Corn Toaster Cakes

When we lived in New Hampshire, Thomas' Corn Toaster Cakes were readily available, right next to the English muffins in the grocery store. We can't find them here in New Mexico and Bill has been longing for them. When he ordered a couple of packages online for almost $20 I knew it was time to find a recipe. 

This is my variation of what I found on Food.com. That recipe includes optional dried orange or lemon rind, which we haven't tried yet. We are still enjoying the nostalgic taste of the cakes without the rind. Give us time...

Fresh out of the oven

 

Place in a large bowl and warm slightly in microwave to melt the coconut oil:

2 cups milk

1/2 cup coconut oil

Add and beat:

2 eggs 

1/4 cup honey

Optional: 2 tbl. of dried orange or lemon rind

Sift together:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 cups cornmeal

2/3 cup granulated sugar

6 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Stir the sifted ingredients into the milk mixture until just mixed. Spray a muffin top pan (I got mine from Amazon) with Pam. Spoon a scant 1/4 cup of batter into each well for the correct size cake to fit into a standard toaster. 

Bake at 375 F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from pan to cool. Yields 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.

These can be frozen. Remove from freezer and toast lightly in the toaster. Spread with butter.

Muffin top pan

Raisin Bran Muffins

• I found this recipe on a Pinch of Yum. I make 24 medium-sized muffins from this amount of batter and freeze the muffins. 
• You can also keep some of the batter on hand in the fridge to make freshly baked muffins. Or microwave one at a time in a mug for a minute for an individual serving. 
• These muffins are crusty, delicious, and good served with butter and honey. 
• 
  
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk (you may substitute 1 cup milk and 1 cup plain yogurt)
• 4 cups Raisin Bran cereal
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Mix ingredients in the order given in a large bowl. Bake in greased muffin tins for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing muffins. 

Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Muffins

Fall is the perfect time for pumpkin recipes. When I looked around online for pumpkin muffin recipes, the ones I found called for tons of sugar; some even started with a cake mix. However, I wanted some nice substantial muffins that were not too sweet or filled with preservatives from a mix.

I found my recipe the old-fashioned way--in a book that was sitting on my shelf! This is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (1989), [with my changes in brackets].

I've tried this now with pumpkin, and with sweet potato. Both ways make a delicious muffin.

1-3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
[1/2 tsp. salt]
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves

1/2 cup [you can use as much as a cup] canned pumpkin [or cooked, mashed sweet potato]

1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup chopped nuts [toasted pecans]

Mix in a large bowl the egg, milk, oil, and pumpkin. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and the chopped nuts, just until mixed. Lightly grease muffin cups, fill 2/3 full. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Cranberry Muffins

I was looking around for a way to use up bits of leftover cranberry sauce and orange-cranberry relish and came across this recipe on MomCentral. Since my homemade sauce had lots of orange in it, I let that be a substitute for the lemon zest. The recipe made 12 nice, big muffins--very delicious and grainy, as I used whole wheat flour.

• 2 ½ cups white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup plain Greek-style yogurt (whole milk or low-fat milk)
• ¼ cup milk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• ½ tsp. lemon zest
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (or line with muffin liners).
2. Measure flour by spooning into a dry measuring cup, level with a straightedge or back of a knife, then pour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
3. In a separate mixing bowl whisk eggs until slightly frothy. Add yogurt, milk and canola oil. Whisk well until smooth. Add lemon zest and brown sugar, mixing well. Add cranberry sauce and stir with a spoon until thoroughly combined.
4. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. The batter should still be lumpy with a few little spots of dry flour. Do not over mix. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each to the rim.
5. Bake in center of oven 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin once halfway through, until muffins are a lovely golden color on top. Remove tin from oven, transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Oriental Spice Muffins

This recipe is from The Tassajara Bread Book. Take the time to make these delicious muffins for breakfast--you will be glad you did, and your kitchen will smell wonderful.

"As the Shakers said, work is a gift to the person doing the work..." ~Edward Espe Brown, author of The Tassajara Bread Book.

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or molasses

1 - 1/2 cups milk

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Fold quickly wet and dry together, just until the flour is moistened.* Spoon into a greased muffin tin.

Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.


*Lately I've been folding in a couple of cups of raisin bran cereal before spooning the batter into the tin.

Whole Wheat Muffins

These are quite light and moist--kind of surprising, considering they are made with whole wheat flour. The recipe comes from The Tassajara Bread Book. My copy was published in 1970, and I was surprised to find that it is still in print. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential cookbooks ever" (click that link to read the article). I just know that my old copy looks well-used and well-loved.

