Orange Bran Muffins

My oldest twin loves oranges and anything made with them.  I wanted to make him something special since I have been with his twin, at the hospital, for three days.  We missed each other dearly.  This morning, we sat down and ate our Orange Bran Muffins, just the two of us.  ~smile~

Orange Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups bran flakes cereal

1 cup buttermilk 

1 egg

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

zest from 1 medium Sunkist Orange, about 2 teaspoons

Simple Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

zest from one medium Sunkist orange

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed Sunkist orange juice or milk

For muffins:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease, Homemade Cake Release, or use paper liners in standard muffin pan.  Add bran flakes to buttermilk and let sit while making batter.  Cream shortening and brown sugar together until fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and desired amount of cinnamon.  Add zest of orange and mix until incorporated.  Fold in buttermilk/cereal mixture just until mixed together.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 way full.  Bake in preheated oven 17 to 20 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.  Take out of oven and place on cooling rack. 

For glaze: 

Mix ingredients together.  Dip tops of muffins in glaze or drizzle over tops.  Enjoy! 

Lemon Cake Mix Muffins

Both of the twins have been home the last two days and wanting muffins.   Yesterday, I made Orange Bran Muffins.  This morning it was Lemon Muffins made from a Cake Mix.  I made half just lemon and added blueberries to the rest. Try using different flavors of pudding mix, fruits and nuts, to make your favorite combinations or create something new.  They are easy to make and great to eat.  My older twin didn't even let them cool down before grabbing two and taking huge bites.   Enjoy!

Homemade Cake Release

I am forever having my cakes stick to my bundt pan.  Always!  It never fails.  Whenever I want to bake a bundt cake I am both filled with excitement and dread.  Now, there are no worries!  I remembered my step daughter, Carla,  told me about making your own cake release and I have finally made it!  This recipe has been around forever, I don't know why I haven't been using it before now.  It was such a relief to see my little bundt cakes come out of the pan without sticking.  Love this!  Just brush the cake release in your pan and wait for your perfect cake to come out of the oven.  Use them with my Sour Cream Pound Cake, Lemon Fizz Cake, Cooked Apple Coffee Cake, Carrot Cake .. everything you bake!  Use what you want and leave the rest in the refrigerator.  Now, get out your bundt pan and bake away!

Cake Donuts

Here is the recipe for the cake donuts I made tonight.  I baked some and fried some.  If you fry them, be certain your temperature is a steady 375 degrees F and you use a deep pot!  Mine pot was too shallow and my candy thermometer kept falling in the oil.  I finally put it away and just guessed.  The donuts cook very fast and my heat was a bit high, I guess because a couple of them were not completely cooked.  They weren't mushy or gooey or anything like that.  There were just a tad, like 8 seconds, away from perfect.   I didn't put anything on the top except powdered sugar.  What I wanted to do, was, use lemon extract instead of vanilla, coconut milk and coconut soda and top with a lemon glaze and toasted coconut.  Use any flavor carbonated soda for a hint of flavor and mix/match it with the extract to make your very own specialized donuts! But, I was lazy and my sinuses are killing me and my boys were being...boys.  Now, go on...make some donuts.  Love and hugs!

Cake Donuts

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for rolling

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

4 Tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup carbonated soda

1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease standard size donut pan(s).  Whisk dry ingredients together.  Stir in wet ingredients to form a soft, sticky dough.  Turn dough out on a floured surface.  Knead in enough dough to make smooth.  Pat out to 1/2".  Cut with a cookie cutter, jar, lid whatever will fit your pan.  Cut a smaller piece out of the center.  Put donut dough in pan(s) and cook 10 to 13 minutes until done, tester comes out clean.  

I thought, after I patted some out, that I should have just put the sticky dough in the donut pan without rolling it out.  I'll try that next time.  Tomorrow, maybe.  ~smile~  You could also use mini muffin pans to cook these in although I don't know how long they would take.

Alternately, heat oil in a heavy, deep pot to 375 degrees F.  Making certain it is steadily at 375 degree F temperature. Carefully put donuts and holes and fry until bottom is brown...it's just a matter of seconds, flip over and cook until brown.  Cook only a few at the time.  Place on paper towels to drain.  Top with your favorite glaze, cinnamon or powdered sugar.  Enjoy!  

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Pumpkin Spice Bran Muffins

Another muffin recipe for you to enjoy.  Muffins are so easy to make and eat.  This one if full of bran, pumpkin, spice and the dark chocolate chips I added.   Eaten as a snack or breakfast is alright with me.  Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Bran Muffins

Aw, Fall.  I love the crisp air.  Freshly picked apples and pumpkins, gathered nuts for cooking and snacking on.  Love it!  I find myself baking a lot more than usual.  Can you imagine that?  I couldn't possible bake more than last month but yeah, I have!  I love it!

