Yellow Squash Muffins

I love to grow the stuff. But towards the end of the summer, here's a great way to use it up. From Taste of Home's Budget Suppers
Ingredients
1 pound yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place 1 in. of water in a saucepan; add squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash; stir in the butter and egg. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the squash mixture just until moistened.
Fill greased muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.



Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 170 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 38 mg cholesterol, 265 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Kari's Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

This is a fabulous, fast, spicy recipe.

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can pumpkin

1/2 c. applesauce

1 bag of cinnamon chips

Bake at 400 deg. for 20 min.

Cranberry Harvest Muffins

This one's for Jamee! I do own this book and everything in it is fabulous.
Recipe courtesy Open House Cookbook by Sarah Chase, and as reprinted in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Copyright 1999, All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 extra-large eggs
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries (I had a bag of frozen ones in the freezer and I just threw them in the food processor to chop)
1/2 cup medium-diced Calimyrna figs (Never used this!)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (or whatever nuts I have in the freezer, usually walnuts)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the milk, eggs, and melted butter. Stir quickly just to combine. Add the cranberries, figs, hazelnuts, and both sugars and stir just to distribute the fruits, nuts, and sugar evenly throughout the batter.

Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until browned on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean.

Applesauce Oat Bran Muffins

These were Natalee's favorite, for a while.

12 Servings Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients
1 cup oat bran
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons canola oil (optional)
3 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Tbsp. sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the oat bran, flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the eggs, applesauce, oil and milk. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in raisins.
Fill muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full. Combine the walnuts, cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing form pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.



Nutritional Analysis: 1 muffin equals 156 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 35 mg cholesterol, 179 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

Golden Muffins

Brown Sugar Muffins

I got this recipe as a gift from Laurie, a friend I met in my education classes at BYU. Being deaf, she let me practice my sign language, even though she could read lips. She also taught me many great home-making skills. Especially loved that she let me babysit her girls! Kurt and I ate many of these on our way to class and in between.

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in

1 cup milk

2 c. flour

Cream sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Beat until fluffy. Add milk and flour alternately. Butter pans. Bake 400 deg. for 15 minutes.

Raspberry Cream Muffins

Tip: Gently stir the raspberries into the batter, so they don't break apart.

1 cup fresh raspberries (I've used frozen and blue berries, etc.)

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour (I've substituted 1 cup with whole wheat flour)

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup finely chopped vanilla or white chips

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

In a small bowl, toss berries with 1/4 cup sugar; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cream. Stir in chips and reserved berries.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Combine brown sugar and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 deg. for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I had heard that they were going to "run-out" of pumpkin during the holidays, so when I did find it in the store, I bought several cans. Now, January, I still have a couple cans. Not to worry - I know what to do with it!

3/4 c. white sugar

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

3/4 c. canned pumpkin

1/4 c. water

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips (Really; more is not more here - too much chocolate and the muffins will not bake all the way through.)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

2. Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.

3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes. Top with cream cheese frosting (below) if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(I halved this recipe and had just enough for the muffins above plus a little left over for dipping.)

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, milk and vanilla in medium bowl on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frosts a 13x9 -inch cake or fills and frost two 8-9 inch layers. Refrigerate any remaining frosting. (16 servings.)

French Breakfast Puffs

When it's 10 o'clock at night and you realize you don't have enough milk for two children's cereal in the morning, some would get a bit faint at heart. Not me - I make muffins! The kids think it's a real treat and I've been told they're like old fashioned sugar donuts.