1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup each golden and dark raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tsp grated orange peel (find this in a well-stocked spice aisle)
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup superfine sugar

In large bowl combine butter and sugar. Beat until fluffy.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine baking soda with buttermilk and flour with salt.

To egg mixture add buttermilk mixture in thirds, alternating with flour mixture. Stir together until just combined. Do not beat.

In food processor or blender combine raisins, nuts, and orange peel, then process just until finely chopped. Stir into batter lightly and pour into greased muffin tins to within !/2-inch of top. Bake in preheated 400° oven 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool in pan a few minutes, then remove muffins to a rack placed over wax paper. While cooling brush tops with orange juice and sprinkle with sugar.

Okay, they come into the kitchen when these guys start to bake, following the aroma. “Wow! Peanut butter muffins!” And when you serve them and they take their first bite – “Double-Wow! Peanut butter AND JELLY muffins!” Now aren’t you proud of yourself?

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup any jam or jelly
1 cup skim milk
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk together flour and baking powder; set aside.

Place milk, eggs, sugar, peanut butter and salt in a blender or processor; and blend to combine. Pour over dry ingredients; stir just to completely moisten.

Line a 12-muffin pan with paper muffin cups and fill each 1/3 full. Place about 1 tsp of jam or jelly in the center of each muffin and fill cups with additional batter until about 2/3 full and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan a few minutes. Enjoy the complements!

With the oj and powdered sugar glaze you can certainly skip the butter when serving them – unless you have eaters like me.

1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp shredded orange peel (from spice section of market)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
½ - 8-oz carton orange-flavored yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp orange juice

Preheat oven to 400 degree F.

Line eighteen 1-3/4-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, granulated sugar, orange peel, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, slightly beat egg, stir in yogurt, oil, and vanilla, then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be kinda lumpy). Spoon batter into the muffin cups to about three-quarters full.

Bake in the preheated oven about 10 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden.

Remove them from muffin cups and cool about 5 minutes on a wire rack, then carefully peel off the paper muffin forms.

While they’re cooling, stir together powdered sugar and the orange juice, then, after the paper is removed, drizzle this glaze over the muffins – if you prefer you can “dribble” over them but just the glaze, please.

Serve while they’re still a little warm. Mm-m-m-m-m,yum.

Sticky buns in 30 minutes? Don't let the family know it's so quick and easy or they'll want them every day.

1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, divided
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp corn syrup
2 tsp grated orange rind, divided
1 8 oz can refrigerated crescent roll dough
4 tsps. butter, melted
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Use 8 large or 16 miniature non-stick tins.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice, corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind. Mix well. Spoon 1 Tbsp of mixture into each tin, or 1 & 1/2 tsp if using miniatures.

Separate crescent dough into rectangles and seal perforations with your fingers. Spread with melted butter. Combine remaining 2 Tbsp sugar, cinnamon, and remaining tsp grated orange rind. Mix well. Sprinkle over dough.

Starting at shorter side of rectangle, roll dough and slice into 8 to 16 slices, depending on tins used. Place in tins cut side down and bake in preheated 375° oven 18 to 20 minutes.

Invert immediately and serve with a lot of napkins.

These are so tasty why not double the recipe and freeze a bunch for a future quick and very easy brunch item. Be sure they’re cool, then put them into freezer containers or bags. They’ll be good for at least a month.

When you’re ready to use them just wrap the frozen muffins in heavy foil and bake for about 15 minutes in a 400 degree F oven.

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter

Muffins In a mixing bowl combine flour, the 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

In another bowl beat egg slightly; stir in milk and 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened and a little lumpy.

Lightly grease muffin cups and fill about two-thirds full with batter. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Topping While they’re baking combine the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. As soon as the muffins are out of the oven dip their tops into the 1/4 cup melted butter (or margarine, if you must) then into the cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated. Serve ‘em warm.

Nothing crumb-y about this quick & easy brunch specialty except the topping - and that's delicious.

Topping 1/4 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 & ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Muffins 2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 1 & 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 & 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly grease the cups and top of a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan.

Topping In a pie plate, toast the walnuts for 5 minutes, or until browned and fragrant; cool.

In a large bowl, mix the flour with both sugars, baking powder and salt. Stir in the butter, then add the walnuts and pinch the topping mixture into 12 little clumps.

