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.