Sunday, April 09, 2006

Two Delicious Recipes Even an AMP Can Make

For years I've looked for a scrumptious muffin recipe. Now I've found two. Both are from a terrific website called Epicurious, which hosts a collection of Gourmet Magazine and Bon Appetit recipes that have been rated and reviewed by hundreds of cooks. These two recipes are so good, I just had to include them here - with my own notes and suggestions of course. Enjoy!

Coconut and Macadamia Nut Banana Muffins
Notes:
This recipe will make about 2 dozen muffins. I halved it using 2 eggs and 2 bananas, and it turned out great.
If your macadamia nuts come salted make sure you use unsalted butter and omit the salt.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream
3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted lightly and cooled

Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in the vanilla, the eggs, 1 at at time, the zest, the banana, and the sour cream. Add the flour mixture, beat the batter until it is just combined, and stir in the macadamia nuts and the coconut. Divide the batter into well-buttered and floured muffin tins and bake in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from the pans and let them cool, right sides up, on a rack.

Mix-It-In Muffins
Notes:
This is a delicious basic muffin recipe that you can turn into any style you desire. For example you can mix in
- 1 chopped banana and 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup toasted almonds, 3/4 cup dried cranberries, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup chopped drained canned pineapple and 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- or anything you can thing of

The dough is rather dry, but don't be fooled. The muffins turn out moist and delicious.

If your family can't eat all the muffins the morning they're made, consider halving the recipes because their taste and texture the second day is no where near as delicious as the first.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400°F. and butter twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups.
Into a bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt butter and in a small bowl whisk together with sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir butter mixture (and additional ingredients; see note, above) into flour mixture until just combined. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Enjoy. If you try these, let me know what you think!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm stealing your muffin recepie. I have time to bake this summer! I'll bring some in for ya!
-Bill

KK said...

Yummmmm. I love a man who bakes!