Muffins & Scones

The PC Muffin

Leah Short — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 19:47:17 +0000

The PC Muffin is my absolute favorite muffin from Fido here in Nashville. Funny thing is I discovered it at a different coffee shop. A few years ago I worked down the street from a coffee shop that sold Fido goodies and my standing order was a café au lait with a PC Muffin. So, so good for breakfast. I would crave this muffin daily. It’s a jumbo muffin and it’s heavy and dense and one of those baked goods that gets better the next day.

That coffee shop stopped selling Fido goodies, and yes, I could go to Fido to still get my muffin, but it wasn’t as convenient and I was just heart broken. I lucked out and found a Nashville cookbook at my library with recipe! Jackpot!

The PC stands for pumpkin chocolate chip and although that combination may sound weird, the two go very well together. See Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Pie, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread for more proof! (Sorry to all those instagrammers who voted no to that combo…you’re missing out!)

I ended up making a double batch so I could share these muffins with my coworkers. It was funny to see their faces when they saw the jumbo muffin. You could make these in a regular muffin tin, but you’ll need to adjust your baking time. Now I can have them any time I want with no lines!

Yield: 10 large muffins

The PC Muffin

Fido's pumpkin chocolate chip muffin

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin
3 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275F. (Note: I made a batch at this temperature and they weren't quite done. Next batch I baked at 300F and it worked better.)

Combine the sugars, oils, applesauce, pumpkin, and eggs in a mixer with the paddle attachment on middle speed until evenly mixed.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, about 1/3 at a time, until evenly mixed on low speed.

Spray a large muffin tin with cooking spray or use muffin liners. Scoop about 3/4 cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The muffins may need about 5 more minutes if the toothpick has batter stuck to it.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nashville Chef's Table by Stephanie Stewart-Howard

This post contains affiliate links.

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Sausage, Egg, Cheese, & Hash Brown Muffins

Leah Short — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 11:20:15 +0000

Last weekend I was invited to a birthday brunch and needed to bring something to share. After seeing the list was sweet-heavy on what everyone else was bringing, I decided on something savory. I wanted it to be portable, easy to make, and in individual servings (easier to photograph since I wouldn’t be taking pics at the party). It was surprisingly hard to find all of these requirements in one dish, plus add that the birthday girl doesn’t like peppers or onions. I succeeded with Sausage, Egg, Cheese, & Hash Brown Muffins! Individual servings of what you’d find in a typical breakfast casserole and easily adaptable to different tastes.

Read more on Sausage, Egg, Cheese, & Hash Brown Muffins

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Goat Cheese & Onion Scones

Leah Short — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 15:48:10 +0000

Scones, delicious scones! I’m still going strong with my love of all things scones since I discovered years ago that they are heavenly and not the dry wedges that they appear to be. I’m usually in the kitchen baking up a sweet variety, but I do like to change it up from time to time and throw in a savory version. Being a fan of goat cheese, I couldn’t pass up making Goat Cheese & Onion Scones. A delicious scone full of goat cheese and tangy green onions? Oh and it’s low calorie? Why yes, yes I’d like to have those in my life!

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Candied Orange Peel Scones

Leah Short — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 13:58:12 +0000

My obsession with candied orange peel continues. I had a lot left over from making them myself and certainly didn’t want them to go to waste. They’re good to snack on by themselves, but how would they work in a scone? Introducing Candied Orange Peel Scones! I took my favorite scone recipe and swapped out a few ingredients and used my candied orange peel instead. I came close to adding some white chocolate chips or dried cranberries, but decided to keep it purely orange. I’ve confessed my love before for the orange scone at Panera, so I wanted to see how this version would stack up.

Read more on Candied Orange Peel Scones

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Mini Eggnog Donut Muffins

Leah Short — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:13:21 +0000

You know those houses you drive by this time of year and they’ve still got their Christmas decorations up? Well, I’m the blogger equivalent to that. It’s mid-January and most folks are looking for healthy recipes and don’t want anything to do with holiday goodies, especially eggnog. I can’t help it. Life happens when you’re planning and my little blog has suffered a bit in the update area, but I’m back in the swing of things! And we’re going to talk about eggnog. I actually made these Mini Eggnog Donut Muffins right after Christmas…in 2011. I held them for a year because I felt silly posting them so late, but here we are and I’m bending the rules!

So, how’s it taste?

I had so much leftover eggnog that I went crazy making eggnog recipes so it wouldn’t go to waste. Yep, there’s more to come. Think of it as getting an early start on Christmas 2013! I thought these muffins were so cute. I like sipping on eggnog, but I can’t drink a full glass of it. That’s why I love goodies that are flavored with eggnog. These muffins are perfect. You can really taste the eggnog and get the warmth from the nutmeg. They’re so tiny, they’re dangerous though. I was constantly popping these in my mouth thinking “oh I’ll just have one more.” You can see from my picture that I was too lazy to sift the confectioners’ sugar, hence the lumps. They still tasted great despite their appearance. The glaze was much thinner than I expected, but you could dip them a few times if you want it to be thicker and show up more. Bookmark this recipe for December 2013!

