Bit-o-Everything Breakfast Muffins

My husband loves bran muffins. LOVES. It is really weird, but I go with it.

I created this special bran-muffin recipe putting in all sorts of fun & nutritious things, as many as I could muster. There are tons of ways you can vary this – I list a bunch of options at the bottom. All end up very tasty, but this can help if you dont have all these ingredients or want to try different flavor combinations.

This is the variation I generally use and it is TASTYTASTIC. I typically make a double batch. Whenever I make these, my husband knows how much I love him. Though they are so tasty, I end up eating as many myself… whoops!

Not your average bran muffins. These have 6 types of grains and lots of fun mix-ins.

• DRY
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup oat bran (or wheat bran)
• WET
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Agave Nectar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
• MIX-INS
  • 2/3 cup rolled oats
  • 2/3 cup defrosted, drained blueberries
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/8 cup flax seeds

Set oven to 400. Line a muffin tin with 18 paper liners.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all the web ingredients in another bowl, starting by whisking just the eggs until they are well broken up and then adding the rest, then pour over and gently incorporate into the dry stuff. Mix only until the dry stuff is nearly completely wet – pour in the Mix-In  items and stir together until just incorporated.

Scoop the batter into the tins and put in the oven – bake for 15 minutes, until top springs back when pressed lightly.

Let cool. Enjoy thoroughly. Keeps well frozen for multiple months.

Substitution ideas:

• Replace 1/4 cup of the white flour with almond meal
• Replace the blueberries and walnuts with raspberries and almonds (make sure the almonds dont have the skins)
• Substitute half of the canola oil with olive oil or grapeseed oil
• Replace the agave with molasses, brown sugar, or omit all together
• Replace the oat bran with wheat bran
• You can use quick-cooking oats instead of rolled oats… the result will just not have as much chew/body
• Replace the shredded coconut with shredded carrot

Whip It: An Ice Cream Experiment

Whipped and Unwhipped mint chocolate ice cream. 2 ways. 1 amazing deliciousness.

As I’ve made these gallons and gallons of ice cream over the last couple years, I’ve been a little frustrated by the fact that home-made ice cream rarely has the consistent, scoopable, airy texture of store-bought ice cream. Part of that is that the professionals cheat (yes, there is judging happening here) using a variety of chemical stabilizers and thickeners, but part of that is the commercial machinery that whips a little bit of air into the batter as it freezes.

My dear husband suggested that I try something similar to that last tactic – whipping in air. So, I designed a split-test experiment to see what would happen. In order to make it as scientific as possible, I had to make two portions of the same flavor, with all the same ingredients, freeze it the same day and eat it from the freezer the same (next) day. So I made a double-batch of mint ice cream base (because if we’re going to have 2 quarts of one flavor in the freezer, might as well make it one of the most delicious incarnations of ice cream that was ever conceived) and divided it into two equal parts.

The first part I froze as normal in my ice cream machine, and sprinkled exactly one portion of chocolate chunks in at the end, then packed it away in containers in the freezer. I then washed out the mixer (had to bring the system down to Beauty Base Zero) and, while it was drying, took electric beaters and whipped air into the 2nd part of the base for 2 full minutes. I poured that into the ice cream mixer and let it do its sweet, sweet magic. I could tell that air was indeed staying in the mix, because it nearly overflowed the mixer in the end, and while the first portion fit just about exactly into a 1-quart freezer container, the second portion (after adding the same amount of chocolate chunks) took 1 quart plus an extra full cup container.

Finally, the next day, we did a taste test. Scoopability for both portions was actually quite good, though the whipped ice cream had the edge, being a little bit softer and easer to spoon out of the container. However, when we did the blind taste test … neither my husband nor I could find a distinct winner.

As with any good scientific experiment, though, we have not let our first test be our last. We realized that BOTH portions were a good and soft texture, which may just be the nature of the specific concoction and is not always the case, especially with more fruit-based ice creams. So, while whipping may have had only a VERY marginal impact on the mint chocolate chunk recipe, I am going to be attempting it on other recipes that have not come out so soft in the past. TO BE CONTINUED!

