CAPPUCINO MUFFINS

Is there anything better than chocolate, coffee and cinnamon?  Cappucino muffins are right up there with my top faves, and these muffins are a-ok.  Oil, sour cream and buttermilk  make these tender, light and moist.  Instant coffee, coffee essence and vanilla provide great aroma and taste.  Some white whole wheat flour adds fiber, texture and more flavor.  You can top them with cinnamon-sugar, or a coffee glaze.  Either way, these are very good muffins.

You will need 14 standard muffin cups – a 12-cup tin plus two extra.  I put the extra batter in my 4-1/2” springform pan to make a little cappuccino muffin cake (top picture).  If you don’t have a small cake pan, you could use two aluminum foil cups placed on a baking sheet.

Cappucino Muffins Source:  Judy’s Kitchen Rating:  8.5 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:  2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil 2 large eggs 3/4 cup sugar (or 1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. Nu Naturals Stevia) 3/4 cup lite sour cream 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1-1/2 tsp. vinegar) 1 Tbsp. instant coffee, espresso or decaf instant coffee 1 tsp. vanilla extract optional:  1 tsp. coffee essence (equal parts instant coffee + coffee brandy) 1/2 cup applesauce 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1-1/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda  1/4 tsp. sea salt 1/2 cup chocolate chips + 1/2 cup for tops Heat oven to 425F.  Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  In large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, sugar, sour cream, buttermilk, instant coffee, vanilla and coffee essence.  Whisk in applesauce; set aside. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Add to liquids all at once, stirring with a spoon or spatula just till barely combined.  Divide batter evenly among 14 muffin cups, using about 1/4 cup batter for each.  Sprinkle tops with reserved 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Place in oven; immediately reduce heat to 350F.  Bake 17-20 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns almost clean.  Cool on wire rack. Coffee Glaze:  3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 tsp. coffee essence or strong coffee Milk or cream, as necessary to make a glaze consistency In small bowl, whisk ingredients together till smooth.  Add only enough milk to make glaze the right consistency.  With fork, drizzle over cooled muffins.

CAPPUCCINO KISS MUFFINS, ADAPTED

I found this recipe on a Canadian website, Joyce's Fine Cooking. The source is listed as Pamela Lanier's Bed & Breakfasts. So I checked it out and, sure enough, Pamela Lanier has one heck of a website, dedicated to B&B's and their recipes.

You'll have to spend some time at this site to find your recipe, though, because the recipes are categorized; but, within each category are numerous recipes in no particular order. This is one site I will be going back to. There are no reviews given, unfortunately, so you just have to hope that the recipe is printed correctly. Still, it's worth checking. This particular recipe originated from Garden Gate Get-a-Way, Millersburg, Ohio. I liked the idea of a Hershey's Kiss hidden inside of a cappuccino muffin, but I didn't have any Kisses on hand. And I didn't want to buy any just for this recipe. So I used chocolate chips, which I have plenty of at the moment. I changed the flour to whole wheat, and slightly increased the coffee, but otherwise followed the recipe pretty closely. Even with the increase in coffee, these muffins do not have a strong coffee flavor, just barely a hint. If you want a stronger flavor, use 3Tbsp. coffee powder. What I like about these muffins is the texture. The buttermilk makes them very moist, tender and light; and the sugar coating makes the outside crunchy and crispy. These are definitely worth making.

Cappuccino Kiss Muffins, Adapted
Rating: 8 out of 10
2-1/2 cups flour (I used 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour)
2/3 cups sugar (I used 1/3 cup sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. Stevia)
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
1-1/3 cups low-fat buttermilk
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. instant coffee (Use 3 Tbsp. if you want a stronger coffee flavor)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 chocolate kiss candies (I used 1-1/4 cups Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips)

TOPPING: 3 Tbsp. sugar + 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
additional 1/4 cup chocolate chips, if not using chocolate kiss candies

Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. If you are not using the kisses, stir in the 1-1/4 cups chocolate chips.

