Mini Peach and Ginger Muffins + a Streusel top

I think this is more of a whatever's-in-the-fridge muffin. I had a recipe and didnt have everything I needed so I just put in what I could find to substitute. Outcome? DELICIOUS!

While it's true that baking is a science, and measurements for the most part need to be exact however, there are tricks and more often than not, you can make variations and make substitutions and your product will still be as delicious. It's more important to know your ingredients and what they do in relation to each other so when you make a substitution, you know what can or cannot be substituted.

So the recipe I used is one you can use with any fruit combination. This recipe makes 5 dozen mini muffins and about 1 dozen regular sized muffins.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Salt
1 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 tbsp Citrus zest, minced
1 Egg
1 cup Buttermilk*
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 - 14oz can Peaches
3/4 cup Candied Ginger, diced

Combine all the wet (brown sugar, oil, citrus zest, egg, buttermilk and vanilla extract) ingredients in a bowl, and then sift all the dry (flour, baking powder/soda, cinnamon, and salt) ingredients into another medium bowl and whisk in the wet ingredients. After the ingredients are folded in and combined evenly until there are no lumps, you can now add the fruit.

The key to this recipe is being gentle with the batter and not over mixing otherwise the muffins will be really tough and leathery hard.

*I didn't have buttermilk so I used 3/4 cup sour cream I had leftover from a cheesecake I made and a 1/4 cup skim milk so that the batter gets some liquid. What the buttermilk does is make the muffins (or cake) fluffier because there are cultures in buttermilk, as there is some in sour cream. It acts as an acid in the batter so when it gets mixed in with the baking powder&soda, it creates a chemical reaction making the muffins fluffy.

Sorry, just thought you guys wanna know the science behind it. Now you can make substitutions! But with caution...only if you don't have an ingredient. Also, if sour cream isn't an option but you do have milk, take out 1 tsp of milk (from a cup) and replace with 1 tsp vinegar (acidity!) and that will work as well.

So now that your batter is ready, fold in your choice of fruit and you're ready to fill your muffin tins! I use a cookie scoop to help make the batter come off the spoons easier and less of a mess. It also helps make them all the same size and bake evenly.


If you like a Streusel top, now is the time to add it. Recipe as follows:

8 oz Flour
2 oz Sugar
2 oz Brown Sugar
4 oz Butter, cold & cubed

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and pinch together butter and flour/sugar with your fingers until you have crumbs. Do NOT over mix it into one big clump or else you have cookie.

Grab a handful (or a pinchful for miniatures) and crumble over the prepared muffin batter in the tin.

Bake for 20 minutes (longer for regular sized, about 25 to 28 minutes) until golden brown. Remove from tray about 5 minutes after taking out of the oven onto a cooling rack and now you're ready to make the next batch.


Here are also some ideas for fruit/flavor combinations:

• Cranberry-Orange
• Blueberry-Lemon
• Bananas and Walnut
• Cherry and Almond
• Apricots and Almond
• Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate
• Chocolate and Orange
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips

Good Luck!

Holiday Perfection!

I might have mentioned in passing..maybe not...that I'm taking a pastry class at my community college. So anyway, I just finished my practical final exam and aced it so I thought I'd share the recipe here.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Graham cracker crumbs 1½ C
Butter, melted 5 T
Cinnamon 1 t

Place the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until combined. Pour into a 9-inch springform pan. With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Bittersweet chocolate 5 oz
Instant coffee granules 2 T

Chop the bittersweet chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the espresso and stir until just melted. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Cream cheese 1¾ lb
Granulated sugar 1 C
Cornstarch ¼ C
Pure vanilla extract 1 t
Almond extract ¼ t
Kosher salt ½ t
Eggs 3
Sour cream ½ C

Cream the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and almond extracts and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary. With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, and the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and allow the cake to sit in the oven with the door opened wide for 1½ hours. Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature, until completely cooled.

Semi-sweet chocolate 4 oz
Heavy cream ¼ C

Finely chop the semisweet chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Add the cream and stir until just melted. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.
Remove the cake from the springform pan by carefully running a hot knife around the outside of the cake. Leave the cake on the bottom of the springform pan for serving. Drizzle the ganache over the top of the cheesecake.