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream [recipe]

The hubby and I had a great idea for an experiment to run to see if we could improve the texture of my ice creams, but to run that experiment (which will be featured in a new post, shortly,) I needed to make 2 batches of a single flavor of ice cream. That is to say, I had to make something I know we would eat LOTS of. So, Mint Chocolate Chip was naturally our first choice. (And it turns out that we/I ate 2 full quarts of the stuff in under 2 weeks. Oy. This worked too well.) The result was very fresh and minty and VERY smooth and creamy – much more scoopable than many other home-made ice creams will come out. Thats my excuse for eating all of it so quickly. It was so delicious it would have been a crime NOT to consume it en massse.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (in a pretzel cone)

Fresh mint leaves

Hot cream infusing with mint

Mint Ice Cream, mid-churn

Whipped and Unwhipped mint chocolate ice cream. 2 ways. 1 amazing deliciousness.

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 large handful of fresh mint, torn into bits by hand
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Put the cream, milk, sugar, and corn syrup in a pot  – but save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat.

Whisk the hot mixture into a bowl holding the cream cheese and salt – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible. Toss in the mint leaves and stir those in.

Let the mixture cool down and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Strain out the mint leaves. You can add an OPTIONAL couple drabs of mint extract or mint liquor, depending on the freshness of your mint leaves. Put the chocolate chips in the freezer. Freeze the batter as directed in your mixer, then pour half the chocolate chips in at the very end of mixing. As you pack the ice cream in containers, layer in the rest of the chocolate chips. Let the whole thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Curry Mango Ice Cream [recipe]

This is one of my masterpieces. It is fucking incredible. That is all I have to say.

Curry Mango Ice Cream – Ready to go in my belly.

Curry Powder

Chopped Mango

Churning Curry Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 and 1/2 tsp curry powder (I used a slightly mild american-style curry powder)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped mango, approx 1/2″ chunks, fresh or frozen
• 1 tbsp sugar

Put the cream, milk, sugar, spices, and corn syrup in a pot  – but save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat. Whisk the hot mixture into a bowl holding the cream cheese and salt – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible. Let the mixture cool down and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. While it is freezing, put the chopped mango in a small sauce pan with the tablespoon of sugar and a coupel tablespoons of water. Simmer it, stirring constantly, until all the water is evaporated. This will basically infuse the mango with a little sugar to prevent it from getting too icy in the freezer. Refrigerate the mango. Freeze as directed in your mixer, and pack into containers layering in the mango as you go. Let the whole thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Marzipan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream [recipe]

The fourth (and last) flavor I make for Oktoberfest this year… inspired by the delightful almond-paste confections that are popular in much of Europe, aka my breakfast whenever I am on that continent. They arent exclusively a German thing, but the word “Marzipan” SOUNDS so German, doesnt it? Maybe? Whatever, this came out freaking delicious, no excuses are needed.

The almond extract is key to making this turn from just nutty to marizpanny in flavor – you can skimp on the amaretto liquor, but not the extract. Just dont do it. Next time I make this I am also going to try folding in cherries, like I did in the Black Forest chocolate & cherry ice cream, because that would then make the wonderful flavors have an exponential increase in effectiveness.

Scooped: Marzipan Chocolate Chip

Almonds and Chocolate Chips

Marizpan Base churning

Marizpan base with Chocolate having been drizzled

Marizipan Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds (i got mine from Trader Joe’s) – make sure there are no brown skins
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 2 tsp amaretto liquor (if you dont use the liquor, add another tsp of extract.)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1+ tsp canola oil or sunflower oil

You’re going to need a food processor for this one: Place all the almonds and a little bit of the sugar (around 1/8 cup) in there and process the cr@p out of it, about 2 minutes. You want to get it as close to a paste (i.e. marzipan) as you can. Put the result in a medium mixing bowl with the cream cheese and salt.

