Lemon-Rhubarb Muffins and Quick Bread **

I'm always on a quest to create a recipe for great muffins or quick breads. One that has texture and LOTS of good flavor. I think I've avoided banana and zucchini breads due to what I perceive as their blandness. This is another recipe where I typed everything I wanted to use into Google and A.I. gave me dry ingredient amounts and other suggestions. I varied it from what was given, of course, and this turned out so well! Preheat your oven to 335°

In a medium glass bowl, whisk together:

2c all purpose flour

1T pumpkin pie spice

1T baking powder

1t baking soda

1t Orange Salt

In your blender jar, blend the following:

1 lg. organic thin skinned lemon - whole then chopped

1c packed dark brown sugar

2 lg. pasture raised eggs

1/2c single source EVOO

1/2c full fat sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)

1-2t pure vanilla extract

Before pouring the blender contents into the bowl, stir the following into the dry bowl:

1c rough chopped pecans

1-1/2c finely diced fresh rhubarb

Now stir in the wet ingredients. Fill silicone muffin molds and a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the tops with spiced sugar. Today I used equal parts of turbinado, organic cane and coconut sugars, with a good amount of pumpkin pie spice, for my spiced sugar.

Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes and the quick bread for an additional 5 minutes or until everything passes the toothpick test. Mmmm. . .Lin

** I made this recipe again today 7-30-26, and it turned out just perfect. The only change I made was to use a cut up mandarin in place of the lemon and baked the muffins in a metal paper-lined pan. 

Citrus Marmalade Cupcake-Muffins

This is another take on the Mediterranean olive oil cake recipe I've been making in various modifications as new ideas happen.

Start this one by making a marmalade using these ingredients:

5-6oz. flavorful red jam

3oz. finely chopped citrus peel

2oz. water

Bring this to a low simmer, cover and cook at this temperature for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, keep covered to allow the citrus to absorb sweetness and rehydrate, until the rest of your ingredients are assembled in their respective bowls. In a medium size bowl, combine:

3 lg. pasture raised eggs

2/3c sugar, white or brown

1/2c Kalamata olive EVOO

1/2c half and half

2/3c golden raisins

1t-1T Mexican vanilla

When the marmalade mixture is cool, add that to this bowl.

In a larger bowl, stir together these dry ingredients:

1c Namaste gluten-free flour

1/2c almond flour 

1/2c corn flour 

2t baking powder

1t Himalayan pink salt

Combine the egg mixture with the flours in the large bowl. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tins. This made enough for 24 cupcake-muffins. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until tops spring back when touched, or check using the toothpick test. Cool to room temperature.

To make a glaze for these, combine the sugar and liquid jam, then put it in a squeeze bottle.

3oz. liquified flavorful jelly or strained jam

4oz. powdered sugar

Drizzle a little of this fruity icing on each cupcake-muffin. Cover and keep these on the countertop, or freeze in gallon bags once the icing has dried and hardened. So, what are they? Cupcakes or Muffins? You'll have to try them, then decide...😊...Lin

Cranberry-Rhubarb-Walnut Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350°. In a big mixing bowl, stir the following together until well combined:

2c chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

1c chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1c chopped walnuts

3/4c whole milk, plain Greek yogurt

1-1/2c brown sugar

1-2T white Balsamic vinegar

1c extra virgin olive oil

1-2T Mexican vanilla

3 eggs

When these are well combined, add the dry ingredients:

2c unbleached all purpose flour

1/2c whole wheat flour

1-2T pumpkin pie spice

1t each: salt, baking soda, baking powder

Mix well with a big wooden spoon or silicone spatula, then spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Bake about 20 minutes until they spring back when touched in the center, or pass the 'toothpick test.' Makes 24 muffins. These are great for breakfast or an anytime-snack. . .Lin

Zucchini-Walnut Muffins

In a big bowl, combine the following:

1c plain whole milk Greek yogurt 

3 lg. pasture-raised eggs

1/3c organic cane sugar

1c brown sugar

1/2c olive oil

2T Mexican vanilla

1c chopped walnuts

1/3c craisins

1oz. candied ginger

zest of: 1 orange and 1 grapefruit

2c finely chopped zucchini - 1 med. zucchini

In a smaller bowl, stir together these dry ingredients, then add to the big bowl, half at a time, stirring everything together well:

