pumpkin-spiced mini muffins

I've been on the hunt for a mini muffin tin for months.  months.  have you seen the limitless options of what you can make in (and on) those things?!

with fall creeping in quickly here in the Midwest, I finally pulled the trigger this week.  I'm a nerd and was so pumped to find a tin that fits in our counter-top toaster oven.  I have a strong sense that this thing will see a lot of work on Sunday mornings this fall and winter.

these were supposed to be more like cake-style donut holes, but mine ended up as straight muffins.  good ones, too.

pumpkin-spiced mini muffins
adapted from here and here
active time: 20 mins | cook time: 12 mins | yield: 24-28 mini muffins 
ingredients
for muffins
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ginger + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

for spiced sugar topping 
(these are approximations only - modify as you'd like.  bonus: if you make too much, you can use the spiced sugar in morning coffee)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

directions
preheat oven to 350F. lightly grease two mini muffin tins with butter or cooking spray.  set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (work out those clumps), melted butter, and vanilla.

sift in baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours. mix until just combined. 

using a tablespoon, drop batter into preparted muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (12 on the nose for me!).  let cool in tins for 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

just before serving, mix sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a ramekin or shallow bowl.  dip one muffin's top into melted butter and use it to apply some butter to another's top, like a sponge brush.  this will help avoid dripping butter into your cinnamon sugar and getting clumps.  roll the tops of the muffins in the spiced sugar mixture.

note
if you plan to store these in a plastic baggie or any sort of storage container, don't add the spiced sugar topping until you're ready to eat them.  the sugar 'melt' under the humidity and make a mess of things.

rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins

we tend to overbuy bananas.  so we get ambitious, whatever.  at 19¢ apiece, I don't let 'em go to waste.  this is a tweak of one of my previously-posted recipes.  there's booze in this, so I'm obviously pleased.


rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
adapted from here and adding a twist to my own concoction born here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins

ingredients for rum-roasted bananas:

3 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons dark rum


ingredients for muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (from above)


directions for rum-roasted bananas:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.  sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum.  wrap loosely (but securely, or you'll get a mess!) and roast in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  allow to cool.


note: do yourself a favor here and spoon into a little dish all the goop that the 'nanas'll be swimming in.  use it as a topping right when you serve these muffins and you'll be cooler than an American Gladiator in the mid-90s.  it doesn't appear to set up/harden much, so it probably isn't the best to use for muffins to be stored.


directions for the muffins:
while bananas cool, crank oven heat up to 400 degrees F.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas.


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.


line muffin tin(s) with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

banana oatmeal muffins with roasted cherries

I had some bananas that needed using.  isn't that always why we make banana bread/muffins/anythings?!  like, I've never walked into a store with 'old brown bananas' on my shopping list.  anyways, I also had a handful of cherries lying around, so I worked those bad boys in, too.  on to the good stuff...these came out really moist and are reasonably healthy since they're oil-free.


banana oatmeal muffins with roasted cherries
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins
ingredients

1 cup cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas


directions
preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  halve/pit the cherries and place them cut-side-up in a foil-lined pan.  sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar and roast for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices.  


drop the heat down to 400 degrees F and allow the roasted cherries to cool slightly while preparing remaining ingredients.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas and roasted cherries.  (alternative: if you'd rather have chunks of cherries throughout the muffins, chop them roughly and toss 'em into the dry ingredient mixture listed above.  then, proceed as directed below.  a coat of dry ingredients will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the tins when baking.)  


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.  


line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

(r) roasted cherry chunk (l) topped with dry roasted pecans