Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Aside from the Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Blossoms, I haven't done much baking lately. Our little boy who is now 2 months old loves being held! That said, it's been pretty difficult to spend a decent amount of time in the kitchen. I finally decided to put him in the Bjorn and at least attempt to bake. He loved it! He observed everything I was doing and then about 20 minutes later he fell asleep. Anyway, back to the muffins... I wanted to use up the lemons we had on our counter, so I decided to make lemon poppy seed ones. They're sweet, moist and very flavorful. It's taken me quite a while to find a lemon muffin that I really love, but I think I've finally come up with one! The key to getting that good lemon flavor is using a lot of zest. I used two lemons and thought that these were perfect, but I also used fresh lemon juice to add to the flavor too. The crumb is moist, slightly dense and crammed full of poppy seeds. I topped them with a light vanilla glaze (feel free to omit) which gave them a more dessert-like taste. Hopefully you'll love these as much as we did- I think this recipe is a keeper and will definitely be making these in the future!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients

1 c. flour

½ c. cake flour

¾ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

10 tbsp. (1 stick + 2 tbsp) butter, room temperature

2 eggs

¾ c. sour cream

¾ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 2 lemons

2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Vanilla glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. milk

¾ tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugars and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and poppy seeds.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream. Mix until incorporated.

5. Fill each muffin tin ⅔ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely. 

6. Whisk all ingredients for glaze together in a small mixing bowl. Dip tops of muffins in the glaze, swirl upside down to remove any excess. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before eating.

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 standard size muffins

Cinnamon Sugar Banana Nut Muffins

I always find myself with one overly ripe banana left on my kitchen counter. Since most recipes for banana bread or banana cookies call for more than one banana it's always tricky to figure out how to use it. Last week I tossed it in a smoothie and the week before I bit the bullet and ate it. But this time around I thought I'd bake up a small batch of muffins using only one large spotted banana. That's right... it's a half batch. Aside from the fact that we only had 1 banana, we can never eat an entire batch of 12 muffins, so 6 just seemed practical. If you happen to have two ripe bananas then go ahead and double it. I wanted to experiment a little with this recipe. I knew I wanted to use a little bit of whole wheat flour but I also wanted to add nuts and some kind of topping that wasn't crumbly or overwhelming. I ended up using ¼ c. of whole wheat flour, which made them just a little more wholesome and then tossed in  ¼ c. of chopped pecans. The topping is a cinnamon sugar mixture that you sprinkle on top once you've scooped the batter into the muffin tin. Have you ever walked by one of those nut stands at a sporting event, you know, the ones that sell those cinnamon sugar coated pecans? Yep, your entire house will smell like one of those!

Cinnamon Sugar Banana Nut Muffins
Ingredients
¾ c. all-purpose flour (or 1 c. if you don't want to use wheat)
¼ c. whole wheat flour
⅓ c. brown sugar
1 egg
6 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. sour cream or buttermilk
½ c. mashed ripe bananas, from one large banana
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon, heaping
¾ tsp. vanilla
¼ c. chopped nuts, plus more to sprinkle on top

Cinnamon sugar sprinkle:
1 tbsp. sugar
¹⁄₈ tsp. cinnamon, heaping

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or line six wells of a standard size muffin pan, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Add sour cream (or buttermilk) and mashed bananas, mix on low for 30 seconds. Add egg and vanilla, mix until just combined.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk together then with mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chopped nuts. Using a large scoop, fill each well ¾ of the way full (or a little more if you have some extra). Sprinkle with extra nuts. In a small bowl combine cinnamon and sugar, sprinkle mixture over the tops of each muffin.
4. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. The tops should be lightly golden brown and they should be nice and firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 2-3 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve just by themselves or with some whipped cinnamon butter!
NOTE: You will want to double this recipe for 12 muffins
Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 6 standard size muffins

Blueberry Peach Coffee Cake Muffins

The other morning I woke up wanting to make muffins. So far with this pregnancy I've been craving two things: fruit and peanut butter. With a counter full of fresh peaches and blueberries, I decided to make a batch of coffee cake muffins. I was a little hesitant about using so much fruit in one muffin but these turned out to be one of the best muffins I've made in a while- I loved them!!! They're light and fluffy and topped with a crunchy cinnamon crumb topping. The thing I like the best about these is that they just get better with time. The following day I ate two for breakfast and the flavors were even more bright and delicious! I think these would be great with blackberries or raspberries too... the options seem endless!

