Double Chocolate Muffins

I'm on the count down for the last muffins to be posted during March Madness Muffin Mania Marathon  Month. I have 3 more muffins to share counting these yummy and wholesome Double Chocolate Muffins.  I always think there has to be at least one serving of chocolate whenever we make something   don't you? It should be counted as one of the major food groups right?  If you are a chocolate lover like I am, but also love healthy wholesome food, this recipe is one you will like.  It is made with "White" whole wheat flour, butter, buttermilk and eggs,  cocoa powder and chocolate chips.  

Double Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups "White Wheat" Whole Wheat flour

2/3 cup Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Sucanat or Organic Sugar

1/2 cup Butter, softened

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Buttermilk

1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Prepare a twelve cup muffin pan muffin with Cupcake liners, or spray with cooking spray.
3. In a medium mixing bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer or whisk.  Add eggs one at a time and mix well.  
5. Add buttermilk and vanilla and mix until evenly blended.
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until evenly blended.
7. Add Chocolate  Chips and stir until evenly distributed.
8. Divide evenly into the twelve muffin cups.
9. Bake 15- 20 minutes, until tooth pick comes out clean.
10. Delicious served warm or cold with butter.

Reuben Sandwich Muffins

This muffin was inspired by the Corned Beef left overs I had this week.  I cooked up a nice one in  crockpot last week, and had quite a bit left over.  When Corned Beef goes on sale the week of St. Patrick's day, I always buy one or two. It has become a seasonal treat the way turkey is at Thanksgiving time. One of Steve's favorite sandwiches is the Reuben Sandwich, which is reason number #2 for this muffin. I was looking at my left over Corned Beef and thought why not a Reuben Sandwich in Muffin format.  So here they are.  They turned out delicious, and were very good served with potato salad.

Begin by gathering your ingredients:

2 cups Corned Beef cooked and chopped

8 oz of Sauerkraut, well drained.

10 oz  Swiss, Provolone or Monterey Jack Cheese (this will be 2-3 cups shredded)

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

One recipe for 24 rolls (For this I used Rhodes frozen dough/rolls).  You will be using 2 rolls for each muffin. Stretch and roll each piece of dough flat to where it is about 4 inches across its base.

 Corned Beef for your first layer.

Top with minced onion.  I added onion to these, because I love the little bit of onion flavor and crunch added to it.  I realize it isn't typically used in a Reuben Sandwich, so put it on or leave it off as you like.

Next  a layer of Sauerkraut.

Finally top with cheese.

You can adjust the amounts as you like, but don't be shy, put as much as you can get on them.

Take another rolled out piece of dough...

...and place on top of the filling.

It will look a little like hamburger buns at this point.

You will bring the muffin together by stretching the top dough over the bottom dough….

… tucking it underneath little by little….

...as you go around the muffin...

….until it is evenly tucked in underneath the entire muffin. 

 It will look like this.

Place it in a well greased muffin pan.

Fill pan entirely and allow to rise about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly and then place into a nice serving bowl.

We like it served with mustard, but if you like it with Russian dressing as is traditionally done; by all means serve it  that way. 

Reuben Sandwich Muffins

Ingredients:

Bread dough: 24 frozen dinner rolls (about 2 1/2 pounds)

2 cups chopped, sliced or shredded Corned Beef (already cooked)

8 oz Sauerkraut (well drained)

1/4 cup diced onion

10 oz Cheese such as Swiss, Provolone or Mozerella, shredded

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Begin by thawing dough if it is frozen.
3. Stretch and roll out the rolls until they are 3-4 inches across.
4. Layer the ingredients on top of 12 of the rolls as follows: beef, onion, sauerkraut, cheese.
5. Place a second piece of flattened dough on top.
6. Seal together into one muffin, by stretching the top dough around and behind the bottom dough until you have evenly tucked it under the entire muffin.  You should have a roll shape. See pictures above for example.
7. Place into a 12 cup muffin pan.
8. Allow rolls to raise 30 minutes.
9. Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
10. Allow to cool about 5 minutes, then remove from muffin tin and serve.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins with Essential Oil

I have seen this muffin with a variety of names over the internet: Snicker Doodle Muffins, Sugar Donut Muffins, Cinnamon and Sugar Donut Muffins, Sugar and Spice Muffins.  I changed the name of this post four times, trying to pick the name I liked best.  I ended up calling them just plain ol Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins…. and added the "with Essential Oils" part, because that is what best describes them.  The Cinnamon Essential Oil in these muffins really gives them a burst of delicious cinnamon flavor; more so than making them with cinnamon powder alone; even the house fills up with the lovely smell. I have made these several times, using White Whole Wheat Flour, and also using Barley and Oat flour combined.  They are great both ways. The Barley and oat version is a little more crumbly; somewhat like corn bread can be, which is because of the reduction in the gluten.  But they are tasty, and offer a little variation from wheat.  These are not gluten free, because the barley has gluten in it, but you could substitute the barley for a gluten free grain or flour if you wish.  I think sometimes it is a good idea to just take a little break from too much wheat even if you don't have gluten problems, so I have tried to vary my grains a bit.  If you make the barley and oat version, and wish to reduce the crumbliness of the muffin you can add 3/4 of a teaspoon of Xanthan Gum, which makes your gluten free baked goods less crumbly, but in my opinion not worth the extra time or money; you'll enjoy them either way. Happy Baking Everyone

Cinnamon and Sugar Muffins


Ingredients:
¾ cup Barley Flour
1 Cup Oat Flour (I grind up rolled oats in the blender to make the oat flour)
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
¾ cup Coconut Sugar, Sucanat or Organic granulated sugar
1 egg
¾ cup Buttermilk
4-5 drops Cinnamon Essential oil

Makes 12
Note: if you wish to use Whole Wheat Flour, just replace to Barley and Oat Flour with Wheat Flour totaling 1 3/4 cup.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven 400º.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
3. In a separate, bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg and buttermilk.
4. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
5. Add Essential Oils
6. Coat your muffin pan well with nonstick cooking spray and divide the batter evenly among the cups.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

For the Cinnamon and Sugar topping:
Melt the butter in a small bowl.
Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl.
Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix.

These taste delicious served with a little butter.  Serve warm or cold.  Yum.