2c unbleached organic flour

3/4c corn flour

1T ground cinnamon

2T ground chia and flax seeds

1t each: salt, baking soda, baking powder

Spoon into paper lined muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon-spiced turbinado and coconut sugar. (1T ground cinnamon + 1/4c of each type of sugar) Bake in a preheated 350° oven, 20-25 minutes. Makes 24 nice sized muffins. . .Lin

Carrot Fruit Cake-Bread

2 big carrots - finely chopped

1c chopped frozen pineapple 

1 mashed banana

1"cube fresh ginger - minced

1 whole mandarin orange - zest and chop

1/2c coconut sugar

1/2c brown sugar

3 lg. eggs

3/4c light olive oil

3/4c sunflower kernels

- - walnuts or pecans would be better

1/2c plain Greek yogurt

1T white balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350° Chop, zest, mash and combine everything above, in a medium glass bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk together the following dry ingredients:

1T cinnamon

1/2T baking soda

1/2T baking powder

2T ground chia + flax

1t salt

1c corn flour

2-1/2c all purpose flour

Pour the bowl of well combined wet ingredients into the flour bowl. Working quickly with a big silicone spatula, fold and combine these into a heavy batter. Today I transferred this to a buttered and sugared 8"x12"x2" glass baking pan to make a snack-coffee cake. This would have also made wonderful  muffins! Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes. If making muffins, cut the baking time way down, start with 20 minutes then do the toothpick test. Let the cake cool an hour before cutting.

My daughter was here while this was cooling. She suggested a cream cheese drizzle to accentuate the flavors. I didn't have cream cheese, so instead made this butter-cinnamon-vanilla glaze:

3T melted butter

1t Mexican vanilla

1c powdered sugar

1t cinnamon

2T heavy cream

Mix these together until smooth in a small bowl. Pour and spread over the top. 

Have fun with your creative combinations. . .Lin

Crookneck Squash Harvest Bread and Muffins

1c corn FLOUR - not cornmeal

2c all purpose flour

2T ground chia + flax seeds

2T pumpkin pie spice

1t each: salt, baking powder, baking soda

Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl.

Roasted Winter Crookneck Squash:

My daughter and I grew this one, and the similarly colored Butternut squash, in our little First Year Backyard Garden at her house. I'll probably save the Butternut for soup. I picked up the Red Kuri squash at the Farmer's Market and I'm not sure what that'll become.

For this recipe, I washed the crookneck squash, cit it into a few pieces, scooped out the seeds, then brushed all the cut and inside areas with EVOO and seasoned with Penzeys Smoky 4/S seasoned salt and pepper. Roasted, cut sides down on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375° for 45 minutes then flipped and basted it and baked it for an additional 15 at 400°.

Cool, peel, then weigh out what you need. Serve the rest as a vegetable side dish for dinner, or scrape away the seasoning and mash it up and mix it with your pet's dry food. It's so good for them!

3/4c craisins

1c light olive oil

3 lg. pasture-raised eggs

1# roasted peeled crookneck squash

1c chopped pecans or walnuts

1c organic cane sugar

1/2c coconut sugar

1T dark Mexican Vanilla

Mash the squash with a fork and add all the other ingredients in this group. When well combined, let stand until the oven is preheated to 350°. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and use piper liners in a 1 dozen regular size muffin pan. When the oven is hot and the pans are prepped, Add the squash mixture to the dry ingredients in the big bowl, working quickly, stir and combine well. Pour the batter in the pan and fill the muffin cups. Sprinkle everything with turbinado sugar combined with pumpkin pie spice. 

Bake the muffins for 15-18 minutes, and the muffin-cake for about 25 minutes until the top springs back when touched or it passes the 'toothpick test.' These are sweet and also a little savory. Serve them for breakfast, with a salad for lunch, with meat and vegetables for dinner, or as a snack.

Mmmm, they're good still slightly warm, with a little butter, and your favorite tea! . .Lin

Peppery Pear-Pecan Sour Cream Muffins

Yes, Peppery!
Pepper and pears (and apples) go together nicely!

I bought a big bag of ripe pears. The only yellow ones there - and they were perfect - right then. It's two days later, and I see why buying the green ones might have been smarter. I really love pears, so tonight I'll have some with cottage cheese, cinnamon, pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Mmmm!