Mini Eggnog Donut Muffins

by Two Peas & Their Pod
makes 48 mini muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup eggnog

Glaze
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup eggnog
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350Â°F. Lightly spray your mini muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Using a mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and both sugars until smooth. Add eggs until combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

4. Add dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, alternating with the eggnog and beginning and ending with the flour. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the muffins for 10-12 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove pans from the oven and let cool for five minutes.

6. For the glaze, combine butter, sugar, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Dip the tops of the muffins into the glaze and place on a wire rack until set. You may want to dip the muffins a second time.

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Orange Marmalade Muffins

Leah Short — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:40:06 +0000

Oh boy are these Orange Marmalade Muffins addicting. I made them a few weeks back as part of a surprise for my friends returning from their honeymoon. (See what I made for their wedding day!) The Pioneer Woman calls them Good Morning Muffins, but I renamed them so you know what you’re about to bite into. They are full of sweet orange goodness and the topping has a bit of spice to make them unique.

So, how’s it taste?

They are so stinkin’ good. They are almost like cake. I love the bits of orange peel from the marmalade and some bites had a blob of the marmalade, too. So indulgent in an innocent-looking muffin. The topping makes them stand out. It’s spicy from the nutmeg and cinnamon. If nutmeg isn’t your thing, or sounds odd, leave it out. These muffins don’t even need a topping, but I highly suggest it for the crunch. The topping also has a salt in it, which I hated at first and thought it was out of place. The more muffins I ate, the more I didn’t mind it. So I really can’t decide if I like it better with or without the salt in the topping. It’s optional, as well as the wheat germ. The Pioneer Woman says the wheat germ adds crunch, but it doesn’t. The crunch is from the sugar. I bought a huge jar of wheat germ and it’s not exactly cheap, so skip this if you don’t already have it on hand.

These freeze very well. I have two gallon-sized freezer bags full of them in my freezer. I take one out, wrap it in a paper towel, and heat it in the microwave on the defrost setting for about 20-30 seconds. These muffins are best eaten warm. I think I’ll keep making these so I can always have them stashed in my freezer!

Orange Marmalade Muffins

by The Pioneer Woman
makes 24 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins
4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
2 cups orange marmalade
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Topping
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp., plus 1 tsp.) melted butter
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
wheat germ (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Place in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter to mix in shortening and butter. Mix marmalade, orange juice, vanilla, and beaten eggs in a small bowl. Pour into dry ingredients. Mix all ingredients together gently, using fewer than 10 large strokes.

3. In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients.

4. Fill muffin pans with batter. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin. Sprinkle wheat germ over the top for extra crunch. (I found it doesn't add crunch so you can skip this if you want.)

5. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until done. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

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Strawberry Scones

Leah Short — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:18:47 +0000

You know my love affair with scones, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that one of the dishes I made with my fresh-picked strawberries was Strawberry Scones. Plus I had to have something not-too-sweet to drizzle (er, smother) that incredible Strawberry Curd over! The two were made for each other. These scones are great by themselves, too. Crunchy on top and fluffy inside. Slightly sweet from the coarse sugar and just a hint of orange inside.

So, how’s it taste?

As far as scones go, these are pretty top notch. You can’t beat a crunchy crust, pillowy inside, and bursts of strawberries. The recipe calls for frozen strawberries so that the scones don’t get mushy too quickly. You can certainly use frozen strawberries from the grocery store, or freeze your own if you’re a strawberry picker like me. These scones are barely sweet, so if you’re not going to top them with curd, I’d probably add a bit of glaze. I think an orange glaze would be fantastic as I was a bit disappointed the orange wasn’t more prominent in the final product. You can find a great scone glaze recipe here, just substitute orange for the lemon (or lemon glaze would be tasty, too).

They’ll keep for a few days in a tightly covered container or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag and freeze. Pop them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds and you’ve got breakfast (or late night treat) in no time!

Strawberry Scones

by Confections of a Foodie Bride
makes 12 scones
per scone: 188.8 calories, 7.2g fat, 26.1g carbs, 0.9g fiber, 4.9g protein

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chopped frozen strawberries
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large orange, zested and juiced (to produce 1/4 cup of juice)
3/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. coarse sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a mixer, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt on low speed. With mixer running, gradually add cubes of butter and orange zest until the mixture is crumbly.

2. Add frozen strawberries, orange juice, and yogurt. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be very stiff.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. Pat dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle Cut in half down the long side and then into thirds down the short side. Cut each square into triangles for 12 scones.

4. Sprinkle scones with coarse sugar. Place scones on a lined baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

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Easy Cheese Cornbread Wedges

Leah Short — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:39:53 +0000

A few weeks ago was the big game in college football. A few friends of mine got together to watch it and they were serving chili, so I wanted to bring something (besides drinks & Jell-O shots) that would go with chili. I instantly thought of cornbread. Plus, I was dying to use my new scone and cornbread pan. I needed an easy recipe that I could make the day before and yet still taste good the next night. Easy Cheese Cornbread Wedges did the trick! It couldn’t be easier than doctoring a cornbread mix and the result was fantastic.

