apple doughnut muffins

From what I can gather, doughnut muffins are supposed to be a much simpler way to get a doughnut, somewhat of a cross between an actual muffin and a cake doughnut. Even if it's nothing like a doughnut at all, it's still very tasty in its own way

There are two methods to make doughnut muffins, one being creaming butter with sugar to create a really tender crumb, then there's the standard muffin method of dry ingredients mixed with wet ingredients. When I found this recipe online, which originated from Joy of Cooking, I decided to use it a) because I was lazy and it used the wet-dry method, b) it had yogurt and I figured it would enhance the taste, plus the variation of the original method used confectioners' sugar as the topping and it made the muffins all the more tastier.

Most recipes call for rolling the baked muffins in butter and shaking it in cinnamon-sugar, but that seemed unnecessarily messy so I used a pastry brush to coat the muffin tops, then dipped the tops in confectioners' sugar with some apple pie spice. Not only did I use less butter (I only melted 1/4 cup to begin with), but it made it easier to eat.

My other change was to replace the vanilla extract with lemon extract, add a bit of freshly grated nutmeg, and a grated Granny Smith apple. The apple seemed to break down and mix with the batter so it wasn't detectable at all, but the flavor was really great.

Were these almost like the cousin of a cake doughnut? In a way, it was. The crumb, while light and melty, wasn't quite as spongy but tighter. The tenderness was incredible, and I enjoyed the flavor more with the few minor changes I made.

Recipe after jump

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apple doughnut muffins
Recipe modified by me, from here

Makes 12

ingredients ~

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Gratings of fresh nutmeg
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
2 large eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon extract
Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
½ tsp apple pie spice, or cinnamon and nutmeg

directions ~

1. Position oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper cups. (I just thoroughly greased the cups; I forgot to try the Cook's Illustrated method of only greasing the muffin cup bottoms.)


2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together grated apple, eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, and lemon extract. Add flour mixture and mix with light strokes until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Don't overmix; batters should not be smooth.


3. Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in one or two of the muffins come out clean, 15-20 minutes.


4. While the muffins are baking, melt the butter butter and place in a bowl just large enough to hold a muffin. Combine confectioners' sugar and apple pie spice in a small, shallow bowl. As soon as the muffing are done, brush the tops with butter and dip in sugar mixture. Set on a rack to cool.

i'm makin' waffles!

Move over, pancakes, and make room for waffles. I enjoy a nice stack of pancakes, but there's no denying my true love of the cratered, crispy waffle with moist and fluffy innards. I vary between recipes quite a bit, opting for a simple and quick buttermilk or regular milk version, sometimes whipping the egg whites separately from the yolks if I don't mind the noise and have time to spare.

My ultimate favorite kind of waffle, however, is a yeast waffle. In fact, what really separates a Belgian waffle from the normal version isn't so much the Belgian waffle maker as it is the addition of yeast to the batter. What you end up with is a waffle that retains its crispy outtards longer than most waffles with an incredible depth of flavor, a light sourdough essence. (And if you want a real experience, make some Liege waffles -- your world will never be the same.)

Normally, when I think ahead of time (which is always easier to do in retrospect), I make an overnight yeast waffles from America's Test Kitchen. When I don't, and this is my usual waffle experience when I want waffles NOW, I either resort to the quick, standard version. However, if you're not hasty and can spare two hours, you can most definitely enjoy yeast waffles TODAY!

I came across this particular recipe for yeast waffles through either Foodgawker or Tastespotting (yeah, that's some memory fail right there). After just one second of staring at all the pictures on her blog, there was no way I was walking away without the prospect of waffles in my immediate future.

There are so many different waffle toppings to choose from, like a "fruit salsa with a lime glaze", "ants" in the form of raisins and chocolate chips (I will give you a shout out on this blog if you order "ants on waffles" the next time you're at a restaurant), peanut butter, cream cheese or sour cream, various flavored syrups, chicken and gravy. When I eat yeast waffles, though, I prefer to keep the toppings at a bare minimum to keep from overpowering the flavor. A few pats of butter, maybe some fruit, a light coating of syrup (enough to mostly fill the craters), and a sprinkling of powdered sugar for beauty.

So GO. Waffles. Go eat some waffles!

(Recipe after jump)

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yeast waffles
Original recipe here. Below is my modified version.

ingredients ~

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk, heated to 100-110
4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract

directions ~

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar with the milk. Set aside until bubbly, about 5-10 minutes.


2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour with the remaining sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the butter and lemon extract until combined.


3. Stir the egg mixture into the yeast, followed by the flour mixture, making sure to mix thoroughly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for two hours; the mixture will be thick, elastic and bubbly.


4. Heat waffle iron. When ready, scoop batter into center of grid. Since this batter is thicker than that of normal waffles, it won't spread like you might expect. It will expand whilst cooking, so make sure to fill the grids about 3/4 full (experiment and find what works best). Cook according to waffle iron instructions. Serve with butter and syrup.

dinner for breakfast ~ butternut squash mac & cheese

Most people know of the concept of eating breakfast for dinner. Who doesn't love a stack of pancakes in the PM, or a plate of piping hot waffles with craters of maple syrup. Don't forget the eggs and bacon!

Well, I like to reverse that concept and eat dinner for breakfast. Think of a plate of enchiladas with a poached egg on top, or the new concept of breakfast pizza that Jamie Oliver would probably not approve of (except that this version has eggs on top). So when I made Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese for dinner one night, I knew I really made it so I could have leftovers for breakfast.

This recipe features the traditional bechamel-type of white sauce with the addition of cheese whisked in. But what drew me in to this recipe in particular was the pureed butternut squash that is also in the sauce, giving it a unique taste that compliments the cheesiness. The squash, being the same orange hue as cheddar cheese, blends right in to create a creamy emulsion that's almost undetectable.

For breakfast, when I reheat pasta dishes I serve out my portion and sprinkle with some water. This helps separate the noodles, which tend to cling together once refrigerated. While this heats up, I simply poach an egg or two and plop it on top with extra salt, pepper, and finely chopped parsley.

That's all there is to it, and it makes a very tasty breakfast. Don't forget your coffee, or tea. Don't have a teapot? Head on over to the Bodum Tea Press Giveaway, why don't you, and don't forget your clean cup!