Rocky Road Muffins

Is it just me or does the days going by way too fast? November seemed like it just started but it just hit me Thanksgiving will only be a few days from now. Next thing, Christmas will be around and we'll be welcoming 2012 --Ack, I'm certainly not ready for the holidays just yet.

There's been a whirlwind of events in my family lately: celebrating three birthdays in one week and a 11-11-11 wedding of my little cousin definitely made for a busy household. My busier work schedule this week have definitely made me feel like I can't seem to catch up! So an unexpected weekend off from work was just what I needed to slow down a little, take a deep breath and BAKE!

These Rocky Road muffins were very simple to put together. Chocolate and nuts along with marshmallows were stirred into a chocolaty batter and topped with even more chocolates and nuts; they made for a scrumptious muffin. While I was prepping my ingredients the night before,I realized I didn't have mini marshmallows on hand. I got too lazy and didn't really want to go out in the cold to buy them so figured I make them. Making marshmallows from scratch is really easy (and fun for me, watching my boys trying to handle the sticky goo). I've made marshmallows before, the recipe can be found here.

And apparently my pantry contained all the nuts in the world except walnuts, the ones originally asked for in the recipe. No matter, I just used a little bit of each nuts and even cracked several macadamias to add in there. I really like the result of putting a variety of nuts in these muffins, they gave a different flavor and texture to each bite. I would even go ahead and add more nuts next time I bake these.

So something chocolaty that's not overly sweet you can enjoy first thing in the morning. Truly a great muffin to start the day. Oh, but my family couldn't help themselves, we enjoyed these with a cup of hot cocoa, topped with marshmallows, of course! :)

Rocky Road Muffins

280g (2 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
15g (1 TBSP) baking powder
5g (1 tsp) salt
15g (3 TBSP) cocoa powder
60g mini marshmallows
75g milk chocolate chips
60g (1/2 cup) nuts
150g (2/3 cup) brown sugar
200g (3/4 cup) milk
2 large eggs
75g butter, melted

1. Preheat oven 400F degrees. Prepare muffin pan either by greasing or using liners; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Stir in the marshmallows and set aside.
3. Combine the nuts and chocolate chips together. Set aside 1/3 cup and add the remaining to the flour mixture.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, milk, eggs and butter. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Portion batter into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle tops with reserved nut-chocolate chip mixture. Bake for 16-18 minutes.
6. Remove and let cool on rack for 5 minutes. Then remove from pan and serve.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Pumpkin Marble Streusel Muffins

Chocolate: check. Cream cheese: check. Streusel: check. This week we start the Muffin Monday series on holiday muffins. And what a great muffin to start! All the different components you could ask for in a muffin are all here: rich chocolate flavor and creamy cheese topped with crumbly streusel.

Inspired by all the pumpkin recipes this Halloween season, I added some to the cream cheese. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Marble Streusel Muffins
makes 12 muffins

For Streusel:
30g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
72g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
1g (1/4tsp) pumpkin pie spice
28g (2 Tbsp) butter, chilled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
35g (1/4 cup) cocoa crisp pearls (or chocolate chips)

For Muffins:
240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
120g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
5g (1 tsp) baking soda
2g (1/2 tsp) salt
15g (3 Tbsp) cocoa powder
110g (4 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
122g (1/2 cup) pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, room temperature
125g (1/2 cup) water
80g (1/3 cup) oil
5g (1 tsp) vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and spice. Add the butter and mix until crumbly. Stir in the cocoa pearls (or chocolate chips). Place in the refrigerator while you prepare muffins.
2. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare pan with liners and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Remove half a cup (about 80g) and set aside. Whisk in cocoa to combine. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 1 egg and half cup of flour until smooth. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, combine the other egg, water, oil and vanilla. Add to the large bowl of cocoa-flour mixture (from Step 3).
6. Spoon cocoa-flour and cream cheese pumpkin mixtures side by side into pans.
7. Sprinkle tops with prepared streusel.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or it passes the toothpick test.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Calamansi Coconut Muffins

I had thought about sitting out on this week's Muffin Monday since I have already made plans to bake two birthday cakes this week. But when Anuradha sent us the challenge to bake Citrus Coconut Muffins, I immediately thought calamansi (kalamansi) so I knew I couldn't refuse baking these.

