100th Post: Pumpkin Bread Muffin

Pumpkin Bread
Original recipe from Peabody

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 cup plain pumpkin puree
½ cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325F.
Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; set aside.
In another bowl, mix pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, eggs and sugar for about 1 minute.
Add flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined.
Pour batter into each cup.
Bake for 22-25 minutes or until the middle is done.
Cool completely before frosting- optional of course :)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup Butter (1 stick), room temperature
8oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2-3 cups Powdered Sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese til creamy. Mix in the vanilla. Add 1 cup of sugar (i used 2 1/2) at a time to desired sweetness.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

I haven't baked in awhile and decided yesterday was a nice day to bake some muffins so N has some for breakfast and to take to work in the morning. Then I realized he has a 4 day because of Memorial Day. I still baked them since it was gorgeous out and it was a good picture day. These muffins were really simple and the ending result was a pretty moist muffin. I glazed some and left some unglazed. I have yet to try a glaze one, but I did try a bit of the glaze which wasn't overly sweet. When N came home from work he said the house smelled like a bakery which made me grin from ear to ear :)



Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Original Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used 1/4 cup granulated & 1/4 cup splenda)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/3 cup fresh blueberries

Glaze
3 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon warm water (I used 2 TBsp)
A small pinch of lemon zest (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin, or line with 12 paper muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugars. Use your fingertips to incorporate the zest into the sugars until it is moist and fragrant.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. Fold in the blueberries.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.
6. Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they’re a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
7. In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and water. Whisk until smooth.
8. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin crown into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. At this point, you can leave them as is or go for the double dip. I glazed my muffins twice.
9. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Muffins will keep at room temperature for about a day.