Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

From smittenkitchen.com

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely cubed

extra brown sugar for topping the muffins

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease and flour a standard muffin pan.

Whisk together the whole wheat flour, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together and add the brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Mix in the buttermilk gently. Scrape the bowl, and stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the apple chunks, and fill the muffin cups equally. Sprinkle and generous amount of brown sugar on top of each muffin to give it a sweet, crunchy top. Bake for 10 minutes at 450, turn the oven to 400, and bake for 5 more minutes. Cool the muffins before serving.

Honey Chai Cupcakes

These are incredible. I'm a huge tea drinker, and I'm so ready for fall and the flavors that accompany it that I decided to make these cupcakes to say farewell to the summer (even though it's still August).

Cupcakes:

3 chai tea bags

2/3 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons), melted

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

THESE ARE SO DELICIOUS. Literally, I cannot describe to you how good these are. You just have to make them.

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 stick of butter (4 tablespoons)

1 egg

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

a few tablespoons of sugar to sprinkle on top

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper cups. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another larger bowl, cream together the sugar and the butter for about 2 minutes. Add the egg, lemon extract, and zest and beat until completely combined. Add the flour mixture a little at a time. Stir in the sour cream. Divide the batter equally in the cups. On top of the batter in each separate cup, create a layer of blueberries and sprinkle with sugar. This gives the cupcakes a crunchy texture on top that meshes well with the lemon glaze and softness of the cupcake. Bake the cupcakes 18-20 minutes, and let cool completely before drizzling the glaze and serving.

To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. It should look thick enough to spread, but thin enough to move around in the bowl. Drizzle over the cupcakes, and it should create a bit of a shell and harden a little.

Mini Chocolate Soufflés

1/3 cup sugar plus some extra to sprinkle inside the ramekins

5 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

3 egg yolks

6 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter 4 to 6 ceramic ramekins and sprinkle with sugar. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; stir until smooth. When chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and stir in the egg yolks. The mixture will stiffen. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites and a pinch of salt at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar, a little at a time, and when all of the sugar has been added, beat the mixture on high until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. Stir a cup of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten, and then add the entire chocolate mixture to the remaining egg white mixture. Fold gently until completely combined. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into separate prepared ramekins. Bake for 24-26 minutes or until puffed and crusted on top. They should still jiggle in the center. Let cool for a few minutes, and they're ready to be served or top with whipped cream, powdered sugar, fresh fruit, or whatever other topping sounds good.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This was a Paula Deen recipe that I used to make jumbo cupcakes for the Fourth of July. They were so rich and delicious that I would actually recommend sticking with the standard cupcake size.

Cupcakes:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:

1 pound softened cream cheese

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard or jumbo sized muffin pan with paper cups. In one bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. In a larger bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. In multiple additions, sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Bake at 350 for 20 to 22 minutes for standard cupcakes and 26 to 28 minutes for jumbo cupcakes.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar until completely combined. Stir in vanilla. Frost or pipe the icing onto the cupcakes after they have cooled completely.

Banana Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 ripe mashed bananas

In one bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. In multiple additions, whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When well combined, whisk in the mashed bananas. Pour onto heated griddle and let the pancakes cook for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Keep checking as they cook, but be patient; these take a bit, but they're completely worth it. You could also add blueberries, chocolate chips, or pecans or make a flavored syrup, but I just stuck to the basic maple syrup and added some fresh banana on top.

Yellow Cupcakes

I was inspired by the summer and my amazing job at The French Bouquet. So I made them my favorite cupcakes and decorated them with white chocolate daisies. I love my job, I love flowers, and I love cupcakes.

Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup milk

Icing: (Hershey's. It's delicious, and I can't make better.)

1 stick butter, melted

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the decorations:

1 to 2 cups of white chocolate chips or white almond bark

1 teaspoon cream/half and half/milk (optional)

yellow icing dye (Don't use food coloring. It causes the chocolate to seize because it's water-based.)

Lay out a large sheet of wax paper on a sheet pan or flat surface. Melt the chips in the microwave or with a double boiler, stir in the cream, and set aside a small amount to dye yellow (for the centers of the flowers). Using a spoon, ladle petal-shaped white chocolate onto the wax paper. Do the same with the yellow chocolate but form circles instead of petals. Allow the chocolate pieces to chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. When ready to decorate, carefully remove from the wax paper and place on cupcakes.

Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In one bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter an sugar for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla, and mix well. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, ending with dry ingredients. Mix only until combined and try not to overmix for the best texture. Pour the batter into a paper cup-lined standard muffin pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing: Place cocoa in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix well. Alternate adding powdered sugar and milk. Stir in vanilla. (It makes about 2 cups, so if you plan to double the cupcake recipe, you'll have enough icing for both batches for sure.) Frost cupcakes with the icing and decorate with the white chocolate by arranging the pieces in the shape of a flower.