Blueberry Peach Coffee Cake Muffins
Ingredients
½ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. cake flour
½ c. sugar
6 tbsp. (¾ stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
¼ c. sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 peach, sliced thinly and skin removed
⅓ c. blueberries

Cinnamon crumb topping:
½ c. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. brown sugar
4 tbsp. (¼ stick) butter, melted
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one muffin tin with regular baking cups, tulip baking cups or panettone baking cups, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat on medium until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg, mix then egg yolk. Mix in vanilla until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. With mixing speed on low, alternate dry ingredients with sour cream and milk. Mix until the batter is smooth and no flour pockets remain.
4. To make the cinnamon crumb topping, in a small bowl whisk together flour, sugars and cinnamon. Pour the melted butter over and using your hands, mix until it becomes clumpy.
5. Scoop 1 tbsp. of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup, spread to cover the entire base. Place a few slices of peaches over. Cover with remaining batter, then top with remaining peaches and the blueberries. Sprinkle the crumb topping over each, gently pressing it down. You will notice that there is a generous amount of topping, you'll want to use it all!
6. Place into oven and bake for 25-28 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops of the muffins are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Life Made Simple Original Recipe | Makes 12 standard size muffins

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

 I woke up the other morning determined to bake a batch of muffins. I headed straight into my kitchen, opened the cupboards and realized what little I had to work with. Apparently over the past few weeks I've really neglected my baking supplies and not only failed to replenish the really important items like flour, but I never stocked up on dairy products like butter or whole milk. So I worked with what I had. Isn't that what we should be doing anyway? I really didn't want to run to the store just for flour and milk, so I made adjustments here and there and came up with a recipe that produced really yummy muffins! They turned out nice and crunchy on top (I attribute that to the cake flour, if you don't have any just use 1½ c. of all-purpose) and super moist and flavorful inside. These muffins were a big hit with me, and would certainly please any of my poppy seed muffin loving family members! What kind of poppy seed muffins do you or your family love? Almond, lemon, banana? I've even seen a blueberry combo! Yum!

Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
Ingredients
1 c. flour
½ c. cake flour
1 c. sugar
9 tbsp. (1 stick + 1 tbsp) butter, room temperature
2 eggs
¾ c. sour cream
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tbsp. poppy seeds

2 tbsp. slivered almonds, for top

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, almond extract and poppy seeds.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream. Mix until incorporated.
5. Fill each muffin tin ⅔ of the way full. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Place in oven and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 standard size muffins

Cranberry-Orange Marmalade Muffins

 I'll be honest with you all, when I found out that the new GYCO challenge from White Lights on Wednesday and Four Marrs and One Venus was all about cranberries, I was a little nervous. Cranberries aren't really my thing. In fact I can't even remember the last time I ate something with cranberries in it. But since I don't like to turn down a challenge, I decided to do a little research and try out a muffin recipe. I feel like you can't go wrong with muffins, they're just one of those things you can't mess up. So I adapted a recipe, whipped it up and popped a pan into the oven. I was a bit nervous about the wet looking texture of them, but once they cooled and I glazed them, they turned out just fine! These muffins have a subtle orange flavor to them with flecks of zest and peel from the marmalade. The cranberries add a pop of tartness and zing. They're perfect for the season and will definitely brighten up your day!

Cranberry-Orange Marmalade Muffins
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. + 2 tbsp. sugar
4 tbsp. (½ stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
¼ c. sour cream, room temperature
¾ c. whole milk, room temperature
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Zest of 1 orange
2 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
¼ c. orange marmalade (I used Smucker's)
1½ c. fresh cranberries

Orange juice glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. orange juice
½ tsp. orange zest (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line two muffin tins. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter, sugar, sour cream, and milk. Beat until smooth. Add vanilla bean paste, orange extract, and orange zest. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
4. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in marmalade and cranberries, do not over-mix. Scoop batter into prepared pans filling each ¾ of the way full (be careful not to overfill). Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the tops and edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping in glaze (about 20 minutes).
5. While muffins are cooling, prepare the glaze by combining the orange juice, powdered sugar and zest in a small bowl. Whisk to combine or until the mixture is smooth and no powdered sugar lumps remain. Dip each cooled muffin into the glaze, keeping them upside down and swirling them to remove any excess glaze (this will prevent them from dripping). Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Back In The Day Bakery, Cranberry-Orange Muffins | Makes approximately 16 muffins