But for now, I need to use a few of these.

Pears, pecans and sour cream sounded like a good idea -and- in muffins it would be delicious! This is a variation of a recipe I've used before, but the main ingredients always vary.

In a big bowl, whisk the following together:

3c unbleached all purpose flour

3T ground chia and flax seed

1T pumplin pie spice

1t baking powder

1t baking soda

1t Himalayan pink salt

1t finely ground black pepper

In another bowl, combine the following:

3 lg. pasture raised eggs

1T Mexican vanilla

1/2c coconut sugar

1c brown sugar

2/3c sour cream

2/3c melted coconut oil

2c finely chopped unpeeled pears

Preheat your oven to 350°F. When thoroughly mixed, with a big wooden spoon, add half at a time to the flour mixture. Stir to combine then use a big serving spoon to fill lined muffin cups. I sprinkled them with a mix of turbinado sugar, coconut sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.

These baked for 15 minutes, sharing the oven with a tiny coffee cake made from the extra batter. Total 24 muffins + the little coffee cake, or 30 muffins. The coffee cake needed to bake an additional 8 minutes. 

Mmmm, the house smells good! . . Lin

Walnut-Pecan Rhubarb Muffins

DRY INGREDIENTS:

1c each:
~ corn flour - NOT corn meal
~ white wheat bread flour
~quick rolled oats - mortar and pestled

1t each:

~ baking soda, baking powder, salt

1T pumpkin pie spice

1-1/2c chopped walnuts and pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°
Whisk flour, leavening and spice together in a medium bowl, stir in the nuts.

LIQUID INGREDIENTS:

3 lg. eggs

1T Mexican vanilla

1-1/2c light brown sugar

1/2c Chobani plain Greek yogurt

1c light olive oil or melted coconut oil

2c chopped rhubarb

In a large glass bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients, whisking well until the sugar is dissolved, then add the rhubarb. Once this is smooth, add the dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time, stirring well, with a heavy wooden spoon.   When everything is combined, spoon into lined muffin tins and bake 22-24 minutes. Cool then remove from the tins. Makes 30 muffins. . .(. . .or 24 muffins and a little cake 😉)

This is an adaptation of one of my previous MUFFIN recipes from 2012. Either recipe would be great for breakfast, dessert or a bedtime snack. They're especially good with some Bigelow Raspberry Royale or Earl Grey tea. . .Lin

Pecan Fruit Muffins

• 2c mixed chopped dried fruit
• 
  1c chopped pecans
• 1T pure Mexican vanilla
• 5.3oz. pineapple Greek yogurt
• 1/2c light olive oil
• 3 lg. eggs
• 1c light brown sugar
• 1/2c coconut sugar

• 2c unbleached all purpose flour
• 2/3c corn flour
• 3T ground chia and flax seed
• 1t each: baking powder, baking soda, and salt
• 1T pumpkin pie spice

Today I used golden raisins, craisins, apricots, and dates. Mix the first group together in a big bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients well to thoroughly blend. Preheat the oven to 350° and line two muffin pans with liners. Once the oven is preheated, add half the dry mix to the big bowl, repeat with the rest, mixing well with a big wooden spoon. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 20 minutes. This recipe made 30 muffins. These are good for breakfast, a snack or dessert. . .Lin

Walnut Fruit Muffins

1c rhubarb

1 ripe banana

1-2T real vanilla 

2 'cuties' and peel

¾c chopped walnuts

⅓c organic cane sugar

⅓c golden raisins

⅔c avocado oil

2 lg. eggs

1c fine corn meal or corn flour

½c organic all purpose flour

½c quick steel cut oats

¼c organic oat bran

¼c ground flax seed mix*

2t pumpkin pie spice

½t Himalayan pink salt

1t each: bak.soda / bak.powder

Combine the first ingredients in a medium bowl, mixing well with a wooden spoon.  Set this aside to rehydrate the raisins and orange peel, while measuring and combining the flours and spices, etc., in a big bowl.

Once all the dry ingredients are combined well, pour in the egg-fruit mixture, stir well, but quickly so as not to over blend.  If it's a little dry, add a splash of water, milk or half and half.  Spoon into 24 prepared muffin cups, sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.  Bake in a preheated 350⁰ oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they pass the toothpick test.  This makes 24 muffins.
Mmmm, These Smell Fantastic! . . . Lin

*I found a wonderful one that contains flax, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame and goji berries.  All finely ground.

