On the Menu: Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love all kinds of breakfast foods like biscuits, muffins, pastries, waffles, etc. Muffins are a great breakfast item because they can be made before and then eaten on the go. Cinnamon is also a favorite flavor of mine, so I have known for a while now that I needed to try my hand at cinnamon muffins. These turned out delicious. They are moist and the streusel packs in some extra flavor.

Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon (I used more because I love cinnamon.)
2 tablespoons melted Butter
Muffins:
1 and 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 tablespoons Cinnamon (again I added more)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 beaten Egg
3/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Oil



Directions
1. For the cinnamon streusel topping, whisk the first four ingredients together then add the butter. Stir together until blended. Set the crumbly mixture to the side.
2. For the muffins spray and line a cupcake pan (holds 12 cupcakes). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
3. Next combine the dry flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center and set aside.
4. In a different bowl combine the wet ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir just enough for the dry ingredients to be moistened.
5. Spoon batter into the pan. Fill the cups 2/3 of the way full. Cover with the streusel.
6. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and then pull from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

This was our first attempt at making homemade muffins and they turned out beautifully. The domed perfectly and tasted great. It would also be easy to substitute a cup of frozen berries or anything else you like in place of the apples and cinnamon.

Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk, vanilla, and oil. 3. In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Make a well in the center. Quickly mix in the liquid mixture with a fork. Do not over beat. 4. Peel, core, and grate 2 large apples. 5. Stir apples into mixture. 6. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers and fill each paper 3/4's of the way full. 7. Turn oven to 400 degrees F.
8. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden. 9. Cool on a cooling rack. Happy Baking,
Sunny & Star

Coffee Cake

Even if you are not a coffee drinker this cake is great. Not only did it turn out pretty and very moist it had a nice spicy and nutty flavor. Since we love sweets we think next time we will double the glaze recipe.

Ingredients: For the cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks)butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time. 3. Add the vanilla and sour cream. 4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed. 5. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired. 6. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. 7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 8. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate.
9. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. 10. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon. Happy baking,
Sunny & Star

Sopallia

This weekend we decided to go south of the border with our easy Sopallia Bar recipe. This recipe was provided to us by a friend. The smell of the mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and butter coming from the oven will be sure to have you anticipating having a slice of this dessert.

Ingredients 2 cans of crescent rolls
3 8oz packages of cream cheese
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick butter
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pay with non-stick spray. Press 1 can of the crescent rolls onto the bottom of the pan. 2. Mix the three 8 oz cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and the vanilla together. Spread over the crescent rolls. 3. Spread the other can of crescent rolls on top of the mixture. 4. Melt the butter and pour on top. Mix 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the butter. Sprinkle with the almonds. 5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until it begins to pull from the sides of the pan. Allow to completely cool before cutting. Happy baking,
Sunny and Star