Denizens of the Dark

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Would you open your door on Halloween if these creatures knocked?

You can make any amount of icing by proportionally reducing the amount of each ingredient

Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
• 480g (4 c) AP flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 227g (1 c) RT unsalted butter
• 200g (1 c) granulated sugar
• 2 large RT eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, while mixing. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.
  4. With the mixer running, gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until everything is well incorporated. Divide the dough in half, shape into two disks, and tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days. (if chilling longer than 2 hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes or until slightly softened.)
  5. Once the dough is chilled and you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F.
  6. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch-thickness. Cut out shapes using 2½-inch cookie cutters. Re-roll as needed for more cookies.
  7. Place the cut-outs on non-stick or parchment-lined baking sheets 1 inch apart.
  8. Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottom edges start to turn brown. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Serve plain or decorate with royal icing.

Black Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS
Full Recipe
• 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I use and recommend Domino brand)
• 3 Tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
• 5 drops black food coloring
• 2 Tbl Black Cocoa
• 9–10 Tablespoons room temperature water

Half Recipe
• 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted (I use and recommend Domino brand)
• 1 ½ Tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
• 3 drops black food coloring
• 1 Tbl Black Cocoa
• 4–5 Tablespoons room temperature water

METHOD

  1. Pour confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, black food coloring, black cocoa and 9 Tablespoons of water into a large bowl.
  2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5 – 2 minutes.
  3. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, beat in more water 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually need 10 tablespoons but on particularly dry days, I use up to 12-14 Tablespoons. Keep in mind that the longer you beat the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep beating it to introduce more air OR you can add more confectioners’ sugar.

Royal Icing

Makes ~3 cups (3/4 c) of royal icing. (¼ recipe decorated 48 1” diameter cookies)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups (1 c) (480g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 3 Tbl (1 Tbl) meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
• 9–10 Tbl (2-3 Tbl) room temperature water
• Violet food coloring to make white frosting very white

METHOD

  1. Sift half the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder, into a large bowl. Add half the water and still. Add the remaining sugar and meringue powder and the other half of the water water (or more,) checking flow consistency of the icing is what you want for piping etc. Dip the tip of a toothpick in the violet food color and wipe it through the frosting. IT ONLY TAKES A VERY SMALL AMOUNT TO MAKE IT WHITE. Any more than just the tip with add a violet cast to the frosting.
  2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5 – 2 minutes.
  3. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, beat in more water 1 Tablespoon at a time. Keep in mind that the longer you beat the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep beating it to introduce more air OR you can add more confectioners’ sugar.
  4. When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thick on cookies, it will also take longer to dry. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed it up.

Scone Experiment

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I normally make Drop Berry Scones as they are easy and quick. Recently I saw someone make some beautiful round scones but cutting them out of a flattened dough and thought, “Why not?”

I searched online for ideas and found several that seemed to fit the scone in my imagination. Combining ingredients and method from two or three of these ideas resulted in nicely browned, tender scones. For some reason the ingredients did not include salt and like a novice, believed what was said. They would have been better with some added salt, which I listed in the ingredients below.

The next time I will also modify the method of incorporating the berries. This dough was pretty stiff and the berries mashed up more than usual while incorporating them. The modification is explained in the Alternative Berry Addition in the METHOD below.

Berry Scones


INGREDIENTS
• 500g Bread flour
• 50g Unsalted butter
• 80g Caster Sugar
• 5tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp salt (I added this to the recipe)
• 2 medium eggs
• 250ml Whole Milk

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Cut butter into small cubes.
  3. Combine flour with butter using your hands to mix and flatten the butter chunks into flakes until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. .
  4. Mix in sugar and baking powder, then add and mix the eggs and whole milk (reserving a small amount to check consistency). The dough should be soft and slightly tacky.
  5. Add additional cream by the tablespoon to help the dough come together
  6. Alternative berry addition: divide the dough in half and form 2 equal rectangles. Spread a sparse layer of berries on each portion. Stack one on top of the other, berry side up, and roll starting with the small end. Once rolled, gently shape into a ball trying to manipulate the dough as little as possible. Flatten the ball to a ¾” rectangle and cut into 2 ½ “ circles. Combine the scraps into another rectangle and cut more circles.
    • OR
  7. Original berry addition: Gently fold in the berries. (It’s fine if the raspberries or blackberries break up a little – it adds a nice pink stain to the dough.) The dough should just be moist, not wet, but also not crumbly or powdery looking. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of cold water.
  8. Egg wash the tops of the scones and sprinkle some coarse sugar on the top
  9. Bake for 16-20 minutes until the tops are a golden brown,

Freeze Shortbread Cookies??

