Tag Archives: muffins

Springtime Strawberries

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I recently found myself home with 8 quarts of springtime strawberries. And not just any strawberries, the best strawberries, thanks to the wonderful and generous Three Springs Fruit Farm.

What does one do with enough strawberries to overtake half a fridge? 

Most we ate just fresh. There is nothing better than fresh, local springtime strawberries, just as they are. 1.5 quarts were lovingly washed, sliced and sent to be enjoyed by Greg’s PhD committee members. My good vibes for Greg were sent in with those strawberries.

And, I made these muffins. Some of the best muffins that I have ever consumed. Roasted strawberries, ricotta cheese and lime zest, in a muffin, together. They’re heavenly.

They were a bit time consuming, but when I was given a day off of work due to lots of rain, I got to muffin making. And strawberry photographing. I turned on some music, put on my favorite comfy dress, opened the windows for Ivy cat, and made muffins all day long. It was great. And therapeutic.

I highly suggest you make these muffins if you get a chance. They are so, so tasty. Use local strawberries if possible. Take your time, enjoy the process. Enjoy the muffins!

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Click here for recipe.

Vegan + Gluten Free Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

2 Replies

Please tell me I am not the only person who is not sick of pumpkin.

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I hope not, because these muffins are delicious, and I want everyone to enjoy them.

I did not overdo it on the pumpkin pre-Thanksgiving. I actually had no pumpkin pie during the holiday. Only 1 or 2 pieces of my mom’s delicious pumpkin roll. I did not go so crazy with pumpkin baked goods that I am now burnt out. I am still going, and going strong with these vegan + gluten free pumpkin cranberry muffins. 

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What these muffins are:

-flavorful
-just slightly sweet
-full of plump cranberries
-so amazingly moist
-hearty
-filling
-a great snack
-so healthy

Now, I’ll talk briefly about what these muffins are not. They are not traditional, they are not super soft and fluffy. They are not bakery muffins. They are not what you make for a special occasion. They are not what you make for someone who has no interest in health. 

But, if you are even slightly interested in being healthy, these are the perfect everyday muffin! Yes, I would eat one (or two) of these everyday, and feel good about it, if I could bake enough. Greg and I have been going through them like crazy. I’ve been making batch after batch and they are just so good every single time.

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These muffins were completely inspired by this recipe, for vegan banana muffins from Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen. I have been following her blog for years, and I find many of her recipes and ideas inspiring. (Her recipe was inspired by this one, from Food Loves Writing, also a beautiful post). I made several tweaks from her recipe that I have listed below. 

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I made this recipe gluten free by making my own flour. Sure you could use a gluten free flour blend, but you would not get the hearty texture I am so in love with and quite honestly, I haven’t have great luck in the gluten free flour blend department. Making your own oat + pecan flour for these muffins is fun, affordable, healthy and delicious! Just be sure to note that using this homemade oat + pecan flour will not produce a fluffy, soft, bakery-style muffin. These muffins are dense and hearty in the best possible way. 

And, for anyone reading who doesn’t know about flax eggs, let me tell you just a little about them. Ground flax + water = a great binder in baking that can replace an egg for a vegan option! It works and doesn’t affect taste!

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These muffins are delicious right out of the oven and the same day as being baked but their flavor really enhances as they get older. They get better every day and I have kept them in a sealed container good for up to 8 days! 

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So here you are my friends, healthy + hearty pumpkin cranberry muffins. Hope you enjoy!