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or molasses

1 - 1/2 cups milk

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Fold quickly wet and dry together, just until the flour is moistened. Spoon into a greased muffin tin.

Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the batter up ahead of time, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator, then bake as many fresh muffins as you want for breakfast.

Even as I type those words I have to wonder if anyone, anywhere, bothers with this sort of thing any more. I've always preferred cooking for breakfast rather than for supper, so I've never minded baking up a batch of muffins or pancakes or waffles for breakfast. Now that I am retired I have just continued the custom, only in progressively smaller batches.

But I have to wonder--am I the only one in the world who is still baking??

3 cups 100% bran cereal

1 cup boiling water

2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup raisins or chopped prunes

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup of sugar or honey

2 - 1/2 cups flour

Mix the cereal with the boiling water in a large bowl. Let cool.

Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and fruit. Beat well.

Stir together the baking soda, salt, sugar, and flour. Stir into cereal mixture only until all is blended.

Use immediately or refrigerate (tightly covered) for up to 2 weeks.

Bake in well greased muffin tins at 325˚ for 25 minutes or until done. Makes about 3 dozen large muffins.

Cranberry Muffins

This version comes from About.com: Southern Food

• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Preparation:

Toss cranberries with 1/4 cup of sugar in a bowl; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine eggs with milk; stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Gently fold in nuts and orange peel and cranberries. Fill paper-lined muffin tins two thirds full. Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about 18 muffins.

Malt-O-Meal Muffins

The older we get, the more we get into reading labels on food products, wading through the lists of daily values and trying to compute vitamin, carbohydrate, fat, and sodium amounts. According to the label, Malt-O-Meal, is a good source of folic acid, calcium, and iron; and it isn't so bad with sodium, fat, and carbs. Besides, it is a link to our childhoods...

These are crunchy and very tasty, but a little dry. Next time, I will try adding a heaping tbl. of nonfat yogurt.

1 - 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup Malt-O-Meal hot wheat cereal, dry

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbl. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 - 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Sift dry ingredients together. Mix egg, oil, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients and the raisins. Stir just until all ingredients are moistened. 

Pour batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until center is firm to the touch.

Makes 12 muffins

Banana Wheat Muffins

Finally! Something to do with those overripe bananas that isn't banana bread! These muffins make a nice breakfast when served with scrambled eggs.

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbl. wheat germ

2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1 mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup hot water

Sift the first four ingredients together; add the wheat germ. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, add the oil, honey, banana, and water and mix well. Note: If you measure the oil first in your measuring cup and then the honey, the honey will slide right out. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until the flour disappears. Spoon into a muffin tin that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Roman Meal Muffins

Roman Meal cereal used to be common in grocery stores, but we haven't seen it for a few years. It is still available online, however.

1 1/3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup Roman Meal

1 egg

1 cup milk

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together; stir in Roman Meal. Cut in shortening. Combine egg and milk and stir until just moistened. Spoon into greased muffin tin.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Magic Muffins

1 ¾ cups flour
3 ½ tsp. baking powder
3 tbl. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 egg
7/8 cup milk
3 tbl. butter, melted

Sift dry ingredients, make a well in them, combine wet ingredients and pour into the well, blend only until mixed. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

Variation: If you have some leftover jam, you can add a cup of it to the batter and bake as directed. I had some homemade pear/orange/apple/cherry jam that wasn't a hit on toast, but was perfectly delicious when baked into these muffins. 

Brown Sugar Blueberry Muffins

1 egg
¾ cup light brown sugar
½ cup milk
1 tbl. melted butter
1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbl. baking powder
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Beat egg, add sugar, milk and melted butter and mix well. Sift in dry ingredients, but don’t stir yet. Add blueberries on top of flour mixture, then mix gently just until the flour is stirred in.

Bake in greased muffin tins at 425 for 12 minutes, maybe a minute or two longer if you used frozen berries.

Makes 1 dozen muffins

Yogurt Cornbread Muffins

I found this recipe on Cooks.com. You will notice that it doesn't have any fats or oils added. The muffins are still very moist.

1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
1 c. plain yogurt

Stir first 4 ingredients. Add sugar and cornmeal. Stir in mixture of milk, egg and yogurt. Bake in greased muffin tins at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.

Variation: Auntie Bucksnort likes to add some additional sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar), 2 tbl. lemon juice, and grated lemon rind. She substitutes sour cream for half of the yogurt, and uses buttermilk instead of milk. As you can see, this is way more complicated than I thought it would be, but that's the creative kind of cook she is! Her muffins are delicious.