Coconut and Brown Sugar Blueberry Muffins

The perfect way to spend a sick day :)

Coconut and Brown Sugar Blueberry Muffins


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
6 oz non-fat plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup coconut flakes
Extra brown sugar and coconut flakes for topping


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.  Line muffin tin with paper liners (makes about 12 muffins)
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry until combined.
5. Gently fold in blueberries and coconut
6. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Sprinkle each muffin with brown sugar and coconut
5. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then move to wire rack to cool completely

Bacon and Egg Cupcakes

For grandpa

Bacon and Egg Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Heinz)
3 egg whites
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup water
6 pieces of double thick bacon (or 9 pieces regular bacon)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 2 cups confectioners sugar
Bag of butterscotch candies
Poppy seeds 

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350.  Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners
2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, egg whites, oil, syrup, and water
3. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy.  Roughly chop into small pieces and fold into batter
4. Fill liners 3/4 full (this should make about 18 cupcakes)
5. Bake 15 - 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove cupcakes from pan and continue to cool completely on rack.
6. While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting.  Beat together cream cheese, vanilla, and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar.  Keep adding confectioner's sugar until you achieve your desired sweetness and consistency
7. After cupcakes have cooled, frost with the cream cheese frosting.  Press one butterscotch candy in the middle of the of each cupcake.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds

Cinnamon Banana Bread

The perfect way to start off 2012 :)

Cinnamon Banana Bread (adapted from Bon Appetit magazine) 

Ingredients
Bread
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon (see step 4)
1 teaspoon baking soda
Generous pinch of salt
2 - 3 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water

Topping
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 10 inch bread pan
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, baking soda, and salt
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas.  Add in the eggs, oil, honey, and water and whisk to combine
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine.  Taste the batter to determine if the extra teaspoon of cinnamon is needed.  I like my bread to be more on the cinnamon-y side
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan
6. Make the topping.  Mix together the sugars and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the bread.  Using a spatula, spread the topping evenly over and press lightly into the batter
7. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until tester inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean
8. Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes.  Turn pan on it's side and slide out, being careful not to remove topping.  Let cool completely on rack