The Frugal Foodie Cookbook (21 page)
MUFFiNS AND
CUPCAKES
Banana-Chocolate Muffins
price
$10
servings
12
price per serving
$.85
W
hen facing a pile of overly ripe bananas on your windowsill, it’s exciting to have an option other than banana bread; these muffins make a delicious, quicker alternative. The unique speckled texture makes them particularly eye catching, and the chocolate adds a subtly sweet note that will have you craving them all day long.
½ cup rolled oats
1¼ cups skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup dark chocolate, very finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 very ripe banana, mashed
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Combine oats, milk, and vanilla in bowl; let oats soak. In the meantime, in large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Use fork to run through mixture and break up any clumps of sugar or flour. Stir in chocolate. To the oat mixture add eggs and butter. Add oat mixture and banana to large bowl; mix until just combined. Spoon batter into muffin tin; bake 18–20 minute. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve.
Big Apple Muffins
price
$20
servings
18
price per serving
$1.11
W
hen we first learned that we’d both be moving to New York after graduating from college, we baked these muffins to celebrate. We even invested in an extra-large muffin pan for the occasion. These big apple muffins are almost like your typical apple muffins, but they’re bigger and better and have walnuts and a streusel topping; an omen of good things to come. However, since big muffin pans are sometimes hard to find, this recipe is for regular-sized muffins.
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1¼ teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups Gala or McIntosh apple, shredded
½ cup apples Gala or McIntosh, chopped
¾ cup walnuts, chopped
STREUSEL TOPPING:
cup packed brown sugar
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 18 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Stir in apples and walnuts. Slowly stir in flour mixture until just combined. To make topping, mix ingredients with fingers until consistency resembles coarse meal. Spoon batter into muffin cups; sprinkle with topping. Cook 18 minutes for regular-sized muffins or 20–25 minutes for extra large. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve.
Chai Muffins with Figs and Oats
price
$10
servings
12
price per serving
$.85
H
ealthy yet filling, these muffins are great for breakfast and brunch. Alanna used to tote one to class every morning, but after letting her classmates have a taste, she ended up having to bring enough for everyone sitting around her. Now, we “forget” to tell people when we’ve made them, and we keep them for ourselves.
1¼ cups soy milk
2 teabags chai tea
½ cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups whole-wheat flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup chopped dried figs
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons canola oil
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Heat milk in saucepan until hot to touch. Remove from heat; add tea bags and let steep 1 minute, until milk is light caramel brown. Put oats in small bowl; pour milk and vanilla over, stir briefly, and let sit. In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Stir in figs, then egg and oil to lightly coat. Pour oat mixture over top; stir until just combined. Pour batter into muffin cups; top with few extra oats. Bake 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Icing
price
$25
servings
24
price per serving
$1
T
hese are the perfect cupcakes for anyone who adores peppermint patties, peppermint mochas, and other mint-chocolate combinations. The cupcakes are chocolate, and we top them with a sweet but understated peppermint icing. Garnishing the treats with a small mint leaf is a small but crucial touch that keeps these cupcakes festive around the holidays and brightly fresh year-round.
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm milk
FROSTING:
1 cup butter
4–5 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
¼ cup small fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time; stir in vanilla. Alternate adding small amounts of flour and milk to sugar mixture; combine well. Pour batter into cups; bake 15– 17 minutes, until knife comes out clean. To make frosting, beat butter with electric mixer until creamy. Add 4 cups powdered sugar, milk, and extract; beat until combined. Add more sugar to thicken frosting if needed. Frost cupcakes, top with mint leaf, and serve.
Double Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins
price
$16
servings
12
price per serving
$1.30
F
or this muffin recipe, we included healthier versions of ingredients whenever possible, convincing ourselves that using reduced-fat peanut butter and skim milk justified adding extra chocolate chips. Fortunately, our sneaky substitutions are not noticeable, and these boast a strong chocolate flavor that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet.
2¼ cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup skim milk
6 tablespoons butter substitute or butter, melted
½ cup reduced-fat peanut butter
¾ cup white chocolate chips
¾ cup chocolate chips
Extra flour to coat chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In large bowl, mix together flour, sugars, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. In separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, butter, and peanut butter. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir until just combined. Coat chocolate chips in extra flour so they don’t sink to bottom of muffins; mix into batter. Fill muffin liners almost full with batter; bake 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks for several minutes and serve.
“Jacqui” Muffins
price
$18
servings
12
price per serving
$1.50
T
hese muffins were inspired by Alanna’s college roommate. They have almost every ingredient we could imagine adding to muffins—nuts, seeds, oats, raisins, and orange zest. The result is an intensely healthy, moist, and scrumptious muffin that is perfect any time.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely shopped
1 cup coconut
½ cup rolled oats