The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Mini muffins. They’re fun, they’re bite-size, and they’re portion controlled… what’s not to love here? I recently dug up this recipe to bring to work for a friend’s birthday after remembering that she loved a similar version from one of the large coffee shop chains. The upside of doing them homemade vs. store-bought is you know exactly what’s in them and exactly how fresh they are.

These little gems aren’t overly-sweet. Instead they’re light and citrusy with little bursts of tart cranberry, and a slightly crunchy, sugary top…mini perfection! You can certainly make them in a regular-sized muffin tin but I like them better as minis – not only because they’re adorable, but also because their small size allows you to eat two or three of them instead of just one. Seems a little more decadent that way, don’t you think?

Orange-Cranberry Muffins
(recipe modified slightly from Food Network)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
zest of one orange
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus some for topping the muffins
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove berries from the heat, and set aside to cool and plump. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.

Line a 24-mini muffin tin (or regular size 12-muffin tin) with paper liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter, orange zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes for minis and 25 minutes for regular-size muffins. Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan.

Yield: 12 regular-sized muffins or 24 mini-muffins

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Man, I love Fridays. There’s a certain freedom that comes with knowing you’ve made it to the end of another crazy week, isn’t there?

I spend much of my week rushing around, trying to manage the unmanageable, as every workday starts the same way: snoozing my way through thirty minutes of exercise and fifteen minutes of getting ready for work. Where does that leave me? Usually late, rushing out the door, and grabbing whatever’s easy for breakfast on the way. Not the best way to honor the most important meal of the day, I know.

Most days breakfast is some combination of fruit, granola, and/or yogurt to be eaten at my desk while I comb through emails and to-do lists. Some days, though, when I’m feeling that urge to stop in at the cafeteria for a bagel or muffin to go with my cup of coffee, I’ll grab one of these muffins from the freezer and save myself not only some cash but also some unknown ingredients/preservatives.

Trust me on this one: make a batch of these banana muffins to enjoy for breakfast this weekend and toss the extras in the freezer. Pull one out when you’re looking for a little something different on a weekday morning (or when you’re looking for a sweet snack in the afternoon). If you don’t have time to let them defrost at room temp, just pop them into the microwave for twenty seconds and you’re good to go. You’ll thank yourself every time a busy morning or sweet tooth moment hits.

Banana Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a standard muffin pan with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and butter in a large bowl. Fold in the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.

Bake in preheated oven. Bake muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly touched.

Yield: 12 muffins

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com