Cheesy Bacon Corn Muffins

Ube Muffins

I found a half full jar of Mountain Maid Good Shepherd ube jam in the fridge. It was one of the two jars given by Pareng Pablo, Paul’s godfather, as pasalubong when he went to Baguio City a few weeks ago. The label alarmed that it was about to expire in three days! So I decided to bake some ube muffins so as to consume it faster and wouldn't turn to waste.

This brand of ube jam is well-sought after by tourists that visit Baguio City. They take time to stand in queues, especially during peak summer months of April and May, just to be able to take home a jar or two. Tourists and locals not only enjoy its delicious taste and smooth texture but they also are able to help the Cordillera Youth be sent to college each time the products are bought.

  The original recipe asked for honey and lemon zest. I substituted pancake syrup for honey and calamansi extract for lemon zest since both honey and lemon zest were unavailable. I consulted Google and found out that lemon juice/extract was a good substitute for lemon zest though would "never completely replace the real thing". I used to cook leche flan using calamansi extract as replacement for lemon extract so I decided to do the same. After the muffins were baked, I was looking for something odd in the taste but they turned out to be really delectable without the distinct sour taste of calamansi. I guessed the calamansi trick worked perfectly well after all. :)

Ingredients
1¾ cups Flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fresh milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey or pancake syrup

2 eggs
1 teaspoon calamansi extract

1 cup ube jam

How to Bake
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

2. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs, milk, butter, honey, calamansi 

    extract and honey. Pour into the dry ingredients and the stir until 

    moistened.

3. Fold in ube jam.
4. Preheat turbo broiler to 175⁰C.
5. Spoon batter in lined muffin cups and bake for 12 minutes or until

    a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Cheesecake Cups

 

Ingredients

¼ stick butter

¼ cup cocoa powder

1½ packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1¼ cups sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Crumb Crust

½ stick butter

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers, packed

4 tablespoons powdered sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder                          

How to Bake

1. Prepare Chocolate Crumb Crust: Place butter in a medium microwave-safe 

    bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 25 seconds or  until melted. Stir in vanilla 

    wafer, powdered sugar and cocoa; blend well. Press about 1 tbsp of 

    mixture onto bottom of lined muffin cups. Set aside.

2. Place butter in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 25

    seconds or until melted. Stir in cocoa until smooth; set aside.

3. Beat cream cheese in large bowl. Add cocoa mixture; beat well. Gradually 

     beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; 

     beat well.

4. Preheat turbo broiler to 160°C.

5. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes or until set.

    (Center will be soft.) Remove cups from turbo broiler to wire rack. Cool 

    completely. Remove cupcakes from cups and refrigerate. To serve, 

    garnish as desired. 

Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Confectioner’s sugar (optional)

 

How to Bake

1. Stir together oats and buttermilk in small bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.

2. In another bowl, stir together oil, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Add oats 

    mixture and stir well. Stir together flour, cocoa (I used Hershey’s.), baking 

    powder, salt and baking soda. Add to oats mixture, blending until moistened.

3. Preheat turbo broiler to 175°C. Line muffin cups with paper liners.

4. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

5. Bake for 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

    Remove from pan to wire rack. Sprinkle muffin tops with Confectioner’s 

    sugar, if desired. Serve warm or cool.

TIP

>To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus fresh milk to equal 1 cup.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Ingredients 

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

¾ cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

½ tsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ stick cold butter

How to Bake

1. Line 12 muffin cups with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1½ cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and 

    salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, vegetable oil, and 

    melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until 

    moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Set aside.

2. To make the topping, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour 

    and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tbsp butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

3. Preheat turbo broiler to 175°C.

4. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

5. Bake in turbo broiler for 11 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of 

    a muffin comes out clean.

Cashew Caramel Bars

Ingredients 

¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg

½ cup chopped cashews

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1½ tablespoons light cream

1/3 cup chopped cashews

¼ cup brown sugar

How to Bake

1. In a large bowl, mix the eggs and both sugars together. Blend in the nuts.
2. Line an 8 x 7 baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat turbo broiler to 
    170°C. 
3. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture and blend 
    well. Press into the bottom of the lined pan. Bake for 18 minutes. 
4. While pastry bakes, mix ¼ cup of brown sugar, cream and cashews into 
    the melted butter.

5. Spread over baked pastry and place again in the turbo broiler for about 
    1 minute or until topping bubbles and becomes brown. Cut into bars while 
    warm. Let cool in pan.

NOTE:

>Light cream is cream that is 20% fat and 3% milk.

Bacon Cheddar Muffins

Ingredients
1¾ cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar 
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup milk, room temperature
1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vegetable oil 
2 eggs
6 strips bacon cooked and chopped

¾ cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese

How to Bake
1. Bake bacon until crisp. Let cool and chop into pieces. 

2. In small bowl, combine 1 tbsp of the chopped bacon and 2 tbsp of cheddar

    cheese. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder.  Add sugar and remaining 

    bacon and cheese. Mix.

4. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, melted butter and vegetable oil.
5. Pour the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until moistened but do not

    over mix.

6. Preheat turbo broiler to 165°C.

7. Spoon batter to muffin tins. Sprinkle reserved bacon and cheddar mixture on
    top.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch.

Cheese Cookies

Mango Cheesecake Cups

Choco Peanut Crinkles

Ingredients

250 g bittersweet chocolate
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
30 pieces chocolate-peanut bars
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar (for dusting)

How to Bake

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a metal bowl set on top of a pot 
    of simmering water. Set aside to cool. 

2. Using a fork, crush the chocolate-peanut bars into crumbs. In the bowl of
    a stand mixer, beat butter and chocolate-peanut crumbs. Add eggs and 
    vanilla, and beat until well combined. 

3. Add melted chocolate. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt over 
    the mixture. Add milk and mix at low speed until just combined.

4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until 
    firm.

5. Preheat turbo broiler to 175°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
    Measure out small balls of dough (about 1 tbsp of dough per cookie). Roll 
    the dough into balls with lightly oiled hands. Coat each ball in powdered 
    sugar before placing onto prepared baking sheets.

6. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before transferring the cookies to a 
    cooling rack to finish cooling.