The original recipe asked for zest from lemons and oranges and I used calamansi all the way. I'm sure any citrus of your choice would work here. No other flavorings were needed so the flavor and lovely scent of calamansi came through with each bite. Calamansi peels are also great candied, Ive done some here; their peels tastes just like the ones from kumquats - delicious!

This recipe is also put together in an unusual way where it ask to "rub in" the butter, the way a biscuit or scone is done. I had actually ran out of milk so my usual homemade yogurt came to the rescue, which gave them a tang that complemented the calamansi. Then thought while mixing the batter if I could've used coconut milk as well; something I will try when I bake these muffins again.

I decided to make 12 mini muffins and 6 regular-sized. The smaller ones were topped with unsweetened dessicated coconut and used large coconut flakes (like the ones I used for Pinipig, Coconut and Chocolate Granola Muffins) for the regular ones. Both muffin pans were placed in the oven at the same time. Fifteen minutes passed and the minis were ready but noticed the large coconut flakes were already toasted even though they still had 10 minutes of baking to go! A quick tent with foil saved them (but then, they were devoured by the family before I can take any pictures). I would imagine sweetened coconut will toast quicker due to the sugar so make sure to keep checking those muffin tops when you bake these.

Calamansi Coconut Muffins
makes 12 regular or 24 mini

150g (1 1/4 cup) white whole wheat flour
150g (1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
90g (6 1/2 TBSP) butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, chilled
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
180g (3/4 cup) whole milk yogurt, room temperature
zest from 12 calamansi, finely grated (I used a microplane)
unsweetened dessicated coconut, for topping

Preheat oven to 385F degrees. Prepare muffin pan by either greasing or using liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and work in with a pastry cutter.
In another bowl, combine eggs, yogurt and zest. Pour into the large bowl with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Place in the prepared pans. Bake for 22-25 minutes (13-15 minutes for mini size) or until toothpick test is clear.
Remove and let cool slightly before taking out of pan. Serve warm.

My other calamansi recipes:
Calamansi Meltaway Cookies
Calamansi Curd on Coconut Meringues
Candied Calamansi Peels

 

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Clementine Date Muffins for Muffin Monday

I am happy to welcome another week with these Clementine Date Muffins.

Just lightly-sweetened muffins filled with chopped dates and cashews, perfumed with zest of clementines. Freshly-squeezed juice along with yogurt and just a little bit of butter gives these muffins a tender and moist crumb. Surprisingly not a dense loaf I was expecting which I usually think of dates in baked goods.

Cinnamon in the batter gives them an extra spicy flavor with the option of adding cinnamon sugar topping. I opted to add sanding sugar for the sparkle. :)

Please click on over The Baker Street  for the original recipe and other variations from the rest of the Muffin Monday Bakers.

Clementine Date Muffins

makes a dozen regular-sized muffins

120g (1 cup) white whole wheat flour

120g (1 cup) all-purpose flour

96g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

10g (2 tsp) baking powder

3g (1/2 tsp) baking soda

3g (1/2 tsp) salt

2g (1/2 tsp) cinnamon

zest from 3 clementines, finely grated (or up to 2 tsp)

80g (1/3 cup) freshly-squeezed clementine juice

56g (1/4 cup) butter, melted and cooled

160g (2/3 cup) plain, whole-milk yogurt

1 large egg, room temperature

90g (2/3 cup) dates, chopped

80g (2/3 cup) cashews, chopped

sparkling sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Prepare muffin tins by greasing cups or using liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon until well-combined.

In a medium bowl, combine orange juice, butter, yogurt and egg.

Add wet mixture into dry ingredients. Quickly stir until just combined.

Fold in dates and cashews.

Place into prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle tops with sparkling sugar.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.

Remove and let cool in pan for about 5 minutes. Take muffins out of pan and serve.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Zucchini Sesame Seed Muffins

I am pleased to welcome another week with a delicious muffin baked along the Muffin Monday bakers. This time, we give you a savory one. I have been looking forward each week to getting Anuradha's recipe, secretly hoping it will be a savory one. :)  It has been awhile since we offered Spinach Feta Muffins. We used zucchini this time mixed in with your herbs of choice, along with sesame seeds for a nutty crunch.

