Brown Butter Berry Cheesecake Muffins.

There's cake for breakfast and there's cheesecake for breakfast. This is that. 

Well. Actually it's both.

Remember when I made banana monkey bread muffins? Tiny, banana bread biscuit balls, rolled in cinnamon and sugar, and drizzled with vanilla icing? Well, those were the last muffins I made... and that was in September.

Of 2012.

Like last year.

Muffins, I need to be honest. I'm just not that into you. The thing is, when I want a muffin, I want one... not twelve... and definitely not twenty-five minutes from now. It's a weakness that shows itself only when I'm waiting in line at Starbucks, being forced to stare at a shiny, bright glass case of bite-sized vanilla bean scones (obsessed and in love) and literally over-the-top blueberry muffins. At no other time of the day, week, or year do muffins ever cross my mind. Ever. Like Taylor Swift never ever.

But let's be honest: they're basically just unfancy, unfrosted cupcakes... and I think we all know how I feel about cake for breakfast. So I've bought a new muffin pan and I'm getting into this thing. 

These muffins have a few extra steps to them than baking just regular blueberry muffins. There's three layers that need to be made first before you can get down to the muffin-baking business: (1) the muffin base, (2) a creamy berry cheesecake topping, and (3) a buttery cinnamon-brown sugar streusel. I know. It sounds like way too much work for blueberry muffins... but really, it's just three bowls, three spoons, and a few minutes. Brown butter, sugar, and cinnamon are creamed together, cream cheese, sugar, and berries are whisked together, and a streusel is quickly crumbled together with a fork or fingertips.

After that, it's just a scoop and bake situation. Easy.

And it all starts with these cakey-soft muffin bottoms, full of brown butter, sugar, and cinnamon.

See those brown specks? Those are full of straight love. Love, brown butter, and cinnamon.

With regular blueberry muffins, the fresh berries are folded directly into the muffin batter for optimum berry dispersal. Here, the berries are folded into a creamy cheesecake layer that's scooped right on top of the muffin base. When they bake up, they'll be bursting with pink, sweet raspberries and bright purple blueberries.

And the streusel. Just cold butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour cut together until crumbly and sprinkled heaped over the top of the cheesecake and berries. No big deal. Totally just another day.

Everyone knows the muffin tops are the very best part. The secret to the these tall, gorgerous, brimming-with-cheesecake muffin tops? Fill the liners right to the very top. Most muffin and cupcake recipes call for filling the cups 1/2 to 2/3 of the way full, depending on how tall they'll rise when baking, to prevent them from overflowing over the sides. 

But for these, just get in there! Layer that cheesecake and crumble right to the very top for a pillowy, perfectly berry-studded look.

More cheesecake, more berries, more bursting color. Muffin math. It's real.

My favorite are the muffins bursting with fat, pink raspberries. It's a February thing.

At least until July... then it'll be a red, white, and blue thing.

Speaking of which, one of my new year's baking resolutions this year was to bake with more color. Between these bright breakfast cakes and these sprinkled-loaded cookies... 2013 success! And we're still only 49 days into this thing. 

Brown Butter Berry Cheesecake Muffins

Printable Recipe

Muffins
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cheesecake Topping
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Streusel
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

To make the muffins, first brown the butter by melting in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until golden brown (more information on how to brown butter here). Pour into a medium mixing bowl and cream together with sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk. 

Combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl and slowly add to butter mixture until just combined. Fill muffin cups one-third full.

To make the cheesecake topping, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and egg until smooth. Gently fold in the fresh raspberries and blueberries. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls on top of the muffin.

To make the streusel, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in cold butter using a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 18 muffins. 

Source: Barely adapted from Chef-in-Training.

Jelly Doughnut Muffins.

Apparently pie is the new cupcake which the new cake pop which is the new whoopie pie. Whatever! I say doughnuts. I'm serious... I think it's their time to shine. They've waited long enough. Let's bring back good old-fashioned classy fried dough.

I know. "Doughnuts" is more or less Latin for "Are you sure you really want to eat that?" Is it even possible to eat a doughnut without feeling guilty anymore? I always feel like I need to go into witness protection after I do. But sometimes you really do need an apple fritter the size of your face! To me, doughnuts are a way to kick off a day extra right. Lazy fall mornings. Christmas mornings. Graduation mornings. Special mornings where you're feeling extra pretty and sassy... or did lots and lots of yoga. 

The only thing better than a doughnut on a lazy fall, extra-sassy morning? A big cakey version of a doughnut. Without the deep-frying.

Muffins! 

Fat, fluffy, muffins. Or naked cupcakes. Whichever. 

I love this recipe. I really didn't expect them to taste like jelly doughnuts, but they totally do! They're light, fluffy, melt in your mouth, and somehow make you feel a little bit healthier while eating delicious cake for breakfast. 

... and even though they're piped full of raspberry jam and sprinkled with sugar, you still feel better about your life because it's not deep-fried or out of a pink box.

P.S. All I can think about staring at these photos is that I should've poked two holes in these and called them vampire muffins! 

I may or may not be really excited for Halloween. 

The point: Doughnut muffins. Cake for breakfast. Do it.

Jelly Doughnut Muffins

Printable Recipe

For 18 Muffins 

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup jam or jelly for filling (I used raspberry jam, but strawberry, cherry, or even apple jelly would taste amazing!)

1/4 cup powdered sugar for sprinkling

For 10 Muffins

1 1/6 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup jam or jelly for filling

2 tablespoons powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a 2 1/2-inch muffin pan with paper or foil liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high for about 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla, and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs one a time, beating well after each addition.

Starting with the flour, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, beating on low speed after each addition until just combined.

Spoon batter into muffin liners, filling each until about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for five minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

When cooled completely, fill a pastry bag or a Ziplock bag fitted with a small round tip with your filling. Gently insert the tip into the center of the muffin and squeeze jelly inside until some of the jelly is visible on top. 

Sift powdered sugar over the top of muffins and enjoy!

Note: The powdered sugar will get absorbed into the muffins after the first day so if you're making these in advance, I would sprinkle them right before serving.   

Source: Brandy's Baking. 

Mini Chocolate Chip Puffins.

I'm more of a waffle girl. Or a French toast girl. The last time I made pancakes, I was ditching 3rd period with my best friend. It was senior year and honestly, by then, learning to make pancakes was a more useful life skill than whatever they felt the need to teach us in the thirty days til graduation. 

But these mini maple pancake muffins with chocolate chips were too adorable to pass up. Who knew you could make pancakes in a muffin tin? It's the perfect lazy Saturday morning breakfast for when you want to make something special without standing & whisking & baking in the kitchen for hours. They're super addictive and with a name like "puffins", you can't help but giggle a little while you're making them.

Mini Maple Chocolate Chip Puffins

Printable Recipe

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 egg 

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.

In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup, and melted butter until just combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined. 

Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.

Bake for 8-9 minutes. Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Source: Bakerella.