Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Just made these on Saturday...so good! I think its because you dip them in melted butter and then in cinnamon and sugar! Noah was helping me make these and we had them in the oven for about 2 seconds when I realized we for got to add brown sugar. I had to take them out and dump them back in the bowl to add the brown sugar...yeah...huge mistake! At least I didn't cook them yet:)

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

from: Jersey Girl Cooks

Batter:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup plain yogurt (I used low-fat plain yogurt)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 to 8 tbsp oil ( I used 4 tbsp oil)
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

Position oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with paper cups. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix with light strokes until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Don't over mix; batter should not be smooth. Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in one or two of the muffins come out clean, 12-15 minutes. While the muffins are baking, melt 1/2 stick butter and place in a bowl just large enough to hold a muffin. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl. As soon as the muffins are done, dip them one at a time in the melted butter and then roll in the sugar mixture. Set on a rack to cool.

White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

These have to be at the top of my list of favorite muffins.  I had them at a cookie exchange at my friend Brandi's house like 2-3 years ago.  I keep losing the recipe so I thought I would put it on my blog so I will have it forever!  Hope you try them out!

White Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

 

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. raspberries

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

In  bowl mix cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in white choc. chips, and berries.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-25 minutes.  (1 dozen)

A Breakfast Brunch

As many of you know, I love a good recipe. I love to try new things all the time. These two recipes are ones that have been around since before my time....Fruit Soup and Banana Bread.
Doesn't that sound disgusting? Fruit Soup?? I need to rename it, I get weird looks every time I mention it. Anyway, my mom got this recipe from her college roommate and it is now a tradition for the Gillis' (my dad's side) to serve this with Breakfast Quiche every Christmas morning. It is a cold fruit soup...lots of fruit in fruit juices. Easy as that. So...let us think of a new name for this amazing soup!

Fruit Soup:
This can be halved!

Bring to boil - cook until clear:
2 c. water
1/2-3/4 c. sugar
7 TBS tapioca (instant)

Add:
12 oz. can frozen orange juice
5 c. water (use juice of fruit and add water to make 5 c.)
1 qt. peaches (drained) ( you can use a variety of fruit: fruit cocktail, pears, etc..)
2 cans mandarin oranges
4 sliced bananas (put in before serving in the bowl, otherwise they get brown and nasty!)
2 c. strawberries
1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix the Tapioca mixture and juices together. Add the fruit and combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

Now on to my Banana Bread. This is another recipe that has been in the family for forever. I believe it came from my Nana (my mom's mom) and it has just been passed down! I know that everyone has their favorite recipe of banana bread. There are a million different recipes for it. So...why mine? Because 1. you will always have the ingredients for this (as long as you have browned bananas) 2. I have converted countless friends to this recipe because it is quite amazing! So, try it for yourselves and let me know what you think!

Banana Bread

1/2 c. margarine
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 mashed bananas
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine the margarine and sugar until smooth. Mix in the eggs. Add the mashed bananas. Then mix together the flour, soda and salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If it starts to get too brown on the top, put foil on to cover. These are great for muffins as well! Big muffins are for about 20 minutes and the small muffins are about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Bran Muffins

So I am going to be completely honest...I did not think that these muffins sounded very good when my friend Emily emailed the recipe to me. They sounded really fibery and super dry. I was so glad to see that I was proven WRONG! These are amazing and they are so incredibly healthy. (Now I'm not going to lie to you...I may have doused it in butter...but I do that regardless of what kind of muffin it is! It is good with or without butter.) My kids loved them and you get full after eating just one. It was by no means dry...surprisingly very moist. For those of you who know my dad...he even liked them and that is saying something!! (Love you Dad!) If you don't know where to get the ingredients...Kroger, HEB etc...in the healthy isle.
Bran Muffins

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. raw wheat germ (not the toasted kind in the bottle)
2-3/4 c. wheat bran
2/3 c. oat bran or 3/4 c. rolled oats (I used the oats)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger or cinnamon (I used cinnamon and added a bit more)

3 TBS oil
2/3 c. honey
2-1/4 c. milk or vanilla/plain yogurt (I did 1 c. milk 1-1/4 c. vanilla yogurt)
2 eggs
1/2 c. raisins or chocolate chips (opt.) (I did half with raisins half plain...I liked the plain)

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and mix them well. In another bowl beat the eggs and then add the rest of the wet ingredients with the optional raisins coming last, and mix well as each new ingredient is added. Fold the wet into the dry, mixing only enough to moisten the dry ingredients thoroughly. (Best if you mix by hand, otherwise you will overmix).
Put the mixture into a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.