Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

There is nothing more fantastic than waking up to the warm aroma of freshly baked goodies. Whether it be banana bread, muffins, or (my fave) cinnamon buns, the sweet smell of dough paired with a hot cup of coffee is hard to beat. Today I present to you the best combination of morning goodies, donuts and muffins (!). These muffins are super light and airy, reminiscent of those timbits from Tim Hortons that you used to eat way too many of. Except these are better, and don’t leave you feeling like your arteries are going to explode. Each donut/muffin is coated in a cinnamon-sugar topping, just like the real deal.

Get up early tomorrow morning to make these for everyone in your house. They will love you, trust me. I adapted the recipe from Sweet Pea.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Muffin

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1-2 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3/4 cup milk

Topping

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. (I like to sift them to make sure there are no chunks). In a small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients. Slowly beat in the wet ingredients to the dry. Pour batter into muffin tin, filling up 10-12 of the cups, depending on how small you want your muffins.

Bake for 22-24 minutes, until tops are slightly brown and a tooth pick comes out clean. Mix together the sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl, and put melted butter in another small bowl. With each muffin, gently dip the top first into the butter, and then into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Now grab the newspaper and your cup of coffee and enjoy your delicious morning!

Happy Baking! xxx

Cake Batter Milkshakes

I know for a fact that whenever I’m baking, most of what I eat is the batter and not so much the final cookie/cake/brownie. WHo doesn’t love cookie dough? Get me a straw and I’ll slurp up that banana bread batter. I’m sure most of you feel the same!

Thus the inspiration for this shake. A healthy, non-scary-salmonella-raw-eggs-in-my-drank smoothie that tastes every bit as delicious as the real deal! The variations that can be had with this recipe are mind boggling! Carrot cake shake? Apple pie shake? !!!????!!!??

 

Cake Batter Milkshake

Serves 2

• 1 frozen banana, cut into pieces (or 1 scoop ice cream)
• 1 cup milk (or use cream for a more decadent dessert)
• 1 tbsp nut butter or coconut butter (don’t skip! It provides the buttery taste!)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• dash salt
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips (or cocoa powder, depending on wether you want chocolate chip cookie or chocolate cake flavour)
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp sprinkles + 1 tsp to garnish

Directions:

Throw all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. If you want a thicker shake, use less milk. If you want a runnier “batter” like shake, add more milk. Top shakes with sprinkles and enjoy!

xxxxxx

Fishies, Cupcakes, and Shoes, Oh My!

Hello! What terrible weather we’ve been having. Rain, rain, and more rain, with a chance of rain. C’mon summer, where you at? With such crap weather, I have trying to keep myself busy with fun trips around Vancouver (that sadly don’t involve the beach!). This means a trip to the aquarium to see the cute monkeys and otters, and a tour of the Art Gallery’s Matisse exhibit.

It means online shopping for cheap knock-offs of the most beautiful shoes.

It means buying boxed-cake mixes for a DOLLLAR each at no-frills and turning then into cinnamon buttercream covered cupcakes.

Oh yes, Duncan-Hines does the trick!

 

German Peanut-Butter-Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Icing

Cupcakes

• 1 box of German Chocolate cake mix
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Icing

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a cupcake pan.

In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, oil, water, and eggs until a smooth batter forms. Beat in the peanut butter. Fill the cupcake tins with batter, and cook for 20 minutes. Recipe makes 24 cupcakes, or 12 huge cupcakes and a small cake if you have an 8×8 cake pan to use as well.

When cupcakes are cool, beat softened butter until fluffy in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of sugar, beat, then add the milk. Add the rest of the sugar, then add the vanilla and cinnamon. Beat until a thick yet workable frosting is produced. Put frosting in a piping bag and decorate cooled cupcakes.

Tess is too cute! Topping her cake with strawberries.

Happy Rainy Day Adventures!!

 

xxx

Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

Anyone fancy some hot tea and buttery scones? Would you like some jam with that?

For rainy Vancouver, afternoon tea sounds perfect right about now. And it is perfectly suitable considering this past weekend celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, or for my fellow Canadians, marked her Majesty’s 60 years of reign. I hope everyone across the pond had a wonderful time celebrating!

These scones are above and beyond cute. They are fluffy, tiny, and bursting with lemon. The poppy seeds add a nice crunch and the drizzle of honey provides just enough sweetness. I Adapted the recipe from Once Upon a Cutting Board.

Mini Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup powder sugar (or granulated if you prefer)
• 1/3 cup melted coconut sap (or brown or granulated sugar)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cold butter
• 1 egg
• juice of 2 large lemons
• 1/3 cup milk
• honey to drizzle after

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a couple of cookie sheets.

In a food processor, mix flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, poppy seeds, and powder sugar. Cut cold butter into small cubes and pulse a couple times into flour mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon, egg, milk, and coconut sap. Pour wet mix into food processor and pulse until a rough dough forms. Be sure to scrape down the sides if necessary.

Pour dough onto a floured surface and work into a flat disc, about an inch or two thick. Cut disc into 4 or 5 rows, then 4 or 5 columns. Cut each square diagonally. Depending on how small you want your scones, you’ll end up with 18-30 little guys! Place on baking sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until tops are just slightly golden. Let cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle honey on each scone.

Happy afternoon tea! xxx