Multi-Grain Fruit and Nut Muffins (gluten-free)

I've been reading about gluten again recently and have decided to try to eliminate wheat, rye, barley and certain oats from my diet.  With chemical additives, GMO's etc., these 'grains' hardly resemble what our grandparents consumed 50+ years ago.  I'm one of the fortunate ones who don't crave breads and most simple carbohydrates, so it's not too difficult to keep these grains out of my cooking and my diet.  The exceptions will be a couple soup recipes I make using barley.  White rice might work though.  Once in a while I start craving those grainy carbs, so I'm always trying to come up with healthy recipes for those times.  I realized about a week ago that I have a LOT of different flours in my refrigerator, so  thought I'd try coming up with a reasonably good option.

½ cup each:

~ corn flour

~ rolled oats

~ coconut flour

~ hazelnut flour
~ organic cane sugar

¼c ground flax seed mix

1t salt

1T baking powder
1-2t pumpkin pie spice

1c chopped dry fruit and nuts

2 eggs
½ c light oil
1t+ pure vanilla
1T white vinegar

½c half and half
½c liquid coconut coffee creamer

Stir the dry ingredients together in a large glass bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk the next group until smooth then combine quickly in the big bowl. Stir gently with a wooden spoon, only until everything is incorporated then spoon into paper-lined muffin tins.  Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.  Bake in preheated 350⁰ oven for 20 minutes.  This made 24 muffins. . .Lin

Cranberry Orange Granola Muffins

3c small crumble granola

1c fresh or frozen cranberries - chopped
1c orange peel - thin sliced and chopped
1c nuts - almonds, walnuts or pecans - chopped

1½c unbleached organic white flour

½c oat bran

⅓c milled flax seed - golden or dark

1t ground cardamom

2t ground cinnamon

2½t baking soda

1t Himalayan pink salt

1c Morena pure unrefined cane sugar

3 eggs

1T pure vanilla

½c vegetable oil

2c buttermilk

In 3 separate bowls, combine each group of ingredients, using the largest bowl for the first.  Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of granola, nuts and chopped fruit.  Stir well with a heavy wooden spoon.  Pour in the contents of the liquid bowl, again stirring very well to be sure everything is completely incorporated.  Using a ½c measure, fill paper-lined muffin cups in a regular size muffin pan.  Bake in a 375° preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Mine didn't rise well, as you can tell from the photos, and weren't completely baked through, although they were still really good.  I changed the oven temperature to help with that.  I baked mine at 350° which wasn't quite hot enough.  Any leftover muffin batter can be stored in the 'fridge for a couple weeks, or frozen to use another time. . .Lin

Fruit and Granola Muffins

3c small crumbly granola*
1c chopped dried fruit
1c chopped almonds

1c white & (brown sugar... 

...or coconut sugar) in a 3/1 ratio

3 eggs - beaten

1T pure vanilla
½c vegetable oil

2c buttermilk

1½c unbleached white flour

½c coconut flour

⅓c ground golden flax seed

2t pumpkin pie spice

2½t baking soda

1t salt

In a large bowl, combine the first group.  Whisk the next group together in another bowl.  Sift - strain the dry ingredients into another bowl and give them a good stir to be sure they're all blended.

Alternately add the liquids with the dry ingredients to the big bowl, stirring well with a heavy wooden spoon.  Put a scoop of the batter in paper-lined muffin tins.  This recipe makes about 3 dozen.  If you only want to bake a dozen or so, it will keep in the refrigerator a while, or can be put in a heavy zip-type bag and frozen. . .Lin

This is my total adulteration of an old recipe my mother-in-law used to make.  The 6-Week Buttermilk Bran Muffins.  That is also an excellent one, with nuts and chocolate chips.  *Any flavors.  Today I used 2c of an oats and dark chocolate granola, with 1c of mango-coconut granola.