I used black sesame seeds to give the muffins a contrast in color and loved the results. My family loved them also though next time I would be more generous with my use of herbs. Maybe even use fresh ones.

Zucchini Sesame Seed Muffins
makes 12 regular-sized  muffins

(original recipe found in the book 1 Mix, 100 Muffins)

300g (about 2 medium) zucchini
240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 TBSP sesame seeds (plus extra for sprinkling on top)
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs (I used cumin & oregano)
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
240g (1 cup) plain yogurt
3 TBSP oil
3 TBSP butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Grease muffin tin with pan spray or use liners.
Grate zucchini, squeezing out excess moisture, set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, sesame seeds and herbs.
In another bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, oil and butter.
Add liquid into the dry ingredients. Stir quickly but lightly until combined.
Place into muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
Transfer to cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Then remove from pan. Serve warm.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Carrot Spice Muffins

I am not much of a fan of carrot cakes so was surprised to find these carrot spice muffins to my liking.

A healthy recipe using whole wheat flour and warmed up by spices that evoke Autumn. I liked that you can either use brown sugar or honey to sweeten it though decided to try agave syrup since I've been wanting to try baking with it. You may also use buttermilk or yogurt plus even more choices either using oil, melted butter or applesauce. I opted to use yogurt and applesauce since I just have made them earlier in the week.

I also added crushed pineapples in lieu of raisins plus cashews for crunch. I originally thought of adding a glaze but the muffins were sweet enough that decided they didn't need them. These were baked for our afternoon snack, hoping some will last for next day's breakfast. But of course that didn't happen.

Carrot Spice Muffins
makes 12 standard size muffins

The recipe is from Whole Foods for The Whole Family by La Leche League International Cookbook and can be found here.

180g (1 1/2 cups) white whole wheat flour
5g (1 tsp) baking soda
5g (1 tsp) baking powder
3g (1/2 tsp) coarse salt (optional)
2g (1/2 tsp) ground cinnamon
1g (1/4 tsp) nutmeg
pinch (1/8 tsp) ground ginger
pinch (1/8 tsp) allspice (I omitted this one)
108g (1/3 cup) agave syrup (or honey or brown sugar)
1 egg, room temperature
120g (1/2 cup) yogurt
80g (1/3 cup) applesauce
3g (1/2 tsp) vanilla
175g (1 1/2 cups) finely grated carrots
150g (1/2 cup) crushed pineapple
64g (1/2 cup) chopped cashews

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare muffin tray either by using paper liners of pan spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt (if using) and spices.
In another bowl, beat eggs with agave syrup, yogurt, applesauce, vanilla, grated carrots, pineapples and cashews.
Add wet ingredients to the dry, stir gently until it comes together.
Divide among 12, about three-quarters full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until it pass toothpick test.
Remove from pan immediately and let muffins cool on rack for few minutes before serving.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

It has been one of those weekends, very busy but enjoyed every minute of it! My mother-in-law had a small party at her house and she put me in charge of desserts. I was very excited to get baking and actually spent a whole day and a half baking treats. (I took a quick picture and shared it on Twitter.)

One of the treats are these Peanut Butter and Jelly Mufins, a simple and easy recipe with flavors that appeal to any kid, especially the young at heart.


Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
makes 24 mini muffins

The original recipe uses milk and a teaspoon of lemon zest, I used yogurt and vanilla. I also added a few sprinkles, just a little something since these were bound for a party after all. :)

245g (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
100g (1/2 cup) sugar
15g (1 TBSP) baking powder
5g (1/2 tsp) salt
2 eggs
160ml (2/3 cup) whole milk yogurt, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 grape jelly
sprinkles, optional

Prefheat oven to 375F degrees
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to combine.
In a small bowl, beat eggs. Mix in yogurt, butter and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Quickly stir to combine but do not overbeat.
Spoon batter into muffins tins halfway. Add peanut butter jelly in the center. Cover with more batter until its filled to top. Place a few sprinkles, if using.
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until it pass toothpick test.
Remove from oven, let cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve.

