Doughnut Muffins

These muffins are very, very dangerous to have around. They may not be as good as an actual doughnut, but they come pretty darn close. I saw this recipe last week on the blog Sweet Cheeks in the Kitchen and I've been dreaming about them ever since.

I went a little heavy on the cinnamon sugar topping (key word: sprinkle), but otherwise I thought these were excellent muffins with that distinct doughnut flavor. I think I would probably bake them at a little bit lower temperature, as they were a little crispy by the time I took them out (and I took them out after about 17 - 18 minutes of baking.) I am trying to keep from eating anymore today, as I have already consumed 3. I will definitely put these in my favorites category - they are fantastic!

Doughnut Muffins
from Sweet Cheeks in the Kitchen,
Source: Marjorie Standish

Yield: One dozen medium sized muffins

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar

Beat egg and then add oil and milk. Beat. Sift the dry ingredients. Add dry to wet and stir with forks. Pour into greased muffin tin. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and dot with butter. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes (mine were definitely ready to come out around 17 minutes, but my oven tends to run hot, so just check on them around 15 minutes.)

Optional: Once the muffins came out of the oven I brushed each with melted butter then rolled completely in cinnamon and sugar.

Yogurt Scones

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Draney Photography

This post marks my 1st Blogiversary! It has been an amazing year experimenting with different recipes and posting to a food blog, and I look forward to many more posts in the future.

I found this amazing recipe on the blog Chocolate & Zucchini. I was attracted to this recipe because it only called for 2 tablespoons of butter. (I know, I know, there's nothing wrong with using lots of butter in your scones. But I was looking for something that would be a tad bit lighter in the calorie content.) Trust me, you won't even notice the lack of butter once you taste these light, fluffy scones.

I took her basic recipe and added cranberries and lemon zest, but you can mix any add-ins that you like. And the best part is you won't feel quite so guilty reaching for a second (or a third...)

Yogurt Scones
Chocolate & Zucchini

1 2/3 cups flour
2 heaping Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp butter, softened & diced into cubes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbsp milk
2 - 3 Tbsp chopped nuts or dried fruits, or a teaspoon citrus zest (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add in diced butter and blend it in with a fork or pastry cutter, until no visible lump of butter remains. Add the yogurt, milk, and zest, as well as any add-ins (cranberries), and blend them until the dough forms a ball. Handle the dough as lightly as you can, without overmixing, or the scones won't raise as much.

Pat the dough into a flattened round, a little over an inch thick, and cut into eight wedges. You can also divide the dough into eight balls, which is what I did.) Place the eight wedges/rounds a couple inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until the top of the scones are set and lightly golden.

Yields 8 scones

Photo courtesy of Nicholas Draney Photography

Double Chocolate Cookies

This recipe comes from my new "The Best of Cooking Light" cookbook, and provides exactly what I was looking for - small, soft, chocolate-packed cookies for around 100 calories a pop. (Although I think with the extra chocolate chips I added, that number is a bit conservative.)

Double Chocolate Cookies
adapted from The Best of Cooking Light

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1/3 cup dried cherries (I didn't have any so I omitted and just added more chocolate!)
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (I upped this to 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 Tablespoons white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk ingredients together.

Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium until well blended. Add vanilla and egg white; beat for another minute. Stir in flour mixture, cherries, and chocolates.

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto baking sheets. Place the pans in the freezer for around 5 minutes, then bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. (Mine stayed in for almost 12 minutes, and my oven tends to run hot, so make sure they are done when you take them out.) Cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing, and cool completely on wire racks.

Yields 2 dozen cookies; 1 cookie ~98 calories