In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk egg, buttermilk, oil, coffee and vanilla until coffee dissolves. Add to dry ingredients all at once and stir just till barely moistened. (If using Kisses: Spoon about 2 Tbsp. batter into muffin cups. Place a kiss in the center of each, top with remaining batter.) If using chocolate chips: Spoon about 1/4 heaping cup of batter into muffin wells. Scatter the 1/4 cup chips over tops of muffin batter, pressing in slightly.

Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce heat to 400F. Bake 14-17 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool for 5 minutes; then remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 12 standard-size muffins

REDUCED FAT, REDUCED SUGAR CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS

We're getting ready to visit friends in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I had some coffee yogurt to use up, and thought cappuccino muffins would be a great way to use it up. I decided to play with the recipe a bit to reduce the sugar and fat in these muffins and make them a little more healthful. ("Healthful" dessert is an oxymoron,, no?) These came out really, really good. So good, I might just stick to this recipe next time I make them. Cappuccino anything is tops on my list -- the flavors of chocolate, cinnamon and coffee are my favorite. Here's the recipe -- if you try it, please let me know how you liked it.

Reduced Fat, Reduced Sugar Cappuccino Muffins

INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. Stevia Plus (or 1/4 cup Splenda, if you prefer)

3-3/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 cup chocolate chips, divided use

6 oz. non-fat coffee yogurt + 6 oz. reduced fat sour cream or milk

3 Tbsp. coffee powder

2 Tbsp. coffee brandy

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Topping: 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 Tbsp. sugar

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins by spraying lightly with flour-added non-stick cooking spray. (For coated pans, just spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.) Melt the butter in microwave, covered, in a microwaveable medium mixing bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar & sugar substitute, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. (Aerate the flour with a whisk, spoon it lightly into measuring cup, then level off with spatula or knife.) Add half the chocolate chips and whisk again.

Add the wet ingredients and coffee powder to the melted butter and whisk till well combined.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once. Whisk lightly just till barely combined. Batter can be rough and lumpy. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin well. Top with remaining chocolate chips, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the muffins in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 14-17 minutes, or till muffins test done when toothpick is inserted in center.

Notes: I used King Arthur whole-wheat flour, Samosa brand coffee brandy & Ghiradelli

milk chocolate chips mixed with Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips.

Stevia Plus is available online and in health food stores.

CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS (adapted from recipezaar.com)

This is the second batch of muffins made today, and definitely my favorite. This is recipe #4156 on Recipe Zaar, where Marg (Cayman Designs) declares them "phenomenal." The recipe includes a spread, but I just went with the pure muffin. It can definitely stand alone. I just love the flavorings of this muffin: the coffee, the Kahlua I added and the cinnamon in just the right amounts. And it's light and moist. One of my neighbors came over while I was baking and asked if he could sample. I gave him a piece of one of the Bisquick cappuccino muffins and a piece of one of these. He bought a half-dozen on the spot, so I guess I will just have to bake more. Interestingly, he bought 2 of the Bisquick and 4 of these. He said he liked both, he just liked this one better. I hope that is a good omen for my sale on Saturday.

Cappuccino Muffins (adapted from recipezaar.com)

INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks)

3 cups all-purpose flour (aerate by whisking before measuring)

1 cup sugar

3-3/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

6 oz. container fat-free vanilla yogurt + enough milk to make 1-1/2 cups

3 Tbsp. instant coffee (decaf is ok) or instant Espresso powder (I used Folger's Decaf)

2 Tbsp. coffee brandy (such as Kahlua) (I used Sambroso, a generic)

1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1-1/4 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients ar room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Microwave butter on high in medium-sized bowl till almost melted, about 1-1/2 minutes. Prepare muffin tins by greasing and flouring, or spray with flour-added non-stick cooking spray.