Put the cream, milk, the rest of the sugar, and corn syrup in a pot  – but save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat.

Whisk the hot mixture into a bowl holding the almonds and cream cheese – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible. Let the mixture cool down, whisk in the extract and liquor, and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Just before you are ready to freeze, melt the chocolate gently in a double boiler (or in a microwave, only doing 5 seconds at a time and stirring for 30 seconds in between… you don’t want to burn it!) Take off the heat, and add the oil to thin the chocolate enough to that it easily creates a thin stream of chocolaty goodness when you drizzle it from a spoon.

Freeze as directed in your mixer, and just when it looks like it is about done, drizzle the chocolate in slowly as it churns. The chocolate should break up into tiny bits throughout the ice cream. Let it churn for another couple minutes just to bring the temperature back down, then pack it away and  let the whole thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Black Forest Ice Cream [recipe]

The third Oktoberfest flavor I created was Black Forest – an ice cream based on the famous German Black Forest Cake – a blissful combination of deep dark chocolate and juicy sweet cherries. The Joy of a Thousand Kittens on a fork, if you will.  At the party I brought this to, this flavor was definitely one of the crowd favorites… a deep chocolate with rich overtones created by the coffee and brown sugar, along with rich cherries densely packed in. If you are trying to figure out what recipe to use as your first Ice Cream creation yourself… yeah, THIS ONE.

Black Forest Ice Cream in Eating Position

CHERRIES (pre-plumping)

Chocolate sauce

Churning chocolate ice cream

Black Forrest Ice Cream

• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 oz baking chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened tart cherries
• 1/4 cup booze (vodka, rum, or cherry schnapps)
• 1 tbsp sugar

First make a chocolate syrup – Chop the baking chocolate into small bits. Put the cocoa powder, coffee, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring just to boiling, making sure everything is dissolved. Turn off the heat. Pour the chopped hard chocolate into that and stir every minute or two, until everything is smooth and melted together. Pour that into a medium mixing bowl with the cream cheese and salt, and put to the side.

Put the cream, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and corn syrup in a pot  – but save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat.

Whisk the hot mixture into the chocolate&cheese mixing bowl – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible. Let the mixture cool down and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Take the cherries and roughly chop about half of them. Put into a bowl with the 1 tbsp sugar, booze, and 1/4 cup water (just enough to make the cherries nearly covered with liquid. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and let that sit for an hour or two, stirring every half hour, until the cherries have plumped a little bit. Drain the liquid away (into a glass – you are going to want to drink that later.)

Freeze the chocolate base as directed in your mixer, and as you are packing it, stir in the cherries. It should be filthy with cherries. Let the whole thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Paprika Lemon Ice Cream [recipe]

This was an inspiration for Oktoberfest since Paprika is a oft-used spice in Germany and I wanted to make something WEIRD. This is definitely weird. It is interesting, but not for everyone. Lemony and tart, with a great earthy kick at the end… the flavors actually evolve on your tongue over the course of about 12 seconds.

I had to fool around with the ingredient balance a bit since I needed to include butter to cook the paprika… I think next time I would go down to 1 or 1.5 tbsp butter, since the ice cream in this batch seemed a bit dense.

Flavors: Lemon Curd and Paprika

Paprika in hot butter

Cooked Paprika

Paprika Lemon Batter

Churning Lemon Paprika

Paprika Lemon Ice Cream

 

Paprika Lemon Ice Cream

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• scant 1/8 tsp hot paprika
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 oz cream cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup lemon curd

Melt the butter in a small pan – put both paprikas in and stir constantly on medium heat, until the paprika turns a little more dark/orange and smells strongly (a minute or two.) Take off the heat.

Put the cream, sugar, and syrup in a pot on medium heat. Add all the milk except 1/4 cup to the cream. Save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat.

Whisk the hot mixture into a bowl holding the cream cheese, lemon curd, and salt – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible. Pour in most of the paprika butter – taste it, and keep adding until you have a flavor you like.

