Cooking Corner: Muffin Recipes

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- This week, Market District Chef Crystal Baldwin stops by the Pittsburgh Today Live kitchen with muffin recipes in honor of Hot Breakfast Month and National Muffin Day!

Basic Muffins
(Compliments of Chef Crystal A. Baldwin)

Makes: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan with pan spray.
3. In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, oil, butter, eggs and vanilla.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
6. Fill the cups of the muffin pan ¾ full. Top with streusel if desired.
7. Bake the muffins for 12- 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Remove them from the oven; place muffins onto a rack to cool.

Variations:

• Blueberry - add 1 ½ cups blueberries to the dry ingredients (any berry can be substituted)
• Chocolate Chip- add 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips to the dry ingredients
• Oatmeal- use 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats and 1 ¼ cup flour in place of the 2 cups of flour; add 1 tsp cinnamon
• Bran- use 1 cup Wheat Bran and 1 ½ cups flour in place of the 2 cups of flour. Add 1 tsp cinnamon and ¾ cup raisins to the dry ingredients and increase the oil to ¾ cup
• Bacon- add ½ cup bacon to the dry ingredients
• Corn- use ¾ cup cornmeal and 1 cup flour in place of the 2 cups of flour

Compound Butters for Muffins and Breads
(Compliments of Chef Crystal A. Baldwin)

Makes: ½ cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: N/A

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 recipe of chosen flavor

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients until well mixed.

Variations:

• Blueberry- add ¼ cup Market District Blueberry syrup
• Hot Chocolate- microwave 1 ½ tbsp heavy cream in a small bowl for 15 seconds or until just hot; stir in 1 ½ tbsp hot cocoa powder. Let cool. Add the cocoa mixture and ¼ cup marshmallow fluff to the butter
• Jalapeno-Orange- add the zest of 1 orange an ½ jalapeno, finely minced
• Coffee- add 1 tsp espresso powder and 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
• Salted Caramel- ¼ cup dulce de leche and ¼ tsp flake salt
• Bacon Chive- add 2 slices market District bacon chopped and 2 tbsp chives, minced

*Add a pinch of salt to the flavors if desired

Streusel for Muffins
(Compliments of Chef Crystal A. Baldwin)

Makes: 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: N/A

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp butter, softened

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the butter until the streusel forms pea-size pieces.