Fancy Up Your Muffins

We introduced muffins to you last week and many of you bought our new Apple Oat Muffin Mix. Now we're going to tell you how to "fancy up" your muffins. We'll show you how to add a touch of orange to your muffins, put a fancy graham crumb topping on them, or top them with cream cheese. You can do this with your Apple Oat Muffins or a recipe of your choice.

First, for the orange muffins . . .

Pick a recipe that uses baking soda (or baking soda and baking powder) as a leavener. Baking soda is alkaline and needs an acid to complete the chemical reaction that causes the bubbles. Buttermilk is the acid most often used. Since orange juice is an acid, you can use that in place of buttermilk. Add a streusel topping and include one tablespoon of orange zest.

Here is a streusel topping mix that works well:

Orange Nut Streusel Topping

1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon orange zest (the zest from one large orange)
1 tablespoon cold butter

1. Chop the walnuts into small pieces.

2. Stir the walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest together.

3. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry knife or two table knives.

4. Spoon the streusel mixture over the muffin batter evenly before baking.

To put a fancy graham crumb topping on your muffins . . .

Oat-Graham-Brown Sugar Topping

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 sheets of graham crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut in pieces

1. Mix the first four ingredients together.

2. Cut the butter in with a pastry knife.

3. Spoon on top of the muffins.

4. Bake as directed.

To put a cream cheese frosting on your muffins . . .

Cream Cheese Topping

8 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft

2. Add the other ingredients and continue beating until the mixture becomes soft and smooth.

3. Spoon the mixture over the top of the muffins.

4. Bake as directed. The topping will increase baking time by at least several minutes. Be sure and test the muffins for doneness with a toothpick inserted in the center of the largest muffin. If it does not come out clean, continue baking.

For more articles like this visit The Bakers' Library.

© 2004 The Prepared Pantry

---

Rosemary flower candies (Rosemarinus officinalis)

Leave your tic-tacs at home. This medicinal plant provides delicious mouth fresheners to integrate into a balanced healing diet.When a herb or plant has the designation 'officinalis'... Read More

A Healthy Summertime Snack For Your Kids

Oh, for the lazy days of Summer.... As If!Nowadays we all rush around trying to balance two jobs, the kids and running the house. Many of us... Read More

Sweet & Sour Pork (Gu Lao Rou)

Sweet & Sour Pork is the most well known Chinese food abroad. According to a Cantonese chef, the primitive or the authentic cooking method of the dish... Read More

Weight Loss Recipe: Fish In Orange Sauce

Lean protein is your diet is essential to weight loss and weight maintenance. Fish is an excellent source of lean protein as it is lower in fat... Read More

Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts around today. A simple Google search on "cheesecake" returns over 1.6 million results. Isn't that astounding? What is it... Read More

Finding Delicious Cookie Recipes

Many of us have an inner baker inside us that loves to find new cookie recipes to try. But, where do you find new, tried and true,... Read More

Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie: Strudel Makes the Woman

Strudel Makes the WomanGrandpa Max loved butter cookies. He liked his Chivas Regal from a heavy cut-glass decanter, but the little butter cookies with coarse sugar sprinkles... Read More

Zucchini Carrot Salad

Summer is nearing and it is time to start thinking about serving succulent garden grown or farm fresh salads. This zesty Zucchini Carrot Salad recipe is certain... Read More

Noodles

Different cultures have their own way of taking some water and mixing it with an all-purpose flour, a rice flour, a wheat flour and adding either barley,... Read More

Easy-Cheesy Casserole

I have always loved mac-n-cheese, and this variation is one of my favorites!1 pound of browned hamburger1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese2 cups cooked macaroni (or... Read More

Chicken Recipes That Everyone Enjoys!

Chicken recipes are a stable in many people's diets. Many of them are recipes we have made time and time again and others, are special recipes, maybe... Read More

Oregano Dressing - Good for Allergies

An Individual Health Recipe to EnjoyAs the weather becomes warmer our bodies naturally turn to lighter dishes and raw foods. Here is an excellent dressing that is... Read More

Frugal Outdoor Cooking

Firing up the grill is a great way to cook in the summer! Here are a few grilling tips and a couple of recipes, too.For great grilled... Read More

Do You Know How Many Ways There Are To Eat A Cat Head Biscuit?

A time honored Southern tradition, the infamous "Cat Head" biscuit has become as much an icon of southern cooking as fried chicken. Just say the words "Cat... Read More

Party Appetizer Recipes ? So Easy And So Affordable!

These are two of my favorite party appetizer recipes that I used to prepare in parties! They are quick, easy and the ingredients are available in any... Read More

Frugal and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Here it is - that time of year when everyone's thoughts turn to food! I'm thankful that at our house, we have plenty of food, but sometimes... Read More

My Grandmothers Heritage Recipe

The whole thing started when my sister-in-law called to say that she needed a special dessert for her Mother's 75th birthday party. "Don't you have a family... Read More

Grilled Scallops with Ginger-Lime Sauce

Summer time is great for barbequing, but aren't you tired of burgers and hotdogs? At your next party why not try something a little classier. This scallop... Read More

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination of cream cheese and Italian cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. In the early 1920's, this particular... Read More

Weight Loss Recipe: Crustless Quiche

Crust-less QuicheQuick and easy, this meal is great either hot or cold. Stores well in the refrigerator and can be frozen. If you cook it in a... Read More

Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie - The Gravy Train

In all fairness to my mother and the great homemaker that she is, our family did enjoy the fruits of her "from scratch" dishes. She made great... Read More

Swiss Chard - What Do I Do With That?

Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation to prevent spoilage, and microwave cooking.Our food these days, whether of... Read More

Spinach Salad with Mango and Papaya

This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even on the hottest days. For those who like to have a little protein with there salad, both... Read More

Looking for a Great Italian Meatball Recipe?

Looking for a great Italian meatball recipe? Wrap your lips around this one.The Best Meatball RecipeCan be prepared in 45 minutes or less.Ingredients1 pound combined beef, veal,... Read More

Low Fat Pasta: Why and How to Make it.

Making your own pasta is not difficult. It's actually very easy.But you may wonder why would you make your own pasta, when you can buy it pre-packed,... Read More

Nutritious Chocolate Recipes

Are you eating enough fruit lately? How about chocolate? Well, here are three cool ways to make sure you're getting enough of both of these important foodstuffs... Read More