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Since I have a thing for cheesecake and coffee cake, I thought combining the two in a pumpkin muffin would be pretty darn amazing. It just made sense to me, you know? I'm glad I did, because these babies are incredibly good! I love the idea of cream cheese in muffins, whether it be chocolate muffins, strawberry muffins or pumpkin muffins- it's really a great ingredient. Combine it with some cinnamon and vanilla... oh man, it melts together while baking and tastes like a bite of cheesecake once it cools! The topping on these is crunchy and sweet and gives these muffins a little extra something (or what I would call the coffee cake topping). These really are a little taste of heaven!

Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

1½ c. flour

1½ c. sugar

½ c. brown sugar, packed

½ c. canola oil

2 eggs

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

For the filling:

4 oz. Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese

½ c. powdered sugar

¹⁄₈ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. cinnamon

For the topping:

2½ tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar. packed

2 tbsp. butter, melted

pinch of salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 muffin tins with 16 cupcake liners. Set aside.

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the filling. Mix together with a spatula until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

3. To make the topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until incorporated.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugars, oil and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add vanilla and one egg, mix. Add the second egg and mix until combined.

5. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. With mixing speed on low, gradually and to wet ingredients. Mix until smooth. 

6. Scoop batter into liners filling ¼ of the way full. Place a gum ball sized dollop of filling in each, then cover with remaining batter until each liner is filled ¾ of the way full. Sprinkle with chunks of topping. Place in oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and place pans on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins and letting them cool on the rack for 15 minutes.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, Pumpkin Muffins | Makes approximately 16 standard size muffins

Biscoff Coffee Cake Muffins

Yesterday fall finally crept in. We woke up to a cold dark house. I stumbled into the kitchen, opened the shutters and was pleasantly surprised to see that the mountains had been dusted with snow. While Stephen packed up his things and headed out the door to school, I rummaged around the kitchen looking for something to eat. While waiting for my oatmeal to cook I decided to make a small batch of coffee cake muffins. I stirred in some Biscoff spread to give them that 'spiced' flavor that I love so much. Out they came and I gobbled them up along with the rest of my breakfast. These will definitely become a staple in our house this fall, alongside those pumpkin cinnamon rolls and apple pie muffins. Waking up and eating freshly baked goods is probably the best way to start the day!

Biscoff Coffee Cake Muffins

Ingredients
1¾ c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

8 tbsp. (1 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1 c. sour cream
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. smooth Biscoff Spread

Topping:

½ c. all-purpose flour

¼ c. brown sugar

3 tbsp. butter, cold

1 tbsp. smooth Biscoff Spread
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard size muffin tins (you might have a few empty liners at the end, just take them out if that's the case). Set aside.
2. To prepare topping, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in Biscoff Spread and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, sugar and sour cream until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla, cinnamon and one egg. Mix until incorporated. Add the last egg, mix just until incorporated.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. When mixture is combined, remove 1 c. of batter. Place into a small bowl and add in Biscoff spread.
5. Divide batter between cupcake liners. Fill each ½ way full with normal batter. Scoop a dollop of Biscoff batter on top and swirl (this should make it so the liners are ⅔ - ¾ of the way full). Generously sprinkle each with crumble topping. Place in oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
6. Remove from oven and let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove muffins and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, Sour Cream Coffee Cake | Makes approximately 18 standard size muffins

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Summer isn't over yet, right?! I refuse to give up all of the yummy fruit we've been eating, especially blueberries! Don't get me wrong, I've got my fall baking all planned out (crazy, I know) but I there are few things greater than fresh fruit. So until September is over, I will be sharing with you a handful of summery recipes. Deal? I'll start off with these muffins. They make a perfect morning treat or a tasty afternoon snack. I've loaded them up with fresh berries and topped them with a sweet crunchy crumble. If you're looking to lighten things up a bit, you can always use low-fat sour cream, yogurt and milk (and even egg whites too). Enjoy!

