Muffin Mania

Remember when I would take a million step by step pics of the whole recipe process? We loved that, right? Well guess what! I have like 8 pics to add for this entry. Huzzah!

Okay, tonight we had double muffin breakfast dinner and ain't nothing better.
Our first recipe comes from the super awesome site Cooking With My Kid.  We tweaked the style a bit and Teagan says they need a cuter name than Egg & Cheese toast cups... So I give you Super Flower Toast Cups!

Ingredients:
6 slices wheat bread
6 slices bacon (we didn't use)
4 eggs + 1 tablespoon milk, lightly beaten together
1/4 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use a rolling pin to flatten bread. (We removed the crusts, you don’t have to.) Butter one side of the bread and then place buttered side down into a muffin cup. You’ll need to overlap the bread a bit to fit it all the way into the cup. Press against the sides to form a hole in the center. Repeat this for all 6 slices of bread and then lightly spray the insides with olive oil cooking spray.   Cook bacon on a paper towel in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes. The bacon will not be crispy – it will just be par-cooked.  Place one par-cooked bacon slice in each bread cup and then pour some egg into each cup dividing evenly among all bread cups. Sprinkle the tops with cheese and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until set. Use a butter knife to loosen bread cups. Serve warm.

Our second muffin is a Pineapple Upside-Down Muffin

INGREDIENTS
TOPPING
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, or pecans (optional)
1 10-ounce can pineapple slices

MUFFINS
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons pineapple juice, or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, (not drained)
1 cup grated carrot, (1 large)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup raisins, preferably baking raisins (see Ingredient note)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
To prepare topping: Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar into each muffin cup. Sprinkle nuts, if using, over the sugar. Stack pineapple slices and cut into 6 wedges. Place 2 wedges in each muffin cup.
To prepare muffins: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in oil, juice and vanilla. Stir in crushed pineapple. Make a well in the dry ingredients; add the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in carrot, oats, raisins and nuts, if using. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups (they'll be quite full).
Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and firm to the touch, 15 to 25 minutes. Immediately loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a baking sheet. Restore any stray pineapple pieces and nuts. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve upside-down, either warm or at room temperature.

TIPS & NOTES
Ingredient Note: Baking raisins, moister than regular ones, ensure a better texture. To substitute regular raisins, plump them first: soak in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain well.

I added wheat germ and ground flax and they were good but drier than I prefer so next time I will add a bit of applesauce.

~Venus