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I made some shortbread cookies with a touch of Halloween flavor, (or at least decoration.)

This was a test of freezing the unfrosted, unbaked cookies. I like to keep a few varieties in the freezer to alleviate cravings.

I spread the UNBAKED cookies on a lined cookie sheet and after they were frozen placed them in a zip lock bag.

When the craving hits I will bake them, frozen, but add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Black Velvet Cupcakes – Sally

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Sally published this recipe for Black Velvet Cupcakes in recognition of Chocolate Cupcake Day, plus an homage to Halloween, delicious and fun.

(I think the frosting recipe could be cut in half, unless, like me, you have a box of graham crackers in the cupboard not doing anything and you like chocolate frosting stuffed graham cracker cookies.)

Black Velvet Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes
• 125 g (1 c) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 42g ( ½ c) black cocoa powder (a dark, Dutch-process cocoa)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 200g (1 c) granulated sugar
• 120g ( ½ c) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 75G ( 1/3 c) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp distilled white vinegar
• 120g ( ½ c) hot coffee (decaf is fine) or hot water
Frosting
• 226g (1 c = 16 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 420g (3 ½ c) confectioners’ sugar
• 42g ( ½ c) black cocoa powder (a dark, Dutch-process cocoa)
• 60 – 75g (4–5 Tbl) heavy cream or milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

METHOD

  1. Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. This recipe yields 14–15 cupcakes, so line a second muffin pan with 2 or 3 more liners (or bake in batches).
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, preferably with a pour spout, whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, and vinegar until combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the hot coffee, and whisk until the batter is completely combined. The batter will be thin.
  4. Pour the batter into the liners, filling only 2/3 to 3/4 full to avoid overflowing and sinking.
  5. Bake for 20–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to test for doneness is to lightly press your finger into the surface of the warm cupcake. If the cupcake bounces back, they’re done. If your finger leaves an imprint, they need more bake time.
  6. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10–20 minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
  7. Make the frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup (60g/ml) of the cream, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. If the frosting seems too thick, beat in another Tablespoon of cream.
  8. Frost cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles, if desired. You can swipe the frosting on with an icing knife or use a piping tip such as Ateco 826. For cat cupcakes, see recipe Note.
  9. Store cupcakes at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I recommend a cupcake carrier for storing and transporting decorated cupcakes.

Sallys October 2026 Baking Challenge

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This month Sallys Challenge was Maple Oat Pecan Scones. I am not a fan of pecans so substituted macadamia nuts.

I am a little embarrassed by the look of these scones, but not by the flavor, they are wonderful. The nuts add a nice crunch and the maple syrup yields the perfect sweetness,

The first scone crumbled when I dipped it in the maple icing. Normally this isn’t a bad this for a short crust pastry, but I did have to spread the icing with mixed in deconstructed scone on the rest of them,

Despite chilling the scones prior to baking they spread during the first 10 minutes of baking. I straightened them up at the half way point of baking which helped, but a real scone pan would be best.

Crunchie
Final Scones

Apple Cider Doughnut Holes

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I volunteered to make something to sell at a charity bake sale and as luck would have it King Arthur Baking send me an email with this recipe, Apple Cider Doughnut Holes.

I made them pretty much as the recipe specified and decided next time I would omit the cardamom. Maybe there was too much, but it overpowered the sugar/cinnamon coating. Live and learn. (They were pretty darn good anyway.)

I reduced a half gallon of apple cider to make the boiled cider and mixed my own apple pie spice using the ratio of 4::2::1 cinnamon::nutmeg::allspice.

