We’re all spending more time in the kitchen as we’ve hunkered down during the Coronavirus pandemic. Try to find flour on the grocery store shelves – it’s right up there in value with toilet paper and has been conspicuously missing for the past few month. We know people aren’t just making dinner, they’re baking because along with flour, yeast is missing too.
If you’re like the Distinctive Inns of New England (DINE) you’ve found a way to buy flour. While the 11 DINE inns can’t bake for guests right now, they’re still spending time in their kitchens concocting new recipes that can be folded into their year-round repertoire of breakfast yumminess. They’ve reviewed and revised their breakfast serving procedures, and while breakfast may not be exactly the same process, you’ll still find a delicious breakfast at each of the DINE properties you visit.
Until you’re able to come visit us again, try a few of these new muffin recipes that have not appeared in our recipe blogs before.
Homemade Carrot Muffin Recipe from Chesterfield Inn
Yield: 18 muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 c. pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 c. grated raw carrot (2 to 3 peeled carrots)
1 large apple, peeled and grated
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4c. Granulated white sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c. coconut
3 large eggs
3/4 c safflower or canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Place fluted paper liners in 18 muffin cups.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes and until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. Set aside.
In large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Set aside.
In separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the grated carrot and apple, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffins cups and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Frosting
1/4 c unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbsp. powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat the butter and cream cheese until very smooth with no lumps.
Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth.
Beat in the vanilla.
Once all ingredients are combined, frost the muffins with the icing.
Lime Curd Muffins from Rabbit Hill Inn
Recipe Yield: 12 standard size muffins
Ingredients for muffin batter:
2 cups sugar
1-cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups sour cream
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
Lime Curd (use a good quality jar curd or make your own. See our lime curd recipe below.)
Method for muffins:
Mix together sugar, eggs, and oil. Pour in sour cream and continue to mix.
Add flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix only until these ingredients are incorporated.
Scoop into greased muffin tins.
Create lime curd with recipe below.
With a spoon, make an indentation on top of each muffin. Fill with a tsp of lime curd.
Sprinkle top with streusel and bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes (or until done).
Ingredients for streusel topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup melted butter
In a separate bowl, blend these ingredients together and set aside.
Ingredients for Lime Curd:
3 eggs & 3 egg yolks -> place in bowl & whisk
5 oz of lime juice (fresh) & 1 cup of sugar -> bring to simmer in saucepan to dissolve sugar
1 tsp of lime zest
1/2 cup of butter, softened
Method for lime curd:
Pour 1/4 of the warm syrup over the egg mixture, whisking.
Then pour egg mixture into the rest of the simmering syrup – whisking constantly to slowly thicken to a custard consistency
Immediately strain through a fine sieve into a storage container
Add 1 tsp of lime zest and 1/2 cup butter. Stir to incorporate. If you wish for a deeper green color, add a drop of food color.
Cover and refrigerate until cool.
Leslie tells us, “This Rabbit Hill Inn Lime Curd Muffin recipe is a big hit on our breakfast buffet. As you can see by many of our delicious muffin recipes, it always begins with our versatile basic muffin recipe. From there, the options are endless. And this Rabbit Hill Inn Lime Curd Recipe can also be used in many other ways, including lovely lime curd desserts, pie and tart fillings, and spreads for scones.”
Maple Syrup and Brown Sugar Banana Bread from Manor on Golden Pond
(While the recipe is designed to create a loaf, we think it can easily be used for muffins too.)
Ingredients
1 Cup Brown Sugar (dark or light)
½ Cup Margarine
1/8 Cup Milk
2 Eggs-unbeaten
1 Cup Ripe Bananas—unmashed
1/8 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
2 Cups Flour
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
Method:
Cream sugar with butter.
Add and mix the next four ingredients – milk, eggs, bananas, syrup
Sift and add the dry ingredients – baking soda, flour, baking powder and salt
Put mixture in 6×10 greased loaf pan or into muffin tins
Bake 40-45 minutes in 350-degree oven.
Sift some confectioners’ sugar on top when cooled.
Be sure to check with your favorite DINE member for re-opening dates. With luck, all DINE inns will re-open in June. They’re all taking reservations for future romantic getaways, so be sure to call or visit them online and book directly with the inn.
In New Hampshire: Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness & Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield
In Massachusetts: Harbor Light Inn in Marblehead, Gateways Inn & Restaurant in Lenox, Deerfield Inn in Historic Deerfield and Captain’s House Inn in Chatham on Cape Cod.
In Vermont: Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford & Grafton Inn in Grafton
In New Hampshire: Manor on Golden Pond in Holderness & Chesterfield Inn in West Chesterfield
In Connecticut: Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic
In Maine: Camden Maine Stay Inn in Camden and Inn at English Meadows in Kennebunkport.
Photo above: Breakfast room at Camden Maine Stay Inn.