Apple Muffins with Maple Drizzle

So the meeting I had this morning was cancelled and is now rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Since it's at 10:00 AM, I decided to go with muffins yet again. I had three apples in the fridge that I was going to use for coffee cake but then never got around to it, so I decided to use them for this recipe.

Again, I adapted it ever so slightly. Instead of melted butter, I used canola oil. It also called for maple syrup in the muffins, but I used agave instead.

For the Muffins

1 1/3 cups AP flour 1 cup quick-cooking oats 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 tbsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup canola oil 1/4 cup agave 1 1arge egg, slightly beaten 2 cups chopped, peeled apples (This is about 2 apples, but I used all 3 that I had.)

For the Glaze 1/3 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.


[pre-whisked]

3. In a small bowl, mix milk, oil, agave and egg; stir into dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.


[before]


[after]

4. Fold in apples.


[before]


[after]

5. Fill each cup about 2/3 full.

6. Bake 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done.

7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

8. For glaze, mix sugar and syrup; drizzle over muffins.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

I was supposed to have a training session this morning with one of the departments at work. (It was cancelled at the last minute.) I was trying to figure what to make for the meeting since it was scheduled from 11:00 to noon, and I didn't want anyone to get grumbly for lunch. I decided to make this recipe, which is from the book Baked.

Baked was an impulse clearance purchase. This was the first thing I've made from it, but I think I'll like this book. There are intriguing recipes, certainly ones that I would definitely try at least once (root beer cake served with vanilla ice cream? check). Also, I've decided that Renato Poliafito (pictured on the left, below) is my new baker crush.

I ended up making it this morning, and it didn't take very long at all. I adapted the recipe a bit, using canola oil instead of melted butter and skim milk instead of whole milk. (Who has whole milk in their fridge if they don't have little kids?)

What You Need 

1.5 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas) 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup canola oil 1/4 cup skim milk 1 large egg

1.5 cups AP flour 1 tsp instant espresso powder 1.5 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with liners.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together bananas, sugars, oil, milk, and egg.

3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

4. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Fill each cup about 2/3 full. (You can fill it 3/4 full; I only fill it 2/3 full because I don't like a huge dome on my muffins or cupcakes.)

6. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Move the muffin pan to a cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and let them finish cooling on the cooling rack.