Pinipig, Coconut & Chocolate Granola Muffins

This week's Muffin Monday recipe came courtesy of New York Times' Recipes for Health series. The muffin consists of granola baked along whole wheat flour, sweetened by raisins and a touch of honey. The healthiest muffin baked so far by the Muffin Monday bakers!

I had planned on making granola for this muffin recipe but weekend plans got the best of me so ended up using this organic granola. I followed the recipe only altering it by using whole wheat pastry flour but had to say the recipe gave me not-so-good results. The muffins came out with flat domes and burnt edges even after they've only baked for 15 minutes. Imagine if I waited to checked in 20 minutes like the recipe stated? Crunchy edges aside, I had to taste these muffins which were not at all bad (but not spectacular either). Not too sweet which I prefer but a bit one-note. My oldest son described it best when he said it tasted like raisin bran. My granola of choice might be the culprit since it was very plain. I realized then that the success of these muffins depend greatly on the granola used.

So off to bake again, this time using ingredients I would use to make my own granola: pinipig, coconut flakes and chocolate. Pinipig is glutinous sweet rice that was harvested while still young and pounded flat. Fresh pinipig is usually bright green but quickly loses it color as it dries. Puffed rice (Rice Krispies' Snap, Crackle & Pop) can not compare to pinipig in terms of flavor and crunch.(More information on pinipig from Market Manila here.) Toasting them before use makes it even better; the heat releases their light sweet rice fragrance.

So the second time around I can say is a success; the muffins came out with a light, fluffy texture with still-crunchy pinipig here and there. The coconut flakes throughout made for a satisfying chew while the tiny pieces of bittersweet chocolate added a little sweet bonus.

Pinipig, Coconut & Chocolate Granola Muffins

85g pinipig
140g (1 cup) whole wheat pastry flour
10g (2 tsp) baking powder
2g (1/4 tsp) salt
2 eggs
355ml coconut milk
60ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g coconut flakes
80g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

In a dry skillet, toast pinipig over medium heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare muffin tins with pan spray.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs along with coconut milk, vegetable oil and vanilla.
Stir in the pinipig, coconut flakes, and chocolate into the wet mixture
Sift in the flour mixture and stir only until moistened.
Spoon into muffin tins, filling 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until it pass toothpick test.
Remove from oven. Let it cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from tin and enjoy.

A big "Thank You" goes to Anuradha for all the work she does week after week. Check out her Granola Muffins along with the links to all my fellow Monday Muffin bakers.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Goat Cheese and Figs Cheesecake Muffins

I'm so glad I was able to join this week's Muffin Monday. My unpredictable work schedule can sometime make me feel like a stranger in my own kitchen so suddenly finding myself with three full days off from work helped me get reacquainted and start baking again. So far I've baked semolina corn bread, made cherry frozen yogurt and bake a chocolate birthday cake for my sister-in-law.

I also baked these Cheesecake Muffins that were easy to put together. Delicious cakey muffins filled with creamy cheese and fresh fruit. The original recipe asked for strawberries but I decided to put figs since I had just got back from picking a basketful of figs off my friend's tree. I used goat cheese since they pair so well with figs.


Goat Cheese and Figs Cheesecake Muffins
makes 12

350g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
140g (3/4 cup) caster (powdered, not confectioner's) sugar
15g (1 TBSP) baking powder
finely grated zest of 2 medium oranges (I used tangerine)
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
250ml (1 cup) whole milk, room temperature
85g (6 TBSP) butter, melted and cooled
175g (6 ounces) goat cheese, room temperature
6 small figs, halved

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Prepare a standard muffin tray with liners.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, zest and salt into a large bowl.
In a small bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and butter and mix together.
Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Batter will be lumpy, do not overmix.
Fill tins halfway with batter. Spoon a teaspoon of goat cheese and top with half a fig. Spoon batter to cover tops.
Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick test is clean. Remove and let it cool slightly before serving.

