Maple Syrup Pancake Muffins

My boyfriend has been asking to have pancakes for dinner for the past few weeks. While I haven't gotten around to making actual pancakes yet, I decided to make these maple syrup pancake muffins for him this past weekend. I think that was a fair compromise :) These muffins really do taste like pancakes soaked in maple syrup. 

After the muffin batter was already made, I looked at the recipe and noticed that it only resulted in a yield of approximately 10-12 muffins. While that might be enough muffins for some people, I need to feed a whole basketball coaching staff when I bake. By the time my boyfriend and I finished breakfast and I took some home to my photograph, there certainly would not be enough for all of the coaches. So we decided I had to make another batch. This time I switched things up and added some mini chocolate chips to the batter. In the end, I'm glad we ended up making two batches of these muffins because I think the chocolate chip version was my favorite. Who doesn't like chocolate chip pancakes? Feel free to add your favorite pancake fixings to the batter though :)

Maple Syrup Pancake Muffins

Recipe from Tracey's Culinary Adventures (Originally adapted from Joy the Baker)

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

7 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup milk

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Maple Glaze:

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble and eventually turn brown in color. As soon as it turns brown, remove from the heat and keep whisking.  Allow the browned butter to cool. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, egg york, maple syrup and vanilla. Slowly add the cooled brown butter and continue to whisk until combined.

Fill each cavity of muffin tin about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool on a cooling rack. 

Glaze: 

Combine the maple syrup and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until syrup is thick. 

Once the muffins are cooled, use a fork or knife to poke holes on the top of each one. Dip each muffin into the syrup mixture one at a time. Repeat this step if desired.

Enjoy :)

Maple Pecan Monkey Muffins

Happy Friday! After an entire week of rain, the sun is finally out this morning! The only good thing about this week's rain is that baking is the perfect activity for a rainy afternoon. So baking is what I did and I made you these Maple Pecan Monkey Muffins. Have you guys ever had Monkey Bread? Small, sticky pieces of dough covered in brown sugar and cinnamon, baked together in a bundt pan. Sounds good right? Well these muffins are individual sized versions of the popular recipe but still just as good. 

These honestly might be the easiest muffins I have ever made. The recipe calls for refrigerated biscuit dough, which is cut up into small pieces and dipped into a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. The best part is the ooey gooey maple syrup butter on the bottom of each muffin. Feel free to add more maple syrup to the top of each muffin if you like.

Do you guys have any fun plans for this weekend? My boyfriend and I planned to go Apple Picking on Sunday, but it looks like it is supposed to rain again all weekend. Bummer. Hopefully we get a little bit of sun at some point. All of this rain is also messing up the 5K training I am supposed to be doing. If you know anything about me, you know that I am not a runner. And all of this rain is just one more excuse not to run, which is not good with my race just about one month away. Yikes! Maybe I will go for a run now while it is nice out...or maybe I will just go have another muffin :) 

Maple Pecan Monkey Muffins

Recipe from Very Culinary

1 can of refrigerated Grands Biscuits

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

Melt maple syrup and butter in the microwave. Pour mixture into each cavity of the muffin pan, distributing evenly throughout each. 

In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon until combined. 

Cut each biscuit into eight small pieces of equal size. Place each piece into the brown sugar and pecan mixture, making such that they are evenly coated with the mixture. 

Place five coated biscuit pieces into each cavity of the muffin pan. 

Sprinkle any remaining brown sugar and pecan mixture on the top of each muffin.

Bake for 18 minutes or until muffins are golden brown in color.

Enjoy :)

Baked Maple French Toast Donuts

Good morning October! How did you get here so fast? Last night was the first night I really had to bundle up under the blankets, but I am not complaining. I love the cooler nights and everything else about fall. As long as December doesn't come around too quickly, I will be happy.

In honor of the cooler weather, I made some maple french toast donuts for you to enjoy this morning. These lightly spiced buttermilk donuts are simple to make. Just combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix, mix, mix until combined. They only need to bake for about seven minutes or so. Cover these babies with a sweet maple glaze and extra powdered sugar and you have yourself the perfect little treat.

I have been on a major donut kick lately. After making these pumpkin spice donuts a few weeks ago and buttermilk donuts earlier in the summer, I can't stop pulling out my donut pan to bake. French Toast is one of my favorite breakfasts so I was especially eager to try it out in donut form.

After all of my praise for these donuts, I have to admit that they almost didn't happen yesterday afternoon. When I got back from the grocery store, I realized that we didn't have any buttermilk. Don't you hate when that happens? Anyways, I really didn't want to go back out in the pouring rain but I'm glad that I finally did. Otherwise you probably would have been stuck with another pumpkin recipe today :)

Baked Maple French Toast Donuts

Recipe from Bakingdom

Struesel Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter, cut into smaller chunks

Donuts:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

2 tbsp butter, melted

Maple Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Butter donut pan(s) and set aside.

Streusel Topping:

Whisk together the sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt until combined. Add the cold butter chunks and combine with your fingers. Freeze the streusel topping mixture until ready for use.

Donuts: 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices until combined. Add in the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter and stir for about 30 seconds. Make sure you do not over-mix the batter. Fill each cavity of the donut pan about 3/4 full. Remove the streusel topping from the freezer and sprinkle on top. 

Bake for about 7 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer donuts to a cooling rack. 

Maple Glaze:

While donuts are cooling, combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon until combined. When donuts are fully cooled, drizzle the maple glaze on top. Also sprinkle powdered sugar on top of donuts as desired.

Enjoy :)