My boys have eaten more muffins in the last 3 weeks than they have ever eaten before!   The Pumpkin Muffins are being made at least twice a week at our house.  I think we are getting a little burnt out on them.  There are just so many days/weeks I can eat Pumpkin Muffins.  ~smile~  I decided to make a new muffin recipe and this one is a hit!  Please note, my muffins rose in the oven then went down again.  I don't know if this is because I let them sit too long or if bran muffins don't rise well.  If you know, please leave me a comment. Let me know how yours turn out.   Heck, I'd love for you to leave me a comment anyway.  ~smile~  Now...what shall I make next?   NOTE!!!!!  I have edited the recipe since they did not rise well.  Beautiful Ann of The Fountain Avenue Kitchen and Lovely Nisreen of  My Foodie Universe were nice enough to help me.  I increased the baking soda and added baking powder.  Thank you my  gorgeous friends!

Caramel Apple Bran Muffins

What you need

1 cup bran cereal

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup King Arthur unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 cups brown sugar, packed Make your own

2 Tablespoons molasses, unsulphured

3 Tablespoons oil

1 egg beaten

1 cup shredded or diced apples, 1 medium or 2 depending on size.

1/2 to 1 cup caramel bits

What to do

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Put paper liners in muffin pans

Pour buttermilk over bran cereal and let sit

Whisk egg, brown sugar, molasses and oil.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.

Add to egg mixture, stir in.

Stir in cereal.

Fold in apples and caramel bits.

Fill paper liners 3/4 way full.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes.

Turn pan(s) around and cook another 3-5 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Let sit in pan 1 minute, then take out to cool on rack.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

I made these at least 5 times last week for my boys!  They just love them!  They sneak in the kitchen, pretend to do something and the next thing I know I hear the sound of running feet and a discover a missing muffin!   LOL  I'm telling you......You better put some aside for yourself if you want any.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup unbleached whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger, optional, I didn't use

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, optional, I didn't use

1 cup brown sugar, packed

3 Tablespoons unsulfered molasses

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup nuts, chopped fine, optional

1/2 cup coconut, optional

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, optional

Toppings

pumpkin seeds

coconut

streusel

Method

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Grease or put liners, in muffin pans.

Beat eggs, brown sugar and molasses until light in color.
Beat in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and additional spices if desired,
Add buttermilk while mixing until incorporated.

Stir in pumpkin and any optional ingredients.

Fill muffin cavities 2/3 full.

Bake 8 minutes and turn pans around.

Cook another 3-5 minutes, depending on your oven, more or less.

Done with toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk English Muffin

The other day my oldest son had an appointment to get his eyes checked. Thankfully, they are very near perfect and he does not need glasses! We stopped by the fast food place with the famous egg muffin breakfast sandwich. You know which one I am talking about. My oldest said they were so good! My reaction was.... I could do better, health and taste wise. Homemade is always healthier and tastier. ~smile~ I told him such and would prove it to him. 

This morning, I started my quest to find a great english muffin recipe. I binged and found several recipes. I ended up adapting my recipe from Fleischmann's Skillet English Muffins recipe. We were all very pleased with the results. The Buttermilk English Muffins were delightfully soft and full of those nook and crannies you just have to have in english muffins! Once you make these, you will not go back to the store bought ones.

Cinnamon Roll Flower

My Boys wanted Cinnamon Rolls the other day and I wanted to try something different.  So...I got out a tube of grand size biscuits, made icing and cinnamon sugar.  Fixed up the the pieces for My Boys and this is what the result was.  Very good!  A crispy outside and yummy delight inside.  A bit of icing and cinnamon sugar in every bite!  Hope you like it and have fun making them!  ~hugs~

Cinnamon Roll Flower

1 tube of grand size biscuits

2 cups powdered sugar
(I used 2 cups powdered sugar for the ones pictured on the bottom.  The pieces were fatter,  easier, and stickier,  for My Boys to handle.  ~smiles~
I used 1/2 cup powdered sugar for thinner icing....1st photo)
2 Tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Grease muffin pan

Make Powdered Icing by mixing the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla (optional).  It will be thick...to thin, just add a drop of milk at a time.  Set aside

Make Cinnamon Sugar by mixing the cinnamon and brown sugar together.  Any left over keeps well in a zipper type plastic bag.

Stretch the biscuits out, not to thin. 
Spread icing on one biscuit, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 
Top with another biscuit that is also topped with icing.  Seal edges. 
Cut into strips, then into shapes, sealing edges. 
Grease hands a tad.  Start with a piece to fill the bottom of the cup. 
Put strips around the sides and work you way up.  Use triangle shapes to resemble a flower or other fun shapes.

Makes 5 so you may want to double the recipe.

Bake for  12-16 minutes

First picture was made using thinner icing.  Either use less powdered sugar or more milk.   

Enjoy!

*I'm thinking easy here....Why not use a tube of cinnamon rolls, stretch, put icing  on, fold over, seal, and create!* 

I'd Love to see pictures of the ones you and your children make!  ~hugs~

This one was made with thin icing,

Boys made these...sticky fun!