So, how’s it taste?

Yes, I know it’s a mix and from scratch would probably be just as easy, but go with it. I thought these cornbread wedges turned out pretty well. I like cornbread both ways, sweet and savory. Since I used a mix as the base, this cornbread was more on the sweet side, so if you aren’t a fan of sweet cornbread, don’t make these. I think they were a tad bit too sweet, but the addition of green onions and cheese helped tone it down. They were moist and I liked the hint of onion in each bite. It worked really well with the chili. I used Kerry Gold’s Kilaree cheese instead of cheddar, so the cheese wasn’t very prominent. I think a sharp cheddar would be excellent and help on the sweetness even more.

I loved using the scone & cornbread pan! It made perfect, individual wedges. If you don’t have this pan, you could make the recipe in a cast iron skillet or try a muffin pan.

Easy Cheese Cornbread Wedges

Betty Crocker
serves 8

Ingredients:

2 pouches (6.5 oz. each) cornbread & muffin mix (I used Betty Crocker)
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400Â°F. Grease a divided scone pan with shortening. Make muffin mixes as directed on pouch, using milk, butter, and eggs. Stir in onions and cheese. Spoon evenly into each wedge of pan.

2. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan to cooling rack.

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Oreo Muffins

Leah Short — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:20:02 +0000

In an effort to clear out my pantry, I’ve been making a lot of goodies using ingredients leftover from the holidays. Instead of going into the kitchen, snacking on an Oreo, and little by little demolishing the entire package, I found a recipe for Oreo Muffins. Muffins are a favorite for me for breakfast. I like that I can freeze them and grab one out of the freezer and it’s almost completely thawed by the time I get to work to enjoy it. These muffins are excellent with a cup of coffee and they’ll use the last of those Oreos tempting you in the kitchen.

So, how’s it taste?

They aren’t the prettiest things to come out of my oven, but they are packed with Oreo flavor. Oreos are one of my favorite cookies to turn into a sweet treat. I baked mine for about a minute too long, so be sure you set your timer to the lowest time and check them often. Even though they were slightly overcooked, I really liked them. Cookies and cream flavor with a crunchy topping. I liked the tiny bursts of chocolate from the chips, too. The muffin is so good, you could even skip the topping. The topping is delicious, but makes the muffin messy as it’s a bit on the crumbly and greasy side.

Oreo Muffins

Oreo with a Twist
makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
16 Oreos, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Cookie Crumb Topping
5 Oreos, finely chopped
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened

Directions:

1. Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Combine milk and eggs in a small bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Gently stir in chopped cookies and chocolate chips. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into 12 greased or lined muffin cups.

3. For the topping, mix the cookies, flour, and sugar. Blend in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle topping on filled muffin cups.

4. Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm.

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White Chip Cranberry Pistachio Scones

Leah Short — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:48:14 +0000

I’m so excited to share these scones with you. I am scone obsessed, but I have never made any that will get an award in the looks department…until now. Look at how pretty and normal they turned out! I have a lot of ingredients leftover from cookie baking day, so I thought it best to use some in a scone. I found a recipe using cranberry and pistachio and adapted it to create White Chip Cranberry Pistachio Scones. I love the spots of red and green and the white chip icing on top adds the perfect amount of sweetness.

So, how’s it taste?

These are my favorite scones so far and that’s saying a lot compared to the Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze and my very first attempt with Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. I think I’ll be using this scone recipe as the base for other flavors. The texture turned out great. Slightly crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside. Pretty darn close to the orange scones I love so much from Panera. The cranberries are just enough tart to balance the few morsels of white chips. Pistachios have a unique flavor to me and I liked using those over a pecan or walnut. I chose to pipe a swirl of melted white chips on top instead of a glaze. They really don’t need anything on top, but it adds just enough sweet without going overboard. I can’t wait to experiment with this recipe and try other flavor combinations.

White Chip Cranberry Pistachio Scones

adapted by Southern Living
makes 8 scones

Ingredients:

Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted pistachios
1/4 cup white chips

Icing
1/4 cup white chips
1/2 tsp. shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream, cranberries, pistachios, and white chips. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

2. Turn dough out onto wax paper; gently press or pat dough into a 7-inch round (mixture will be crumbly). Cut round into 8 wedges. Place wedges 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush tops of wedges with remaining 2 Tbsp. cream just until moistened.

3. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack.

4. For the icing, melt the white chips and shortening in a zippered plastic bag on 70% power for 30 seconds. If necessary, microwave in 10-second intervals until completely melted. Squeeze bag (careful it may be hot!) until thoroughly mixed and melted. Snip a corner of the plastic bag with scissors and pipe onto cooled scones.

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