Jam-filled Muffins #MuffinMonday

My brother seems to always drive in when I'm taking muffins out of the oven.  And he almost always grabs a hot one. I didn't even see him do it this time. I was taking the muffins out of the pan to cool further when I noticed that one was missing.

These muffins are hiding a little surprise. I know there's jam in the middle. I put it there but still I was a bit surprised when I but in. I used guava jam and was worried that it would harden when the muffins cool but it didn't. The jam softens a lot in the oven and stays that way. I added a glaze to this batch and it really did not need it. Sugar overload! The jam is already sweet. The glaze would need a contrasting flavour to be worth it.

Jam Filled Muffins

ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Scant half cup of your favourite jam

Directions
Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare a muffin pan
Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Gold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined
Fill the muffin wells just under half full and then top with a heaping teaspoon of jam. Add enough batter to cover the jam.
You'll get about 11 muffins.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425F then lower the temperature to 350. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

• Biscoff Swirl Muffins with Biscoff Crumble from Food Lust People Love
• Jam-Filled Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Olive and Bergamot Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Wild Violet Muffins with Wild Violet Sugar from Farm Fresh Feasts

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

Peanut Butter and Banana Parfait - #CIC

This little blog of mine has been seriously neglected and I wish I could say that things would change soon. No time, no time, no time. I feel most guilty when I have to miss or be late for a Crazy Ingredient Challenge. So I am really happy that I was able to make this month's challenge - Peanut Butter and Flaxseeds.

I'm clearly not myself since I didn't bake a crazy pastry or some weird cake with the combination. My brain just cannot handle all of that now. So I present to you a simple parfait. Its more of a guide than a recipe. I wish that I'd used some colourful fruits but that's for another time.

Peanut Butter and Banana Parfait 
Yield: 1 serving 

Ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used chunky)
honey, to taste
2 teaspoon ground flaxseed (or to taste)
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (or to taste)
1 banana, sliced

Directions
Mix the yogurt, peanut butter, and honey if using. In a small jar layer a third of the yogurt, half the flaxseed, half the sunflower seeds, and some banana slices. Repeat and then top with the remaining yogurt.

An InLinkz Link-up

Papaya Muffins - #MuffinMonday

If my father could see me now... Papaya (we actually call it pawpaw here) was his favourite fruit. I hated it. I could barely get past the smell of it much less the taste. I found out yesterday that my mother also disliked it. She did, however, find a variety that was tolerable. We refer to those as the "agricultural" pawpaws. That's a definition for another time. They are indeed better. The smell and taste are bearable and I'll take a few bites now and then but pawpaws will never become a favourite. Why struggle with pawpaws when there are mangoes and star apples and naseberries and sugar cane (not a fruit but still way better than pawpaws) and otaheite apples and sweetsop... you get the point. 

So how did pawpaw end up in my muffins? One day last week, pawpaws just kept showing up in my day. The lady who sells fruits where I work had quite a few when I got in that morning. I immediately wondered how they'd fare in a muffin. Later, someone in class started talking about them. Then when I got home, three large ones were sitting on the counter. Definitely muffin time. (Side note: I just checked my calendar and the day this was happening was March 20th. My father's birthday. OK, universe. I listened.) Just to be on the safe side, I added coconut. Everything is better with coconut. The pawpaw flavour isn't strong and I think it would take most persons a while to guess that they are eating a pawpaw. That then makes it perfect for me. I had to eat the extra pawpaw puree and hit my yearly pawpaw limit right then and there.

Papaya Muffins

Yield: 12

Ingredients
2 cups flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut

1 cup papaya puree (you can leave it a bit chunky)

1 egg

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F and line or grease or cupcake pan.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the coconut. Add the papaya puree, egg, oil, vanilla, and milk. Gently stir together until just combined. 

Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. 

• Banana Nut Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Butternut Squash & Apple Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheezy Garlic Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts
• Papaya Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Peanut Butter Stuffed Banana Muffins from Food Lust People Love

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.