Muffins In a medium bowl, mix the flour with 1/2 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, mix the yogurt with the egg and butter; stir in the dry ingredients. Toss the cranberries with the remaining 1 & 1/2 Tbsp of sugar and fold into the muffin batter.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and cover with the crumb topping. Gently press the topping onto the muffins so it adheres.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack set over a baking sheet. Serve the muffins warm.

Eat one or two of these quick, easy and so very healthful goodies and you'll be up and running in no time - maybe to the bathroom but, hey, that's healthy, right?

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1 & 1/2 cups natural bran
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins
2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine all ingredients except butter. Mix well. Let stand 2 minutes.

Stir in butter and fill 12 greased muffin tins about two-thirds full. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool a few minutes on a rack.

Oat Bran Muffin With Nuts and Berries
Makes 12

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! No...it's Su-u-u-per Muffin! Why? Because they.re loaded with super foods - oats, walnuts and blue-berries.

1 & 1/2 cups oat bran
1 & 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp applesauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten, or 1/2 cup egg substitute(Yuccch!)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 & 1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 & 1/2cup coarsely chopped walnut pieces
1/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray oil. (If using paper liners, insert them in the tin and spray lightly with nonstick spray oil.) Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the oat bran, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, mix the applesauce, eggs, orange juice, canola oil and vanilla extract.

Put ‘em together and whaddya got? Bibbity, bobbity…no, sorry; combine the wet with the dry. Fold in the blueberries and walnuts.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin. Sprinkle rolled oats over the tops of the muffins.

Bake about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted into a muffin comes out clean. That’s it.

Hush Puppy Muffins
Makes 18

Bake these in miniature muffin pans for crisp, golden muffins with deep-fried flavor but hardly any fat.

2/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 small onion, minced (optional)
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, stirring just until blended. Spoon batter evenly into lightly greased muffin cups in miniature muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

It helps to be rich if you want to stay at a Ritz-Carlton hotel and that's just what these wonderful muffins are - rich.

3 & 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 & 1/2 cups sugar,divided
Pinch of salt
5 eggs, lightly beaten
l/2 cup whole milk
4-5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
5 oz unsalted butter, melted & cooled

Heat oven to 425°.

Stir together flour, baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, and salt. Blend in eggs, milk, and melted butter. If too dry add a little more milk. Don't overmix the batter.

Carefully stir in berries.

Grease top surfaces of large muffin tins and insert paper baking cups. Spoon batter to top of cups and sprinkle generously with remaining 3/4 cup sugar.

Reduce oven temperature to 400 F & place muffin tins on center rack of oven. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until muffins are just golden brown. Remove from tins and cool on rack.

Warning! Once these go into the oven don’t open it even for a peek – you’ll have “flop”-overs instead of popovers.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Heat oven to 450°.

Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl.

In a second bowl, whisk together eggs and milk and add to the flour mixture. Stir until just blended. Fold in cheese and bacon.

Fill prepared cups 2/3 to 3/4 full, about1/3 cup of batter in each. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake for another 10 or so until browned and puffed up.

Remove from the oven and immediately remove from pan. Pierce sides once with a knife to release steam. Serve warm.

What a nice combination, honey, orange & vanilla. I’ll bet there will be no turn-downs on these beauties even from your kids or other normally picky-picky eaters.

1/2 cup Orange Juice
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup margarine, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375F

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.in a small bowl.

In another small bowl, combine the honey, orange juice, margarine, egg , and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients.

Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray. & fill them 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 375" F until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

What would you expect from a Cuban muffin? Containing cayenne and paprika these are definitely not for breakfast but go splendidly with a lunch or dinner dish, especially one that includes black beans.

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
l/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
l/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
Butter for greasing muffin tins

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and sugar. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, butter, and roasted peppers.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir together, using as few strokes as possible. (the batter should have small lumps in it.)

Pour the batter into lightly greased muffin tins, filling each cup two-thirds full, and bake 20 minutes. To test for done-ness, insert a sharp knife into the center of the muffins. If it comes out clean, they are done. Remove the muffins from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Bluenerries are not the only berry you can use to impress those brunch or breakfast guests - or your family.

1/4 lb unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
salt to taste
1/2 cup half and half or whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
18-20 medium to large strawberries, hulled, chopped

Cream butter and 1 & 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Blend well but do not overbeat. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately with cream to butter mixture. Add vanilla and fold in strawberries.

