Fresh Strawberry Muffins with Cinnamon Oatmeal Walnut Almond Streusel

I feel guilty, opening up this text box and starting a new blog like I haven't been MIA for almost two months.  Life blew up.  Sorry?  It doesn't mean I wasn't baking this whole time.  If you follow me on IG you know I'm in the kitchen almost every weekend.  I just didn't have time to blog about it all.  Work, Life, Sunshine... all that got in the way of me blogging.  Life has finally calmed down now, so I am able to play catch up. Starting with these muffins I made for my mom for Mother's Day... back in May.

I've mentioned before that I hate giving my mom any of my baking because she dislikes sweets and always says the same thing;  "Too much sugar!".  Drives me crazy.  So she got something without any frosting or icing or chocolate.  She got something full of strawberries.

Strawberries make me think of my childhood.  Although I am not from Watsonville, growing up we had family there so I learned to walk in the strawberry fields.  And one of my oldest memories is eating strawberries in the backyard after a summer rain, staring at the resulting rainbow.  Yes, I'm serious that is an actual memory.  I also had a puppy but she must have been elsewhere that day.  In any case, it felt appropriate to make these for my mom. 

Fresh Strawberry Muffins
Makes 15, Bake at 350* for 18 minutes

2 cups+ 2 tbls flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 cup diced, floured, fresh strawberries

Directions:
1. In one bowl, mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
2. In stand mixer bowl, add wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
3. Add flour mixture to wet mixture, 1/2 c at a time and mix on low until well incorporated.
4. Pour batter into lined muffin tins.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Walnut Almond Streusel:
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/3 cup walnuts
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
3 tablespoons melted butter

Directions
1. Mix together nuts, oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon.
2. Melt butter and pour over mixture. Knead together.  Mixture should be clumpy.
3. Measure out 1 tablespoon of streusel and sprinkle directly on top of batter in muffins tins.
4. Bake in oven for about 18 minutes.

I'm saving this recipe here and in my brain.  I love this streussel topping on most anything but on top of muffins filled with fresh berries?  Yum.   Eat these warm, right out of the oven or warm them in the toaster oven first.  You will be glad you did.

I promise I will be back sooner than 2 months from now.  :)

xoxo,
Anna

Banana Chocolate Butterscotch Muffins

Muffins might very well be just ugly cupcakes, but that didn't stop one of my kickboxing instructors from eating three of these things.  To be exact, he ate all three about 18 inches from my face, washing them down with a cup of coffee while somehow managing to add more weight to my machine, spitting out (muffin crumbles) instructions on proper form.

Seriously, that happened.  Couldn't have made that up if I had tried.

The real reason I made these muffins was not to feed my instructor though, it was because I had three bananas staring at me from the counter that I had avoided eating all week long.  I bought a prettier bunch before I finished the first and they looked much more appetizing.  This meant that the poor bananas over ripened before my eyes each day.  I had to do something with the sad fruit, so when I spotted this recipe on my bff (pinterset ) well I knew I had something to work with!

Banana Chocolate Butterscotch Muffins
Makes 18, bake at 350* for 15-18 minutes.  

2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c. chocolate chips
2/3 c. butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.
2. In your stand mixer on low, mix mashed bananas, granulated sugar and  brown sugar. Beat in egg, vegetable oil and vanilla extract.
3. Add  flour mixture into the banana mixture slowly, 1/2 a cup at a time.  Beat until smooth
4. Scoop batter into pre-lined muffin pan, until 1/3 full.
5. Melt chocolate chips in microwave oven, and while still in liquid form add 1/2 tablespoon to the batter and swirl with a toothpick.  Repeat for all muffins.
6. Scoop more batter into the muffin cavities, this time until 2/3 full.
7. Melt butterscotch chips in microwave oven and while still in liquid form add 1/2 tablespoon to the top of the batter and swirl in with a toothpick.  Repeat for all muffins.
8.  Bake in pre-heated oven until edges start to brown .

I made a few changes here and there, taking out the nuts (surprising, I know) and of course using butterscotch and chocolate chips.

I used butterscotch and chocolate chips on another project a few weeks back and fell in love with the combination.  You will see it again from me, trust me.  But isn't the swirl in the middle lovely and unexpected?

These are NOT overwhelmingly sweet.  The banana flavor comes through right away, too.  They are admittedly not the prettiest thing I have made, but at just under 200 calories a serving, they are not a bad way to start your morning at all.  Plus they come together really quickly and easily.  And if you want more chocolate, add 1 tablespoon instead 1/2 a tablespoon to the batter. Feel free to add the chocolate on top if you'd prefer to see the chocolate swirls there rather than in the middle.  The butterscotch color gets a little lost in these, especially at the top but trust me you can taste it!

I packaged the rest of these up in brown paper bags and gave them out to a few friends.  One advantage to muffins over cupcakes?  Portability.  No worrying about messing up the frosting here!

xoxo,
Anna