Let the mixture cool down, and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Freeze as directed in your mixer, and let the whole thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Caramel Pumpkin Seed Ice Cream [recipe]

This flavor was inspired by autumnal weather, an upcoming Oktoberfest party, and a deep and everlasting love of sugar-based products. Meant to be eaten with beer and friends. If you have no friends, do not make this ice cream. The caramel is so freaking delicious that you will just eat this whole thing by yourself on the couch.

Scooped Caramel Pumpkin Seed Ice Cream

Melting Sugar

Caramel Base

Caramel Pumpkin Seed Ice Cream

• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Whisk the cream and corn syrup together. In a flat-bottomed pot, put the dry sugar in an even layer. Turn the heat on to medium-high and watch it carefully- when you see a consistent amber line around the entire sugar edge, take a heat-proof spatula and pull the edges in, folding over the sugar, so that the sugar slowly melts into the liquid sugar. When everything is a dark amber color, keep heating and stiring until some dark bubbles happen and it JUST starts to smoke – pour in 1/4 cup of the cream mixture and WHISK LIKE MAD. When incorporated, add another 1/4 cup, whisk like crazy, etc until all the cream is in there. You will have to do a lot of whisking to make sure that all the caramel is incorporated. Sometimes big chunks will sieze up… just keep stirring when you add the milk and it will dissolve.

[side note: it took me about 3-4 batches of caramel ice cream bases to really get it perfect. You may not get the right caramel flavor the first try – it is easy to Call It too early, or let it go a few seconds too long and burn it. Don’t fret if it isnt magnificent the first time… just try, try again!]

Add all the milk except 1/4 cup to the creaem. Save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat.

Whisk the hot mixture into a bowl holding the cream cheese and salt – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible.

Let the mixture cool down, add the vanilla, and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Freeze as directed in your mixer, and as you pack it in the container, layer in the pumpkin seeds. Let the whole thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Need advice for Oktoberfest Flavors [poll]

I am going to an Oktoberfest party this weekend. I.e. excuse to eat unclassy amounts of food and consume awkward amounts of beer.

I, of course, am going to create at least 2 flavors of ice cream to said party. I came up with a list of Fall and/or Oktoberfest and/or German-inspired flavors.

TELL ME WHAT TO MAKE PLEASE.

Rosewater and Lemon Zest Ice Cream [recipe]

I have had this bottle of Rosewater in my cupboard for years. I bought it at an Indian grocery store when I though “oh that would make a delicious dessert!” and have been having that same thought every few weeks for approximately 40 months. YES IT WAS WORTH THE (lazyness-induced) WAIT.

My review of this one: Really refreshing, the flavors are very light and bright. A TINY bit icy, not as creamy-feeling as I would have hoped. I think next time I will try an extra 1/4 cup of cream and an extra squirt of corn syrup (that absorbs some of the water.)

FINALLY presenting to you…

Ready for consumption – Rosewater & Lemon Zest Ice Cream

Rosewater & Lemon Zest

Mid-churn – Rosewater & Lemon Zest Ice Cream

Packed up – Rosewater & Lemon Zest Ice Cream

Rosewater and Lemon Zest Ice Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp rosewater

Put the cream, milk, sugar, corn syrup, and zest in a pot  – but save 1/4 cup of the milk in a cup on the side. Stir the cornstarch into the side-milk.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk every once in a while. Let boil for 4 minutes, then take off the heat. Re-stir the side-milk-and-cornstarch and then pour into the hot milk – put back on the heat and whisk constantly, heating it for another minute, until slightly thickened. Take off the heat.

Whisk the hot mixture into a bowl holding the cream cheese and salt – add it slowly, whisking so that the cheese can incorporate and so that there are no little globs of cheese visible. Whisk in the rosewater (exact amount to taste – you may want a little more or less.)

Let the mixture cool down and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Freeze as directed in your mixer, then let the whol thing freeze in the back of the freezer for at least 4 hours.