Soon after the Goat Cheese and Figs Cheesecake Muffins came out of the oven, I've gone and baked another batch. This time using cream cheese (since I've already used all the goat cheese) along with raspberries. These muffins were also a hit. Next time, I will try mascarpone cheese. What other cheese do you think will work?

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Orange-Hibiscus Muffins

The Muffin Monday baking group is to bake Rum Raisin Muffins this week but I'm sure you can already tell these muffins don't have rum nor raisins. Let me explain.

I've been called to work last week, the reason I missed last week's Snickers Muffins, which have left me no time to cook, much less bake. (Thank goodness for my husband who takes up kitchen duties when I'm busy at work.) I didn't have time to shop for ingredients and all I can find in my pantry are dried, sweetened hibiscus flowers. They taste tart and sweet like craisins (dried cranberries) with the texture of fruit roll-ups. I figured these flowers would make a good substitute.

I could have used rum but since I am making these for my children, I decided to soak the flowers in some freshly-squeezed orange juice instead with an added splash of orange flower water to add a floral scent. It smelled heavenly.

The muffins were easy to prepare, having had soaked the hibiscus overnight. Glad to have a little baking time before reporting to work. I brought several to work and snuck away for a little to take pictures. Don't tell the boss. ;)

Orange-Hibiscus Muffins
makes 12 regular-sized muffins

90g (1 cup) dried and sweetened hibiscus flowers, chopped
120ml (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange flower water
245g (1 3/4 cups) flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg
180ml (3/4 cup) milk
38g (1/3 cup) butter, melted

1. Place hibiscus, orange juice and orange flower water in a small bowl. Let it soak at a couple of hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
3. Grease and flour a standard muffin tin.
4. Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large bowl. Make a well in center.
5. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add milk and butter.
6. Add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spoon evenly into the prepared muffin tin.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until it pass toothpick test.
8. Let it cool in pan about 5 minutes. Enjoy.

In the Philippines, we call these flowers gumamela. The information on Hibiscus on Wiki reminded me of those bubble-making days with the neighborhood kids, crushing the flowers and leaves until sticky juices come out. We used the sap to blow bubbles and it worked! :)

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Doughnut Muffins for Muffin Monday

Ever since I joined Muffin Monday, I find myself looking forward more enthusiastically to Mondays. I mean a little baked good can really get your week to a great start. This week's recipe is Doughnut Muffins, the easiest recipe so far.

The original recipe makes about 10 regular-sized muffins. I decided to make mini muffins to mimic the doughnut holes and I yielded 24 minis. These muffins were just slightly sweet, baked with cinnamon and nutmeg, and dipped in more cinnamon sugar once they come out of the oven.

What made baking these muffins really fun for me was the option of adding a jam filling. I went crazy and added what I have in my pantry: candied kumquats, chocolate chips, passionfruit jam and pumpkin butter. :)

While they were baking, I thought to put different toppings so my family will know what's inside. Chocolate ganache for the kumquat, powdered sugar on the chocolate chips, sprinkles on the passionfruit and cinnamon sugar on the pumpkin butter ones.

My boys had lots of fun baking (and eating) these doughnut muffins that they've already requested to bake more this week. They have also made a list of fillings they want to want to try like peanut butter and grape jelly, Nutella, strawberry preserves and peach jam.

I wanted to try adding bacon jam myself. :)

Doughnut Muffins

250g (1 3/4 cup) all purpose flour
10g (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
3g (1/2 tsp) salt
3g (1/2 tsp) ground nutmeg
2g (1/4 tsp) ground cinnamon
150g (3/4 cup) sugar
80ml (1/3 cup) oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
180ml (3/4 cup) milk
fillings: jams, preserves, chocolate, Nutella

cinnamon-sugar topping:
1/4 cup melted butter
50g (1/3 cup) sugar
8g (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Prepare muffin pans, either with pan spray of liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, combine sugar, oil, egg and milk. Stir mixture into the dry ingredients.
Fill pans halfway with batter, add half a teaspoon of desired fillings, top with more batter until 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick test comes clean.
Remove from pan and brush tops with melted butter then dip in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

Spinach Feta Muffins for Muffin Monday

I always think of something sweet when muffins are mentioned so I'm glad to bake these savory Spinach Feta Muffins for this week's Muffin Monday. Along with spinach and feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and more cheese (Parmesan) are also baked in. An easy recipe to put together; I've already made plans to bake them again this week.