Measure all dry ingredients into large mixing bowl (Note: Spoon flour lightly into measuring cup after first aerating the flour by whisking it. Muffins need a light hand, not only in the mixing, but also in the measuring of the flour. You will be rewarded with light and delicious muffins.) To the now somewhat-cooled melted butter, add the egg and whisk till mixture is smooth, a few minutes. (The butter should not be blistering hot or it will cook the egg, but it's ok if it's warm.) Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips and whisk until well combined, several minutes. (A good-quality whisk is definitely needed for this. A spatula or mixing spoon will not give you superior results.) Now make a well in the dry ingredients and all at once add the liquids. Barely whisk it together -- as few turns of the whisk as possible. Don't worry about lumps and don't worry if you see a little flour here and there. Now add the chocolate chips. Dump them in, and just give one quick light stir. Put 1/4 cup batter into each muffin tin well. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce heat to 400 for shiny pans and 375 for dark or coated pans. Bake for 14-17 minutes, checking at 14 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out almost clean. Remove muffins to counter and leave in pans to cool for 5 minutes. At the end of 5 minutes, muffins should release easily. Continue cooling on wire racks. Yield: 18 muffins. Freeze any muffins that will not be eaten the day you bake them.

BISQUICK CAPPUCCINO CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

We're getting ready for a garage sale next Saturday, and today I decided I would also incorporate a bake sale at the same time. This will give me a chance to experiment. So today I made two cappuccino muffin recipes. This is the first one. I just took the Bisquick muffin recipe off the box and doctored it with cappuccino flavors. It came out delicious! I used Stonyfield Farms fat-free yogurt in place of some of the milk, and molasses to make the muffins super moist. And I used Wal-Mart Biscuit Mix instead of Bisquick. Here's a tip for getting those big bakery-style crowns on the muffins: Preheat your oven to 500 degrees; fill your muffin tins almost to the top; reduce the oven heat to the regular baking temperature called for by the recipe as soon as you put the muffins in; and reduce the baking time accordingly. You do not need your electric mixer for this recipe. If you don't have a good-quality wire whisk, you might think about buying one. They are worth their weight in gold, and, really, a whisk is what you need to make good muffins. A spatula or mixing spoon just isn't going to give you superior results.

Bisquick Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS: 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2-3/4 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
6 oz. container fat-free vanilla yogurt + enough milk to make 1-1/4 cups
1 Tbsp. molasses
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules (decaf is ok) OR instant Espresso powder
2 Tbsp. coffee brandy (such as Kahlua)
3/4 cup mixed chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Special Dark + Hershey's milk chocolate,
but any mix of chocolate chips is fine, whatever you like

DIRECTIONS: Have all ingredients at room temperature before starting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins by greasing, then coating with flour (or use the flour-added non-stick cooking spray). Set aside.

Microwave butter on high in medium-sized bowl till almost melted (about 45 seconds). Measure dry ingredients into large bowl. (Note: Spoon flour lightly into measuring cup after first whisking the flour to aerate it. Muffins need a light hand, not only in the mixing, but also in the measuring. You will be rewarded with light, delicious muffins.) Whisk the dry ingredients together till well combined. Set aside. To the now-somewhat-cooled butter (it should be warm, not blistering hot or it will cook the eggs), add the egg and whisk for a few minutes till mixture gets a little frothy. Add the rest of the liquid ingredients and the coffee granules and whisk again till everything is smooth, a couple of minutes. Be sure you get the lumps of yogurt smoothed out and mixed well. Now make a well in your dry ingredients and add the liquids all at once, but only whisk enough to barely combine. It can be lumpy and it's ok if you can see some flour. It should only take a couple of turns with the whisk. Add the chocolate chips and barely stir them in. Fill each well of the muffin tin with 1/4 cup batter. You should have enough for 12 muffins. Place in oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 400 for shiny pans, 375 for dark and coated pans. Bake for 14-17 minutes, testing at 14 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out almost clean. Remove pan from oven and let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes. They should easily release after 5 minutes. Continue cooling them on a wire rack till completely cooled. They are wonderful warm and also good at room temperature. Any muffins you are not going to eat right away would best be frozen. Yield: 12 muffins