Fill greased muffin tins nearly full with batter. Sprinkle with remaining !/4 cup sugar. Bake in preheated 375° oven about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool a few minutes & serve.

.

Of course you can use other nuts for this really easy muffin but why not go a little wild and use this delicious if expensive variety.

5 Tbsp butter, melted, cooled slightly
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 & 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-3/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
Topping
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl mix together the butter, egg, and milk.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nuts. Pour this over dry ingredients & stir only until dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy but that's okay.

Spoon into 12 well-greased muffin tins, filling cups 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes.

While they're baking combine butter and sugar. Spoon over muffins immediately after removing from oven. They’re ready for the table and the compliments.

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This is another two-fer recipe: omit the honey & butter and you’ve made a traditional dinner popover.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 large eggs

Preheat: 425 degrees . Sift flour and salt together. Stir in the milk, honey and melted butter then beat in the eggs.

Fill greased or non-stick 2 inch muffin tins just under half full. Bake about 25 minutes at 425 degrees

Watch carefully but only through the window (the oven window, of course). Open oven only when you think they’re done because if they’re not, the popovers will fall and just lie there – so sad. When the sides appear rigid and the popovers are brown they are done.

Incredibly easy, incredibly fast and, best of all, d-e-e-e-licious (you thought I was going to say "incredibly good", didn’t you?).

Muffins
2 cups Bisquick or other biscuit mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup milk
1 slightly beaten egg
2 Tbsp oil

Glaze-Just stir the 3 ingredients together
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
l/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat all ingredients together for 30 seconds. Fill greased or non-stick 2-inch muffin pans two-thirds full.

Bake for 12 minutes. Cool slightly and dip the tops in cinnamon glaze. Then watch these wonderful muffins disappear.

With a little help from a tube of refrigerated dough you can put this classic on the breakfast table in about 20 minutes.

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
3 Tbsp light molasses
1 Tbsp water
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1 10 oz can refrigerated biscuits (the flaky variety)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat brown sugar, butter, molasses and water until bubbly.

Spoon 1 tsp of the hot syrup into each of 8 ungreased muffin cups. Sprinkle with nuts.

Split dough into 10 biscuits & cut each biscuit into 4 pieces placing 5 pieces in each muffin cup.

Spoon the rest of the syrup on top & bake until they become gorgeously golden, about 13 minutes.

Let 'em sit for 3 minutes, then onto the plates.

Don’t even think about this super-deluxe treat for anything but dinner.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
11/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried fruit bits (from a 7-ounce package)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mini semisweet chocolate chips

Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat oven to 350°.

Whisk together flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in center of this mixture & set aside.

Whisk sour cream, milk, oil, eggs and vanilla together in measuring cup & add to flour mixture. Whisk until smooth. Stir in dried fruit and 1/2 cup of the mini chips.

Divide evenly among prepared muffin pan cups. Sprinkle each muffin with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp of the mini chips.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out with moist crumbs (you thought I was going to say “clean”, didn’t you?).

Cool them a few minutes on a rack.

Just in case you are over-reactive to 100% bran substitute uncooked rolled oats but do 2 cups instead of 1.

1 cup 100% bran
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 & 1/2 cups flour
21/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups All Bran
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped

Mix 100% bran with boiling water & set aside..

In a large bowl combine oil, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, and buttermilk. Add the bran mixture & mix well. Fold in All Bran, salt, and apple.

Pour into 24 greased muffin tins. Bake in preheated 400° oven 15 minutes.

I suppose with a little rum in this recipe you might want to wait until dinner to serve them. Or substitute rum flavoring and eat 'em anytime.

2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 very ripe medium-size bananas. mashed
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup rum
1 lime, zest removed and juiced (about 1 teaspoon zest and 1 tablespoon juice)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 350°.

Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.or use a non-stick or flexible one.

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.

In medium-size bowl, stir together bananas, sugar, butter, milk, rum, lime juice and zest until blended. Make a well in flour mixture, add liquid & stir until ingredients are just moistened.

Spoon batter into muffin cups (scant 1/2 cup each). Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Remove pan to rack to cool for a few minutes, then move muffins from pan to rack to cool a bit more (or serve them warm).

Dust with powdered sugar to make them extra special - and extra messy.