When I first received the recipe, right away it reminded me of Spanakopita, the classic spinach pie from Greece baked in phyllo (filo) pastry, so I decided to bake them in phyllo. I already knew they will turn out great since I've already baked cupcakes in phyllo pastry before. I've cut 5-inch squares out of phyllo and used a double layer for each muffin.

Just make sure to carefully remove the muffins from the pan right away. The heat from the pan will create moisture and give your muffins soggy bottoms!


Spinach Feta Muffins
makes 12

The original recipe can be found Taste.com.au which required using self-rising flour. You do not need to buy this since it is easy to make your own. Just add a teaspoon of baking powder and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every cup of flour.


350g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
12g (2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
5g (1/2 tsp) salt
220g (about a bunch) spinach, trimmed, washed, dried & shredded
150g feta cheese, crumbled
85g (about 1/2 cup) sun-dried tomatoes, julienned (I used a whole package from Trader Joe's)
2 TBSP Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
330ml (1 1/3 cups) milk, room temperature
90g (7 TBSP) butter, melted
1 large egg, room temperature
24 pieces 5-inch squares phyllo dough
butter for brushing pans and phyllo
Parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.
Add spinach, feta, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix butter, butter and egg until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare muffin pans. Lightly brush pan with butter. Working quickly, line each with one square of phyllo. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, about 1/4 tsp each. Add another layer of phyllo.
Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined, do not over mix.
Spoon into prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with more Parmesan, if desired.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool in pan for about 2 minutes then carefully remove muffins and set on rack to cool.
Sprinkle even more Parmesan if you like. Enjoy warm or may be served at room temperature.

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.

This week's Muffin Monday Bakers. Please check out their creations:
An Baker Street
Xai  xai eats a lot
Jasmine CookThatBook
Kristen Mind Your trees and Bees
Elizabeth Asian in America

Coffee Cake Muffins for Muffin Mondays

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! I was unexpectedly called to work in short notice and as always, it took longer than planned. I ended up working four weeks straight (mostly 16-hour days) with only a total of two days off. This surely got this little old blog of mine neglected.

So when work finally ended Thursday, I was excited to start cooking and baking again in my own kitchen. Annapet of The Daily Palette and Malou of Skip to Malou suggested I bake muffins with them. I've seen how much fun they've been having putting their own spin on a muffin recipe so of course I said YES.

This week we are baking Coffee Cake Muffins from Martha Stewart. These little cakes are moist and really tender due to sour cream and not only topped but also filled with crumbly streusel. A little mishap when I baked them yesterday, not realizing the recipe yields 12 jumbo size or 24 standard size muffins, I only used 1 standard muffin pan that only holds a dozen so you could probably just imagine the mess that ensued putting double the batter in one muffin pan.

So today, I decided to bake them again using the correct proportions and they came out so much better. I ended up using yogurt for the sour cream since I had used it all from the previous batch. This time, I also added a few sprinklings of Sugar, Chocolate & Coffee Beans before placing them in the oven. I bought this new item, a grinder gadget from Trader Joe's. Basically a pepper mill-type grinder filled with sugar crystals, chocolate and coffee beans. It produces coarse grinds of all three that gives you a little something crunchy-sweet with hints of chocolate and coffee. (though they looked like they were sprinkled with salt and pepper!) I have been putting it on every thing lately, from ice cream and yogurt to buttered toast and cereal. So if there's a Trader Joe's near where you live, I recommend you get one and try it for yourself.

Also want to share you my new cake stand. I know this style have been around awhile but I finally found one (and for a steal, too) so decided to get it as a gift for me for working so hard this past month. The best feature is that I can put different kinds of ribbons through it to match the treats I've baked. Also perfect since I now have another way to use my collection of vintage ribbons. :)

Muffin Monday is an initiative by Baker Street. A culinary journey of sharing a wickedly delicious muffin recipe every week. Drop in a quick line to join her on her journey to make the world smile and beat glum Monday mornings week after week.