Fruit, Nut, Corn & Oat Muffins—(Gluten Free)

1c chopped dried fruit
1c chopped pecans
1/2c chopped dates

2 eggs

2/3c brown sugar

2/3c solid coconut oil-liquified

1c half and half +

2T white vinegar

4t good cinnamon

2T ground orange peel

1t cardamom

1T baking powder

1t salt

2/3c ground flax seed

1/2c corn flour

1c oat flour

1c oat bran

In a medium size bowl, stir together the first group of ingredients with a wooden spoon.  Let this mixture stand to rehydrate the fruit a little.  Meanwhile, put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.  If the coconut oil solidifies these ingredients, microwave for 30 seconds.  Add the fruit mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl, stirring until just combined.  Spoon into a paper-lined muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with baker's sanding sugar.  Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.  Makes 30 muffins. . .Lin

Lemon-Apple-Ginger Juice (And Muffins!)

JUICE

2 big Granny Smith apples

1 lemon - juice and zest

1-1/2" chunk of ginger

Scrub and core the apple, cut into several pieces and put in a blender.  Add lemon juice and zest, finely chopped, peeled ginger and about 1-1/2c water.  Blend on high for a minute or longer.  Strain juice into a bowl or other container.  (Keep the pulp in the strainer.)  Pour half the juice over ice, if you'd like, and drink.

This makes 2 servings and is best fresh, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.  The second serving will keep for one more day though, if kept covered in the 'fridge.  This is my favorite of the "cleansing drinks" I've made.  Next time I make this, I'll add a carrot.  The apples have just enough sweetness so that no honey or maple syrup is necessary.  Drink up - be well! . . . Lin

MUFFINS

Lemon-Apple-Ginger—White Beet-Carrot-Craisin-Raisin-Almond Muffins

When I'm craving muffins, I always create a variation on a recipe my sister gave me long ago.  I usually make zucchini bread or zucchini-carrot muffins, but I've also used it with 2 cups of just about any combination of fruit and/or vegetables:  zucchini-banana, pumpkin, apple, carrot-pineapple, frozen berries and cherries, fresh cranberries and orange zest. . .it's one where you just use whatever you have in the kitchen.

*1c lemon-apple-ginger pulp

1c finely chopped carrots and white beet

3 eggs

1-1/2c sugar

1c coconut oil - melted

3/4c craisins and raisins 

1t vanilla

2c flour

1c quick cooking oats

1t each: baking soda and salt

1/2t baking powder

1-2T cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

3/4c chopped almonds or pecans

In a large bowl, stir the first 7 ingredients together well with a big spoon.  (*If you only want to make the muffins, 1c of applesauce can be substituted for the juice pulp.)  Let stand for 10 minutes or more to hydrate the craisins and raisins.  In a medium bowl, combine the next 6 dry ingredients, stirring well until completely incorporated.  Add contents of this bowl to the large bowl.  Stir for a couple minutes until there are no more dry areas.  Spoon into paper lined muffin tins, or greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350°.  50-60 minutes for regular size loaves, and about 30 minutes for very large muffins.

When done just right, the centers spring back when touched and the tops are lightly browned.  This made 12 BIG muffins. . .Lin

Fruit (Vegetable) and Nut Muffins

3c flour

1t baking soda

1t salt

½t baking power

1T powdered spices

In a medium size bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. All regular flour, or a blend of your favorites can be used. Today I used ½c corn flour, ½c barley flour and 2c unbleached organic white flour. For the spice you could use just cinnamon or again, a blend. For this recipe I used ½T cardamom and ½T pumpkin pie spice.

3 eggs

1c canola or vegetable oil

1½c sugar – all white or white and brown

2t real vanilla

2c chopped fruit or shredded vegetables

1c chopped nuts or seeds

Using a wire wisk, combine first four ingredients. When sugar is disolved, stir in fruit-vegetables and nuts. This time I used dried cherries, cranberries, 2 chopped clementines and zest, and ½ a big Golden Delicious apple, grated.

Mashed pumpkin, shredded carrot, zucchini, crushed pineapple, applesauce can also be used, singly or combined with raisins, mashed banana, dried apricots, prunes, etc. Be creative! If using dried fruits, leave this mixture stand 10 minutes to rehydrate a little. Add the stirred dry flour mixture. Combine both mixtures – this will result in a very heavy batter. Line muffin pan with paper liners, fill and bake at 350° 25 minutes. Makes 24 muffins.  When cool, these can be put into a Ziplock bag and stored in the refrigerator or frozen. . .Lin