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Vegan + Gluten Free Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
Serves 9
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup rolled oats
  2. 1/2 cup raw pecans
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 tablespoon ground flax
  7. 3 tablespoons water
  8. 1 cup pumpkin puree
  9. scant 1/2 cup sugar
  10. 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  11. 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  12. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  13. 1/2 cup dried cranberries, slightly chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350*. Line a muffin pan with 9 paper liners.
  2. Combine the oats, pecans, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a food processor and process for several minutes, until it resembles a fine crumb. The mixture won't be as fine as flour, and that's okay. Set aside.
  3. Add the ground flax seed to a bowl with 3 tablespoons of water and mix to combine. Set aside.
  4. Add the pumpkin puree to a small skillet over medium heat. Cook several minutes, stirring so that it doesn't stick, until the pumpkin doesn't smell as "raw". It should smell slightly sweet.
  5. Add the pumpkin, sugar, melted coconut oil, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon to the bowl with the flax and water. Stir everything together to combine well. Add the oat + pecan flour mixture and stir well to combine. Add the dried cranberries and stir until just incorporated.
  6. Scoop the batter into the nine prepared muffin liners.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/
*Recipe inspired and adapted from these vegan banana muffins from Healthy Green Kitchen

Chai Muffins with Pistachios + White Chocolate

2 Replies

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I hope you had yesterday off, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Let’s talk muffins. And life. Let’s talk muffins and life. 

Life: So as you know, I have been on a much less frequent posting schedule lately. I’ve explained in the past few weeks that moving was happening and food making was not. Then I told you about my job. And while I am not working full-time, I am still trying to find my footing. I’m still figuring out when is the best time to make things to share with you.

And, I want to say thank you, to you, because even with less-than-usual posting, August was the best month ever for The Dreaming Foodie! I’ve had more views in August than in any other month before. Every single person – thank you so very much for reading! 

I’m proud of August. The recipes I’ve shared with you this month are some of the best ever, in my opinion. There were only seven. Yes, seven recipes this entire month, but I’m totally in love with every single one. The month started with super simple and delicious homemade almond joys. With a recipe like that to start, I should have known that this would be a good month. Also, if you missed any from this month, check out:

Corn Soup
Barbecue Lentil Burgers
Spinach + Feta Braid
Cacio e Pepe with Roasted Butternut Squash
Smoked Salmon Quiche
One Pot Fajita Pasta

So, from here I am going to try to continue to bring you recipes to be totally in love with. I’m going for 100% quality over quantity, even if it means only posting twice a week. 

Like I’ve said before, thank you for bearing with me. 🙂

Now, onto muffins!

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I could not be happier to start this month with these muffins!

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I tested, tested, tested this recipe to get it just right. After one too many muffin fails in the past months, I wanted to go into this one completely prepared and set up for success. 

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Let me tell you about it. I saw a little girl at market one day with a pistachio muffin. I was instantly intrigued. I love pistachios. And, I love pistachio ice cream. Since I was working and unable to get a muffin of my own, I knew I wanted to try my hand at pistachio muffins. 

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I started brainstorming and searching the internet and saw that Cooking Light did a pistachio-chai muffin. Okay, that was my new plan. Chai muffins with pistachios. And then I decided to add white chocolate. Because chocolate is never a bad idea. 

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Okay, so I had my flavors. Chai, pistachio, white chocolate. I then moved on to making the muffin itself the best it could be.

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I researched. I made decisions. I didn’t want my muffin to be overly sweet, so decided to use minimal sugar. I figured out baking soda/powder amounts that would produce a good rise/neutralize the acid in my muffin. I decided to use buttermilk instead of regular since I love the taste of buttermilk. I decided to use butter as my fat over oil (never go wrong with butter!). I decided to pulse some oats and add them to the dry part of the batter to add some texture.

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I took notes. I researched more. I wrote down tips: a thick/lumpy batter is what you’re looking for, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. And I finally had a recipe. My first trial turned out pretty darn good. I was so excited. The work I put into the recipe paid off, it was not another added to the list of muffin disasters. 

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I tasted the muffin, I took notes on what I wanted to improve. And I preformed trial 2. Then trial 3. Trial 3 is what you see in the photos and the recipe I’m sharing with you today. 

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This muffin is lightly spiced with chai tea bags. Chai is a flavor combo of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, black pepper and cloves. Most people are familiar with chai lattes. Chai works just as well in baked goods. In addition to having wonderful flavor, these muffins are soft and fluffy. 

