Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Muffin pans get a workout....

Keeping with the Tuesday tradition to bake things for Jeff to take into his co-workers every Wednesday we went with cupcakes and muffins today. Chocolate-Raspberry Buttermilk Cupcakes and Cinnamon Doughtnut Muffins are the recipes I chose to make.

The cupcakes have raspberry jam layered inside before baking. While this was easy enough, it did take some time as I tried to make sure that the batter was surrounding each dollop of jam. I did this so the jam would not seep out the bottom or sides. I stayed with 12 servings as stated but next time I would make 10 instead to make them a little bigger. After tasting one I agreed that they only needed a dusting of powdered sugar rather than a frosting. As you can see in the second picture, I decided to cut out each letter of their company name and placed on top before dusting with sugar.

Now don't let the title of the muffin trick you into thinking it tastes like a fried doughnut in a muffin. The texture is more cake-like and with the spices and topping it does have a somewhat similar taste to a doughnut, but it certainly won't replace a real one! It is however, pretty close enough for me!

*Click on the photos to enlarge

I choose a chicken dish tonight for dinner to try and use up some that we had in the freezer. Chicken Schnitzel is a take off from the classic Weiner Schnitzel making it a bit lighter. Pounded chicken breast does not taste anything like veal, but makes a good substitute in this breaded dish. Seasoned breadcrumbs with some asiago cheese make a crispy coating after being quickly seared in a hot pan and then baked to complete. The chicken remains juicy and packs a ton of flavor. I served with a baked potato that I lightly coated in olive oil and sprinkled with salt to get a nice crunchy skin.

*Click on the photo to enlarge

9 comments:

  1. im curious, were the choc ones moist? There is so little fat in them, im just wondering how they tasted.

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  2. Looks good Joe! You always amaze me with the amount of goodies you turn out regulary! And they ALL look so yummy :) Perchance you have some time management secrets you want to share? :)

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  3. Wow, so good. I love all the flavours and ingredients. I will be putting these dishes on my must try list!

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  4. The muffins look great. I need to start making muffins more often, those may be at the top of my list. Yum.

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  5. Love muffins and yours are looking great! I like making muffins with buttermilk as they always come out nice and moist, plus chocolate and raspberries make such a great combination, what a great treat Jeff's friends are getting today!
    Ana

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  6. I've made those muffins before -- yummy stuff!

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  7. Randi - I thought they were pretty moist. They are not as moist as most cupcakes go, but not too far away - the crumbs held together when pressed with a fork rather well.

    Joey - Thanks! If I can think of anything I do specifically I will let you know =)

    Sarah - We tend to make muffins often - hope you can try some out soon!

    Punky - Thanks!

    Ana - I agree, I loved the addition of buttermilk. I also needed to use some up I had in the freezer!

    Sweetnicks - Thanks!

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  8. oooo, those cinnamon doughnut muffins look great- I'm hoping they're similiar to my tastefully simple cinnamon muffins melts (which are no longer available) - they were way too good to be a muffin!
    thanks for the great recipes!

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