Pancake Muffins

This morning, I decided to make some Pancake Muffins. There is no picture because they were eaten by the boys before I could get a picture. I will make more since they are such a hit with my kids. I hope to be able to update this post with a picture when I make more of these.

Since school started at my house, for my kids. I've been wanting them to have a healthy breakfast before they leave for school. I have seen on Pinterest different posts about Pancake Muffins. I decided to try my hand with it. They are baked in the oven and are SUPER easy to make. My one regret is that I don't have more muffin tins. I can only make 12 at a time. With three boys, sometimes that just isn't enough muffins. My children LOVED these. I hope you like them too. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 cups Krusteez Pancake Mix
2 scoops protein drink powder (I used vanilla)
4-5 Tbsp agave nector
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
3 dashes pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
and enough water to make slightly thinner than normal pancake batter
Chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven 350F.

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl, except the chocolate chips. Place in Non-Stick sprayed muffin tins. Sprinkle with chocolate chips (these will sink to the bottom). Bake for 15 min. Remove from muffin tins and enjoy!

My kids ate these all UP. My middle child was begging for more. These are a nice alternative to typical pancakes with syrup. No syrupy mess and the kids can eat it on the run. They also bake while your helping to get the kids ready for school. I don't have to stand over the griddle making pancakes. I just mix it up, pour in muffin tins and move on to the next thing. You can add fruit or really anything to this. I hope you find these as easy as I do. I'm going to try to make up a bunch and freeze them. So they can just grab, heat in microwave and go to school.

This recipe made 12 plus enough batter left for at least 2 more.

Banana Oatmeal Wheat Muffins

I was craving banana muffins today and I had several bananas that were perfect for banana muffins. So I looked on Pinterest here and found a recipe for Banana Oatmeal muffins. I had all the ingredients except for chocolate chips. I know a travesty but none the less, no chocolate chips. :( I thought I could make it a little healthier if I wanted so I made a few changes to the original recipe. Here is what I did. I have the muffins in the oven right now. I tripled the recipe and made 18 muffins and 2 loafs of banana oatmeal wheat bread.

Banana Oatmeal Wheat Muffins

• 9 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)
• 1 cup vanilla Almond milk (you could use skim but you may want to add a little sweetener)
• 6 eggs
• 3 tbsp Baking powder
• 8 cups (240g) Old Fashion or Rolled Oats
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 9 tbsp (42g) mini chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans.

Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.

Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.

Divide batter into 15 muffin cups. They should be just about filled.

Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch.

The muffins may stick when hot but are removed easily when cooled for a bit.

*For bread bake for 60 minutes.

They look and smell delicious. I hope you give them a try :)

Blueberry Muffins

Today I was feeling quite energetic when it was time to make breakfast. I also, wanted to make something that everyone was in the mood for. Unfortunately for me not everyone was wanting the same thing. I had one child who wanted blackberry pancakes, another two wanted chocolate chip pancakes and a husband who wanted blueberry muffins. I tried to see if he would be happy with blueberry pancakes, but he said whatever, which means... if I have to... So, me being the good wife that I am "trying not to break my arm patting my own back" I know shameless... Back to breakfast. I wanted to make something from scratch. So I made the blueberry muffins first, then the buttermilk pancakes (also from scratch). The cool thing is that the other day when I was at the store, I got some fresh blueberries about 3 (6 oz) containers. I have been dying to make something with them, but my schedule this week has been really crazy and I didn't even make dinner last night, my husband made fish sticks for me. I was so grateful to have something that he could just throw in the oven.  I think having the night of not making dinner, that I was feeling somewhat guilty for not making it, that I catered to everyone today. (I normally don't do this) I don't like catering to everyone with their own tastes. but sometimes it's nice for a little treat.

For the blueberry muffins I used a recipe from my Better homes and Gardens cookbook. This makes 1 dozen regular sized muffins.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (I used canola)
1 6oz container of blueberries
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

Direction:
Preheat oven 400 degrees F
Prepare muffin tins with paper liners or spray with non stick cooking spray. set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir to incorporate the dry ingredients together. Then in a 2 cup measuring cup or small bowl measure the milk and cooking oil and add the egg. Mix together to blend in the egg.  Pour all at once the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir only until moistened, then fold in the blueberries and lemon peel.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. fill each cup aprox. 2/3 full.  Bake in a 400F oven for 20 minutes or til golden brown.  (When pushed slightly on the top of the muffin, it bounces back up quickly muffins are done).

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack or out of muffin tins for 5 min before eating. However, my family can't wait until they are cooled, they cut down the middle of the muffin, and add a little butter and then let it melt and eat it right up!

