Recipe Redux: Almond Poppyseed Muffins

-aka Copycat Costco Poppyseed Muffins

Hello friends! Time for this month's Recipe Redux-

In all honesty, I really wanted to bring you another dish for my Recipe Redux post this month. And that dish was Cooking Light's Kung Pao Chicken, for which I have my own version of on the blog that I used to make all the time. Which is why I chose it for my Recipe Redux. However, I hadn't made it for at least 2 years when I made it again last week. I don't know what's changed, but the hubby and I hated it. Have our palette's changed? The recipe certainly hasn't changed, so I'm bamboozled. Anyhoo, that recipe is going to take more work so I thought I'd bring you a practically foolproof recipe- Almond Poppyseed Muffins!

Here's the original recipe. Definitely time for a face-lift!

These are the hubby's absolute favorite muffins. I don't make them often, they are really more of a treat. But oh man, is the hubby ever excited when he gets these muffins. He's very fond of Costco's version, so I had to make sure and find a copycat recipe. This one fits that bill. The original recipe makes 24 muffins (yikes!) which I've cut by a third to a manageable 6-7 muffins. Perfect for small households.

As I mentioned above, this recipe is pretty hard to mess up. But believe me, I've done it. I made one batch with my electric hand mixer which resulted in the muffin batter being completely over-mixed. You can bet chewing on those muffins were as tasty as chewing on old shoe leather. I've under-mixed too, and ended up with clumps of flour in every bite. On one batch, I accidentally doubled the baking soda and didn't realize until they came out of the oven. They looked like little sombreros with one giant domed peak in the middle and drooped outer edges. Yeah, those were weird. Almost 100% of the time, I make these muffins with liners. Personal preference. When I've made them without liners, the outer edges are smooth and they brown. The hubby was not thrilled by this change, so I usually make them with liners. You could definitely make them without. 

The recipe calls for oil in the "wet" portion of the batter, which you can substitute with applesauce. I make them both ways, and other than the applesauce muffins not leaving an oil mark when you set them down, I can't tell a big difference. Both keep the muffin super-moist, so I say go ahead and do not fear the applesauce. 

Now, to totally change the subject, I'm trying something new this morning. I first heard about it over the News Years Eve holiday, and I'm just getting around now to trying it out. It's called Bulletproof Coffee. I know, sounds weird, but it's basically coffee blended with coconut oil and grass-fed butter. 

If you think that's weird, I did too. At first. But then I dove in to research. Supporters of Bulletproof coffee extoll the benefits of coconut oil for your whole body- for the brain, cholesterol, arteries, to fight cancer, to shrink tumors, to give you tons of energy, etc. Same with grass-fed butter. The theory with Bulletproof Coffee is it provides you with tons of energy, keeps your appetite at bay, and causes you to burn fat all day. From healthy saturated fats. While I'm not sure about all those things, there are a few things about it that interested me-

For one, it fits perfectly into my IF (intermittent fasting) lifestyle. The coffee drink is meant to replace breakfast and since I already have coffee for breakfast, this was a no-brainer. IF, a lifestyle where you fast for 17 hours at a time a couple days a week, is highly controversial. However, I've been following it naturally most of my life. I was following it without even knowing a term for it existed. I stopped eating breakfast in middle school because I didn't like the way it made me feel. It made me nauseous and dizzy. There have been periods of my life where I try to make it a goal to eat breakfast, but I still always felt crappy. When I came across articles about IF, it was like a lightbulb came on. I realized I just organically lean towards that lifestyle. And that's how I feel best. Not saying IF is for everyone, it definitely isn't. For example, diabetics are never supposed to follow an IF lifestyle. You should consult your personal doctor before embarking on a change that large. But for me, my body likes IF and that's why Bulletproof Coffee works for me. I already only have two cups of coffee in the morning, why not just make it with oil and butter?

I know that sounds crazy, but it's actually really good! The combination seems to cut down on the bitterness of the coffee. The coconut oil lends a subtle tropical flavor, while the butter lends more creaminess than imaginable. I like it. We'll definitely have to see how this trial period goes, but I might be on to something!

I'll leave you with a couple of articles so you can make up your own mind :) Happy Wednesday!

Bulletproof Coffee

Bulletproof Coffee- Every Day for 2 Weeks

Is Adding Butter to Your Coffee Healthy for You?

3 Reasons Bulletproof Coffee is a Bad Idea

*I included some articles by critics of Bulletproof Coffee. I always try to keep in mind who is paying that writer's salary.

Ingredients (makes 6-7 muffins):

1 cup flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk (I used whole milk, it's what I had on hand. Sub a lower percentage milk or even almond or soy milk)

1/3 cup canola oil or applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a muffin pan with liners or coat with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour through salt. Whisk to mix. In a separate bowl, combine egg through almond extract. Whisk to mix.

3. Pour dry ingredients into wet. Mix until just combined, do not over-mix. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. 

4. Bake in preheated oven 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes, remove to a cooling rack and cool completely. Store in a tupperware covered by a dish towel for the first night, then store in an airtight container. 

Printable Recipe

Looking for other muffin recipes? Try these!

The Best Carrot-Bran Muffins

Mocha Swirl Muffins

Raspberry Banana Oat Muffins

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