Donut Muffins

In our house, Sunday mornings typically consist of late mornings and donuts.  Since the baby, the first on that list has become a distant memory.  Thank goodness for the sweet glazed treats to make up for sleep deprivation.  This week, I couldn’t quite wait until Sunday.  With a guest making a quick visit to see the baby, a bite-sized treat that boasts a semblance to donuts was on the menu.

First, this is a quick and easy recipe.  This recipe came together so fast that I actually made it while baby-wearing.  I wanted to try this recipe actually, but I wanted to go with the recipe used here with fewer ingredients and a shorter preparation time.

Second, this is a keeper.  I couldn’t have been more pleased with the result.  Neither could my guest – or Binks – who ate all 24 pieces.  I was able to get my hands on 5 of them.  These donut muffins have a denser crumb than your actual yeast donuts, but still remain light and fluffy.  So light that you can actually grab and pop a lot of these in your mouth before realizing that you’ve made it through half the batch.  Next time, I’m going to double the recipe in the hopes to avoid that who’s-going-to-take-the-last-piece look I saw Binks give our guest.

Donut Muffins

– yields 24 mini muffins
– adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.
2. Mix together the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and nutmeg together in a large bowl.
3. Add the vanilla extract and milk, and stir to combine.
4. Mix in the baking powder and flour.  Don’t over mix.  Just mix to incorporate all ingredients.
5. Fill each muffin cup halfway.
6. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. While the muffins are baking, mix the sugar and cinnamon in one bowl.  Set up the bowl of melted butter next to it.
8. Once the muffins are done, remove from the oven and dip each muffin in the melted butter.  Once in the butter, mix in the cinnamon sugar to coat.  Repeat with remaining muffins.

More Protein Please!

With the pregnancy, I’ve been hungrier than ever.  The best way I keep myself filled and fulfilled?  Protein.  Lately, my oatmeal and smoothie breakfasts have not been able to keep me full long enough.  I must admit that my oatmeal bowls are heavy on the fruit but I totally forget to incorporate protein.

So, recently when a vendor came to visit and do a little ad blurb, she brought breakfast.  The best kind – the Central Market kind.

{Cranberry Blueberry Muffins}

Plus fresh strawberries and pineapple

Talk about delicious

And this is no ordinary muffin.  Usually muffins are stingy on the fruit but not this one.

So, why am I talking about protein and showing you pictures of carbs galore?

Because yesterday’s breakfast was given a protein makeover.

Fage yogurt (because, to me, there is none better), Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter (Nutella’s serious competition), and the fruity muffins.

I split the Justin’s nut butter with Binks.

Okay, I cannot even describe how delicious this bowl of goodness was.  I savored this meal for a good 30 minutes, which definitely beats my usual 30 second inhalation of my morning cereal.

With combos like this, incorporating more protein will not be so difficult!

How do you incorporate more protein into your breakfast? 

Green With Yummy

It has been my goal as of late to make efforts (substantial efforts) to get rid of things in my pantry/fridge before I go grocery shopping.  For instance, do you know what I can do with a gallon of raw milk that I cannot finish by the expiration date?  Well, I figured it out – so tune in! 😉

In this case, it was spinach.  I usually use it up with green monsters, salads and the like, but I had some extra to use up.

This is where Diana and her Green Monster Muffins enters the scene.  I have had this recipe printed and bookmarked since early early 2010 (I have to stress the early).  With that said, this was definitely not the first time I have tried one of Diana’s recipes (here).

And, like her cookie dough balls, the muffins were another hit!

*The only change I made was to add orange zest instead of lemon and I only had cinnamon apple sauce.  Loved every bite!

Moist, fully flavorful with a hint of the orange, and an excellent crumb.

And, I did eat every single one of those crumbs.

My review of these chic muffins:  très bien!

Have you tried Diana’s Green Monster Muffins?  How do you make efforts to use things up in your pantry/fridge?  Do you enjoy grocery shopping?