Cupcake Depression

I finally convinced myself to sneak out of bed around six this morning to prepare the birthday muffins. I whipped up the batter replacing oil with apple sauce and adding a quarter cup of white flour when I ran out of multi-grain, but other than that I strictly followed the recipe. Well, my own twisted up version of two recipes. You see, the package for Trader Joe's Multi Grain Pancakes lists three recipes on its side panel. One for of course pancakes and the other two for buttermilk biscuits and coffee cake. When Aubrey was in preschool we would make breakfast muffins in the morning before she finally went to school at a quarter to nine. Actually this started before then when she would be babysat by various family members. I wasn't ever sure if she actually ate lunch on their watch so we'd always make a huge breakfast to make up for any absence in sustenance. 


Anyway, I always used the ingredients for the coffee cake: pancake mix of course, buttermilk (substitute coffee creamer), eggs, sugar (usually brown), frozen berries and like I said before, apple sauce instead of oil, and the baking times of the biscuits. Are muffins really that different? You put them in perfectly bite sized little cups and the whole ordeal is much more fun. These hybrid coffecake/biscuit muffins always came out great. We topped them with yogurt and breakfast was a smash. We even made these for Aubrey's 4th birthday celebration in class, since snack time was at 9:30 in the morning. They were a hit. 

My Cupcake Apprentice 2009

This morning I was a little paranoid that Miss Birthday Girl would wake up during the manufacturing of these breakfast masterpieces so I was a little hurried in the process. My number one helper was also still sleeping, making this the first time I'd gone solo on the project. The oven beeped, I checked the inside (actually I forgot to do that, but they ended up being fully cooked so who cares?) placed the baking tray on top of the oven and let them cool while I hopped in the shower. Did I do something wrong? Was I missing a step? I know I fudge over the ingredients and mix things up a bit, but why oh why were these muffins depressed? Literally, depressed. In almost every single bite size breakfast bite was a little dent in the top. Did leprechauns hop all over my baking while I performed my morning ablutions? Doubtful, but still a possibility. I thought I remembered hearing something a long time ago about why bread products would depress in the center. Something about a missing ingredient I think. Or was it because I didn't use a mixer? I old school whisked that thing like my mama taught me, but I've always done that and I've never had depressed muffins. I blame my lack of childhood companionship in the kitchen. My oldest daughter must simply be good luck and without her all breakfast concoctions bake with just a little less magic.


Alas the muffins were eaten with gusto and without complaint. I had four. Maybe five. And my picky one year-old actually devoured her breakfast happily for a change! Depressed muffins or not, I deem them a success. My berry faced baby proves it. 

Birthday Girl 2012

Cupcakes will be made this evening with my kitchen sidekick so they should bake without a hitch. Pictures of the little one's first frosting adventure soon to come!