Blueberry Crumble Muffins

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

4 tbsp. (¼ stick) butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 c. sour cream

⅓ c. blueberry yogurt

½ c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. baking powder

1½ c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Crumb topping:

⅓ c. flour

2 tbsp. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

4 tbsp. (¼ stick) butter, cold

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 muffin tins, set aside.

2. To prepare crumb topping, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sour cream, yogurt and milk, mix until smooth (2 minutes or so). Add vanilla and egg, mix until incorporated.

4. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients.

5. Remove bowl from stand, gently fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin tins, filling each ¾ of the way full. Generously sprinkle tops with crumble. Place in oven and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the tops turn golden brown in color.

6. Remove from oven and let cool in tins for 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from The New Best Recipe, Blueberry Muffins | Makes approximately 16 muffins

Strawberries & Cream Bread

Lately I've been craving strawberries, am I the only one? I think I've bought 3 boxes from Harmons this week. I may or may not have eaten ¾ of them by myself. Anyway, I opened the fridge and the few that were left were starting to get mushy. Since I'm a big texture person and I have a hard time eating mushy fruit, I decided to toss them in some sweet bread. Instead of making a standard loaf, I got out my mini loaf pan (which I love!) and made a batch of bite-sized minis (and a few muffins too). This bread is incredible versatile and would work really well with peaches or blueberries too. But... if you're going to make some, do it will strawberries first, I think you'll be very pleased! Enjoy ☺

Strawberries & Cream Bread

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

2 eggs

6 tbsp. strawberry yogurt (or plain)

1 tbsp. milk

2-3 tsp. lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

1¼ c. strawberries, rinsed, dried and chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare desired pan (mini loaf pan or muffin tins) by greasing/flouring it.* Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, on medium speed, beat together butter, cream cheese, yogurt, milk and sugar (approximately 2-3 minutes).

3. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix until incorporated.

4. In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

5. Remove bowl from stand, gently fold in strawberry pieces. Scoop dough into prepared pan. Place in oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown in color. 

6. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place onto a wire rack to cool completely (20-30 minutes).

*For a 9x5 loaf, bake for 55-60 minutes

Adapted from My Baking Addiction, Fresh Strawberry Bread | Makes approximately 1 standard loaf, 10 mini loaves or standard 24 muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yesterday I woke up and discovered that our bananas were far too brown to eat. I wanted to make something I could have for breakfast so I mashed them up and made these really easy banana muffins (adapted from my Mom's banana bread recipe). Normally I'd top them with nuts but I had a small amount of mini chocolate chips up in the cupboard so I tossed them in. I'm glad I did! They turned out to be way more delicious than expected! Banana and chocolate, how could you go wrong? I can definitely see myself making these again! Enjoy and happy Friday!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 c. very ripe bananas, mashed (1-2)

¼ c. (4 tbsp.) butter, room temperature
¼ c. buttermilk
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla
½ c. mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin with spray or 12 paper liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla, beating just until incorporated.
3. Mash bananas on a plate using a fork. Add bananas to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until smooth.
4. In a medium size mixing bow, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk. Mix until combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips, saving a few to sprinkle on top of each muffin.
5. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each ⅔ of the way full (sprinkle chocolate chips on top if desired).
6. Place in oven and bake for approximately 22-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffins tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer muffins onto wire rack to cool completely.
Stephen + Natalie Family Recipe | Makes approximately 12 muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins

It seems like we always have a few overly ripe bananas sitting on our counter. I'm constantly tossing them in the freezer to use in bread or cookies, but today I wanted to see if I could find another use for them. I looked on Pinterest and came across this Good Life Eats recipe. Since I didn't have Greek yogurt or whole wheat flour on hand, I adjusted the recipe accordingly. 