These were so yummy, my husband had 5 of them. I only have 3 left. They made 12 muffins. I'd say pretty yummy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins with a toasted almond crumb topping

This evening we had FHE (Family Home Evening). We usually have a song, prayer, little lesson, another song, another prayer and a treat. So tonight I was doing my usual last minute "oh no... we need a treat" thing and going through my pantry. I know I'm the only one stressing over treats for the snack. But I know that is how I can get my kids to semi obey and behave for the lesson is if I bribe them with yumminess. Some times its just a cookie, or we go out to ice cream some place cheap. Or even have ice cream at home. Tonight however, I remembered I had bought on sale at Walmart some Pumpkin quick bread mixes. I didn't think they would quite go for pumpkin bread, so I was trying to think of something to do with the mix. When low and behold.... I found a recipe on the side of the box. I quickly read through the ingredients and decided I had everything I needed to make the side recipe, well all except the pecans (my husband is allergic to them). So I found some almond slivers and decided that if I ground them up smaller and toasted them... they would be DELICIOUS! I was so RIGHT!. They are so good. A nice nutty, toasty flavor is just what the doctor ordered. That way they are something (if my husband wanted some) would be able to eat.

Ingredients for cream cheese filling:

1 - 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened (i microwaved mine for 30 seconds to soften)

1 egg

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp lemon peel, grated

Ingredients for Muffins:

1 - 14 oz pkg Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread mix

3/4 cup milk

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg

Ingredients for Crumb topping:

1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds (it originally calls for pecans -non toasted)

3 Tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup pumpkin quick bread mix

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F. Spray 12 muffin cups with no-stick spray.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer in a medium bowl until soft. Add egg, sugar and lemon peel. Beat until smooth.

Empty pumpkin bread mix into a large bowl. Remove 3/4 cup mix and set aside for the topping mixture. Add milk, oil, and egg to remaining mix in large bowl. Stir 50 strokes or until blended no lumps.

Fill each muffin cup with about 1/4 cup batter. (a medium scoop works perfectly). Make indentation in batter with small measuring spoon sprayed with no-stick spray, Or just spoon on top. Put one heaping Tbsp cream cheese mixture in the center of each muffin.

Add melted butter to reserved dry mix. Stir with fork until crumbly. Add nuts (pecans or toasted almond). Crumble about 1 Tbsp over each muffin.

Bake for 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove muffins from pan. Place on baking rack to finish cooling.

The verdict... I ate 2... Braeden ate 2 and wanted more. So delish and tasty. If you like cheese cake and pumpkin quick bread. They are heavenly together.

Homemade English Muffins

My family LOVES English muffins. I find it funny that sometimes I buy them and they don't realize I have them until they've been in the fridge for a long while, but they are still good. :) They they are gone in a blink of an eye. Yesterday I decided to make some homemade ones. I saw on Diner's Drive-in's and Dives that a place in California makes their own English muffins and they didn't look too hard. So, I decided to take the challenge of making my own homemade ones. I looked up in my Better Homes and Garden's cookbook and found a recipe. It looked easy enough. So I decided to make a single batch... (I should have made a double, since I have 3 left out of 17). I was hoping they would last longer, so I didn't have to make them every day... but they may need to be doubled and some stored in the freezer.. So I can make them every other day. Here is the really easy, amazing recipe... (Mind you,... my husband said they were the BEST he's ever had). He's the English Muffin Authority in our house. :)

English Muffin Recipe (found in Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook)

Prep time: 45 Min Rise: 1 1/5 hours Cook: 25 Min

5 1/4 to 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 pkg active dry yeast

2 cups milk

1/4 cups butter, margarine, or shortening

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Cornmeal

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast, set aside. In a medium sauce pan heat and stir milk, butter, margarine, or shortening, sugar and salt just til warm (120F to 130F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to the dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Shape the dough in to a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface, Cover and let rise in a warm place til double in size.

3. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough to slightly less than 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 4-inch biscuit cutter, cut dough into rounds, dipping cutter into flour between cuts. Reroll dough as necessary. dip both sides of each muffin into cornmeal. (If necessary, to make cornmeal adhere, lightly brush the muffins with water). *Cover and let rise in warm place til very light (about 30 min) (*I missed this part...)

4. Cook muffins, four at a time, in an ungreased electric skillet at 325F for 25-30 min or until golden, turning every 5 min. (keep any remaining muffins in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours) Or, cook over low heat on an ungreased large griddle or in several skillets for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, turning frequently.

Cool on wire racks. Split muffins horizontally. To serve, toast or broil muffin halves... - Makes 12 muffins.

Final Verdict...

I didn't let mine rise until very light... (I didn't notice any difference) Also, I used the large griddle. My first batch wasn't as thick as the rest, probably due to the fact that the dough was not risen as much and it was rolled a little thinner. The muffins turned perfect.

This is a great activity to do with your kids. They will love helping flip the muffins, cutting them out, and helping with everything. :) Enjoy!