Apple Cider Donut Holes – KAB

INGREDIENTS
Batter
• 100g ( ½ c) granulated sugar
• 71g ( ⅓ c ) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, packed
• 57g (4 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened
• 50g ( ¼ c) vegetable oil
• ¾ tsp table salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 320g (2 ⅔ c) AP Flour
• 2 tsp apple pie spice (see below)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 227g (1 c) milk
• 64g (3 Tbl) boiled cider (see below)
Topping
• 141g (10 Tbl) unsalted butter
• 85g ( ¼ c) boiled cider (see below)
• 248g (1 ¼ c) granulated sugar
• 11g (4 ¼ tsp) apple pie spice (see below)

METHOD

  1. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
  2. In a large bowl, use a flexible spatula to vigorously mix the sugars, butter, oil, and salt until smooth.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring between each. Stir in the vanilla.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spice, baking powder, and baking soda.
  5. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk to combine the milk and boiled cider.
  6. Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture, mixing gently to combine. Gently mix in half the liquid. Stir in another third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining liquid. Stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then gently mix until the batter is mostly smooth; a few small lumps are OK.
  7. Portion the batter into the wells of the prepared pan, using a heaping tablespoon for each well (about 22 grams); a tablespoon scoop works well here. (You’ll use about half the batter to fill 24 wells of a mini muffin pan; set the remaining batter aside.)
  8. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until just golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. While the doughnut holes bake, prepare the topping.
  9. To make the topping: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and boiled cider and heat in 30-second increments until the butter is melted, then whisk to fully combine.
  10. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the sugar and spice.
  11. Remove the doughnut holes from the oven and, as soon as they’re cool enough to handle, turn them out of the pan. Working with one piece at a time, dip each doughnut hole into the butter-cider mixture, shake slightly over the bowl to remove any excess, and then immediately transfer to the sugar mixture; toss to coat.
  12. Transfer the coated doughnut holes to a wire rack, and repeat baking and topping process with the remaining batter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
  13. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended.

BOILED CIDER

  1. Add ½ gallon of apple cider to a heavy duty 4-6 qt stock pot.
  2. Heat cider to boiling and continue with occasional stirring until the cider has thickened to the consistency of maple syrup. There should be about 2 cups of boiled cider,

APPLE PIE SPICE
• 4 parts cinnamon
• 2 parts nutmeg
• 1 part all spice

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups – Sally

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Sally published a post of 4 Baked Oatmeal recipes I knew which one I would be making today. Good choice!

These are moist, appley, cinnamonly, mapley treats, perfect for breakfast or anytime.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

INGREDIENTS
• 360g (1 ½ c) milk
• 2 large eggs
• 120g ( ½ c) pure maple syrup
• 120g ( ½ c) unsweetened applesauce
• 255g (3 c) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 120g (1 heaping c) peeled chopped apple
• Coarse sugar for topping

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Generously spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray. If using muffin liners, spray them with nonstick spray. The oatmeal cups stick to the liners a bit regardless, so I recommend skipping them.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together, except for the apples (and nuts and coarse sugar). Using a spoon or silicone spatula, fold in the apples and nuts (if using). Batter will be a little liquidy. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups, making sure both the oats/apples and liquid are in each. Fill all the way to the top. If desired, sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
  3. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and top appears set. If the tops are browning very quickly, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the muffin pan.
  4. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  5. Cover leftover oatmeal cups tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the oatmeal cups, cool completely, and store in the refrigerator all week for easy breakfasts. Reheat in the microwave or bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 5-6 minutes. To freeze, bake and cool oatmeal cups. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Warm to your liking.
  2. Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients. If needed, you can replace the eggs with 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana. I do find the oatmeal cups fall apart a little when replacing the eggs.
  3. Sugar: I recommend pure maple syrup because the flavor is outstanding and the baked oatmeal cups are extra moist. Instead, you can use packed brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
  4. Oats: Whole oats give you the best texture. You can use quick oats instead, but they soak up more moisture so the centers won’t be as moist. If using steel-cut oats, soak the oats in the milk for 30 minutes, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time. The oatmeal cups are best with whole oats.
  5. Apples: Use your favorite variety such as Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. You need about 1 medium apple.

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread – Sally’s September 2026 Challenge

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This months challenge(s) were apple fritters or Cinnamon Swirl Bread and I chose the latter. The initial critique was “If I wanted bread, I prefer your bread. If I wanted cinnamon buns, I prefer your KAB cinnamon buns.”

That is not to say there was anything wrong with this bake. It was tasty and easy to make, (despite several rookie brain-freeze mistakes, which I am too embarrassed to list here.)

Homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread – Sally

INGREDIENTS
• 120g ( ½ c) water, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
• 120g ( ½ c) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
• 7g (2 ¼ tsp) instant or active dry yeast
• 50g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar, divided
• 56g (4 Tbl) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut in 4 pieces
• 390g (3 c) bread flour plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
For the Swirl & Topping
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 50g ( ¼ c) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 14g (1 Tbl) unsalted butter, melted

METHOD

  1. Whisk the warm water, warm milk, yeast, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Loosely cover and allow to sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and frothy on top.
  2. Add the remaining sugar, the butter, 1 cup flour (about 130g), and the salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add another cup of flour. Beat on medium speed until relatively incorporated (there may still be chunks of butter). Add the remaining flour and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Dough should be soft and a little tacky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
  3. Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 8–10 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 full minutes. If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need; you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough.
  4. Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1 ½ -2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours.
  5. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup (50g) sugar and the cinnamon together.
  7. When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Lightly flour a work surface, your hands, and a rolling pin. Roll the dough out into a large 8×20 inch rectangle. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface with beaten egg white, then sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar, leaving a 1-inch border uncovered. Roll it up into an 8-inch log. Place the loaf, seam-side down, into the prepared loaf pan. If any cinnamon-sugar filling spilled out of the sides, don’t waste it! Sprinkle it on top of the bread in the loaf pan.
  8. Cover the shaped loaf and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until it’s about 1 inch above the top of the loaf pan.
  9. Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the bread towards the bottom of the oven so the top doesn’t burn.)
  10. After the dough rises, melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter. Lightly brush the melted butter on top of the shaped loaf before baking. Bake for 35–45 minutes, or until golden brown. Check on the bread about halfway through baking—if the top of the loaf is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. The bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 195–200°F (90–93°C).
  11. Remove from the oven and allow bread to cool for a few minutes in the pan on a cooling rack. Remove loaf from the pan and cool it directly on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Feel free to let it cool completely before slicing, too.
  12. Cover leftover bread tightly and store at room temperature for 6 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

NOTES

  1. Overnight Instructions: Prepare the dough through most of step 4, allowing the dough to rise overnight in the refrigerator instead of in a warm environment. The slow rise gives the bread wonderful flavor! In the morning, let the dough sit on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then continue with step 5. I don’t recommend shaping the bread the night before as it will puff up too much overnight.
  2. Freezing Instructions: Baked bread freezes wonderfully! Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then warm to your liking. You can also freeze the bread dough. After punching down the dough in step 7, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature. Once at room temperature, punch the dough down again to release any air bubbles. Continue with the rest of step 7 (shaping the dough).

Apple Turnovers and Chocolate Mousse Pie Bites

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Sally posted a number of recipes lately and her Apple Turnovers caught my eye, plus it is apple season! I followed her recipes for the turnovers and caramel topping. (The topping should have been cooler but I was under a time limit.

I saw how to make (I think it was on a FB Reel) mini pie shells by folding disks of rolled pie dough over the back side of a muffin pan and I had some frozen pie dough that I needed to use so….

I used a half recipe of Sally’s Chocolate Mousse as the filling and some stabilized whipped cream for the topping.

Blueberry Muffins – Sally

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Sally’s post for these muffins looked sooooo good!

Blueberry Muffins – Sally


INGREDIENTS
Streusel Topping
• ½ cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Muffins
• 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (115g) room temperature unsalted butter
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2 large room temperature eggs
• ½ cup (120g) room temperature sour cream or plain/vanilla yogurt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (60ml) room temperature milk
• 1½ cups (250g) fresh or frozen blueberries

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Spray a 12-count muffin pan with nonstick spray or use cupcake liners. Grease/line a second pan with 2 liners because this recipe yields about 14 muffins. Set aside.
  2. Mix all of the streusel ingredients together. Set aside.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
  4. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. By hand, add the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients and stir gently, no more than 4 stirs. Gently, fold in the blueberries.(Optional: Transfer batter to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.)
  5. Spray release spray on the muffin pan before putting cupcake papers in to reduce berries from sticking if they overflow the papers. Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top each with streusel, gently pressing it down into the surface so it sticks. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205-210 °F or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 23-25 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
  6. Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes:

  1. This recipe made 7 muffins using tulip cups. Put the cups into something to help them stand. I used a 12 well entremet pan which was perfect.
  2. Doubling this recipe should be fine and if each tulip cup was filled to the top should make 12 muffins
  3. Baking time was extended to 45-55 minutes, checking the inside temperature every 5 minutes. I used my ThermoPro being sure to poke it all the way to the bottom, which cooks last, but be sure not to touch the metal of the entremet pan.