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients

1 c. + 2½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
⅓ c. sugar
⅓ c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt

1 egg
¾ c. banana, mashed
⅓ c. plain yogurt or sour cream
4 tbsp. butter, melted

½ tsp. vanilla
¼ c. chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a standard size muffin tin with 12 cups.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the banana puree, yogurt (or sour cream), egg, and vanilla. Beat on low until combined. Add the melted/cooled butter, mix on low for 10 seconds.
4. With mixing speed on low, slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not overmix. Remove bowl from stand and fold in chocolate chips (if desired).
5. Using a cookie scoop, fill each muffin tin ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Good Life Eats, Triple Chocolate Banana Bread Muffins | Makes approximately 12 muffins

Peach Cobbler Muffins

June marks the beginning of peach season, so what better way to celebrate than to bake them into delicious little muffins. I love any fruit-filled muffin and these are no exception. They are moist, sweet and packed full of soft succulent peach bits. After a couple of minutes baking in your oven, your whole house will smell like peach cobbler... it's absolutely wonderful.☺

Peach Cobbler Muffins
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. granulated sugar
4 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
¾ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ c. fresh peaches, in ¼"-½" cubes

Topping:
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and granulated sugar. Whisk and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine buttermilk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. With mixing speed on low, slowly pour in the dry ingredients. Once combined, remove bowl from stand and fold in peaches.
4. Using a cookie scoop, fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way full. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl, then using a pastry brush or a spoon, spread the mixture lightly over each muffin top.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes (tops should be golden brown), or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from The Back In The Day Bakery Cookbook, Peach Cobbler Muffins | Makes approximately 12-16 muffins

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

Since we're leaving for the summer, I've been trying to clean the refrigerator, cupboards, and the counters. We've had a lemon sitting around in our fruit basket for a few days and I figured the only time I'd use it was if I made muffins. Luckily our friend Eric was staying with us this past weekend so baking a full batch of muffins wasn't a big deal (it's hard for the two of us to eat 12 muffins). I whipped these up in a matter of minutes and we ate them right out of the oven. They were warm, soft, and had a subtle lemon flavor. They were the perfect start to our morning.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour

8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon + 1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. poppy seeds

1 c. sour cream (or yogurt)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line a muffin pan with liners.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream. Mix until incorporated.
5. Fill each muffin tin ⅔ of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (these muffins don't get very brown on top). Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
Adapted from Joy of Baking- Poppy Seed Muffins | Makes approximately 12-15 muffins

Apple Pie Muffins

If you're anything like me, and you love apple pie, you're going love these muffins! When I got up this morning and looked around the kitchen for something to make, I spotted a bag of apples I had purchased earlier in the week. Since baking a pie (and eating it) is a lot of work and kind of impractical for the two of us, I thought I could use them in muffins... breakfast muffins that would taste just like apple pie. I knew I could eat my fair share, but I wasn't sure my husband would, so I asked him. He said, "muffins with apples and oats, what am I, a pony?" I figured he wouldn't be too keen on the oats, but as soon as the muffins came out of the oven, he gobbled one up. If you aren't a huge fan of oats, just omit them and increase the flour to a half cup. They'll be just as good!

Apple Pie Muffins
Ingredients
2½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. butter, room temperature
1 c. buttermilk (or 1 c. milk + 1 tbsp. lemon juice, sit for 10 min)
¼ c. plain applesauce
1 egg
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. apple pie or pumpkin pie spice
1½ c. Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced

Topping:
⅓ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. brown sugar, packed
¼ c. rolled oats
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with papers.
2. To make the batter, in a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and spices. Whisk together until incorporated, set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add egg, applesauce, and vanilla, mix on low until combined. With mixer on low speed, alternate buttermilk and dry ingredients, adding about ⅓ of each mixture at a time, until remaining ingredients are gone. Remove bowl from stand and fold in apples. Scoop mixture in to prepared muffin tin (fill just a tad bit over ¾ of the way).
4. To prepare the topping, in a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix until clumps begin to form. Sprinkle over each individual muffin. Place in oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The muffins should have a little spring to them and the topping should be golden brown and crunchy.
5. Remove and let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Sprinkled with Flour- Apple Pie Streusel Muffins | Makes approximately 18 muffins

Doughnut Muffins

They're the best of both worlds. Need I say more?

Spiced Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. milk (1% works great)

OPTIONAL 3/4 c. cooked granny smith apples (1/4" cubes)

Topping options:

*GLAZE*

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1 c. confectioners sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. milk

*CINNAMON AND SUGAR*

1 tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 c. sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

7) 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.

8) Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

9) Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

10) Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

(recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)