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The pistachio and white chocolate flavors work wonderfully with the chai. They add a crunch and sweetness that will be hard to resist.

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These muffins are layered: chai batter, pistachio/white chocolate mixture, and then repeated. The layering is a great way to incorporate texture/flavor though the entire muffin. 

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Although this is not a completely traditional muffin, I hope that you give it a try. 🙂 

Chai Muffins with Pistachios + White Chocolate
Yields 9
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
  2. 1/2 cups oats
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 1/2 chai tea bags
  7. 5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  8. 1/2 cup sugar
  9. 2 egg whites, at room temperature
  10. 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
  11. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  12. 1/3 cup pistachios, shelled
  13. 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
  14. Small drizzle coconut oil or water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375*. Prepare a muffin pan with 9 muffins liners, lightly sprayed.
  2. Start by prepping some of the ingredients. Add the 1/2 cup oats to a food processor and pulse until the oats are a coarse meal (see photo above). Remove from the processor and set aside.
  3. Add the pistachios and white chocolate chips to the food processor. Process, with a small drizzle of oil or water, until they have become a coarse meal (see photo above). Remove from processor and set aside.
  4. In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, processed oats, baking powder, soda, salt and chai tea. Mix with a whisk. Set aside.
  5. In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg whites and mix well, until pale and creamy. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until just incorporated.
  6. Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry one and using a spoon, mix until just combined.
  7. Using a mini ice cream scoop (or a spoon), place one scoop of batter into each prepared muffin liner.
  8. Layer one heaping teaspoon of the pistachio/white chocolate mixture on top of the batter.
  9. Top that with one more scoop of batter, followed by a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of the pistachio/white chocolate mixture.
  10. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  11. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Pumpkin + Cinnamon Muffins

3 Replies

I still have break brain. And I don’t know what to do.

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I’ve only been back to class a few days since spring break, but I’m having trouble finding my groove.

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These muffins gave me comfort during a week of discomfort. My mind has been all over the place, but at least I had these to enjoy. 🙂

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The smell of these alone was enough to warm me up. The sweet cinnamon scent was incredible. It filled my apartment and made digging in immediately unavoidable.

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These muffins are soft, sweet and full of rich cinnamon flavor. The pumpkin flavor is subtle, but compliments the cinnamon perfectly.

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If you make these muffins, I hope that they bring you as much comfort as they brought  me.

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Method:

Dry:
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Wet:
1 c. pureed pumpkin
1 c. milk (I used almond)
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled

Topping:
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400*. Line and grease 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Add dry ingredients to a bowl. Mix with a whisk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, add wet ingredients. Mix with a spoon. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until well combined.

In a third bowl, add cinnamon filling ingredients. Mix until a thick paste forms. Set aside.

Fill each muffin liner with a spoonful of batter. I used a mini ice cream scoop. Then, top with about a teaspoon of cinnamon filling. Add another spoonful of muffin batter on top of the cinnamon layer. Top with additional cinnamon and chopped pecans.

Bake muffins in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

Banana Muffins

4 Replies

A Friday morning, snow falling out your window, a steaming cup of coffee in front of you. What’s missing from this picture?

Muffins

These soft, comforting banana muffins!

Muffins make such a great breakfast, snack or dessert. These muffins are just the right amount of sweet and the crunchy top compliments that soft inside perfectly.

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It is hard to eat just one!

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Method

Preheat oven to 400*. Line and grease 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan.

Start with:

3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix together in a bowl.

Next:

2 ripe bananas
1/3 c. applesauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together and then add to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Scoop batter into muffin liners, about 3/4 full.

Crumb topping:

1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2.5 Tbsp. butter, cubed

Combine ingredients in a bowl, and using the back of a fork or a pastry blender, mix the ingredients until “crumby.” Spoon crumb topping onto each muffin.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Fauxmartha 

Enjoy!