipe from college-can't remember who!

3 cups pumpkin (either fresh or canned plain pumpkin)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil or applesauce
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp of each:
                       baking powder
                       baking soda
                       salt
                       cinnamon
                       nutmeg
                       cloves
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake 20 minutes or greased bread pan and bake for 45-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons: weather, clothes, colorful leaves, family fun, beautiful scenery and of course pumpkins.  You can find the tutorial here on how to use fresh pumpkins. It doesn't matter if you choose fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin, this recipe is sure to warm up your kitchen and your family, and definitely give your home that fall aroma it's been begging for. I make them into muffins and freeze them, then take them out for a quick breakfast just heated up in the microwave.

Pumpkin Bread

makes 2-3 loaves

2 eggs
4 cups pumpkin (or use 1 29 ounce canned pumpkin + 1/2 cup applesauce)
4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
5 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

Combine the eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil together. Mix the spices together with the flour and add one cup at a time to the egg and pumpkin mixture. Gently fold in the chocolate chips if you choose to add them. Pour into 2-3 greased loaf pans and bake @ 325 for 1 hour or until the middle is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then take out of the pan and cool on wire rack.

Note: This bread freezes really well. Wrap in tin foil or saran wrap and then put in a freezer ziplock bag.

You can also make muffins- bake @ 325 for about 20 minutes.

Coffee Cake Muffins

I'll be honest and say that I have always avoided every recipe that called for buttermilk because I didn't know what to substitute. Well now I know, so bring on these yummy muffins! You and your kids will love these because they have streusal in the centers. They will love them even more if you serve them with chocolate milk! (They do have dairy free chocolate milk out there)

Note: To make 1 cup dairy free buttermilk: Put 1 Tbsp vinegar in a one cup measuring glass. Add enough soy or rice milk to equal the one cup. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. (This recipe only calls for 1/2 cup so only use half :)

Coffee Cake Muffins
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
Makes 12 muffins

3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp dairy free margarine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup dairy free margarine

1 beaten egg
1/2 cup buttermilk (see my note above)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease twelve muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; set aside.
For topping, in a small bowl stir together the 3 Tbsp flour, brown sugar, and the 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Cut in the 2 Tbsp margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set topping aside.

In a medium bowl stir together the 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, the 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the 1/4 cup margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In another bowl combine egg and buttermilk. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy)

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one-third full. Top with half of the topping, the remaining batter, and the remaining topping. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups and serve warm.

Poppy Seed Bread with Orange Glaze

This bread is absolutely amazing! It is super moist and melts in your mouth. Because of the glaze it's definitely not lacking on the sweetness side either. It also freezes really well which is perfect for small families or if you want to make a few batches to save for a later time. The original recipe calls for milk which luckily my son can have now in baked goods. I made a batch this morning with soy milk and it turned out excellent, however I would definitely stick to original flavored soy or rice milk (no vanilla). It was also more sweet using the soy milk than the regular milk, so if you use soy you might want to go easy on the glazed top. My kids nicknamed the poppyseeds "baby blueberries" and have been devouring this bread, even my picky little 13 month old :)

Poppy Seed Bread with Orange Glaze
Recipe adapted from Don't Panic More Dinner's in the Freezer
Makes 2 loaves + 1 mini

2 1/4 cups sugar
3 1/3 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cups soy milk (or milk)
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tsp grated orange peel

For glaze, bring sugar, orange juice, and orange peel to boil in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla/almond extract until pale yellow in color. Add flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternating with the 1 2/3 cups milk. Stir in poppy seeds. Pour into greased baking pans. Bake for 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. (I had to bake an extra 5 minutes with the soy milk) Remove from oven. Poke holes in bread with toothpick. Gradually spoon orange glaze over hot bread, allowing glaze to soak into bread after each addition. Cool completely in pans letting the glaze get into the bread.
To freeze: wrap completely with plastic wrap and then put in a freezer ziplock bag. On serving day just thaw and serve.

Grandma Lill's Moist Zucchini Bread

(Repost with New Picture)

Here's another recipe my grandma would make for us when we were little, with fresh zucchinis from her garden of course. Everyone in my family prefers this zucchini bread to every banana bread recipe out there, and I know the reason why is because it is super moist and packed full of flavor (not to mention the good vitamins from the veggies) You can probably substitute some or all of the oil for applesauce, but I've never tried it on this recipe.

Moist Zucchini Bread

Recipe from Lill

1 c brown sugar

1 c white sugar

1 c oil

3 eggs, beaten

2 c packed zucchini (finely shredded with skins on)

3 tsp vanilla

3 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Blend the first set of ingredients together. Mix the second set of ingredients and then add to the first; mix. Put into 2 loaf/bread pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour. You can also do muffins or mini loaf pans too. Freezes well in a airtight container or ziplock bag.