Orange Chocolate Scones

Adapted from Eating Well's Chocolate-Cherry Scones

Ingredients

2 3/4 c. unbleached heritage grain all-purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 t. espresso powder
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. cayenne
5 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4 oz. chopped 72% dark chocolate or 2/3 c. chips

2 T. lemon juice
enough skim milk to make 3/4 c. (to make buttermilk)
1/4 c. whole milk
1/4 t. orange extract
1/2 t. vanilla
1 large egg

1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar
2 T. orange juice concentrate
1/8 t. orange extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut or rub butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate. Whisk buttermilk (lemon juice plus milk), orange and vanilla extracts, and egg in a medium bowl; stir into the dry ingredients until just combined. Using the pastry blender, a sturdy wooden spoon, or your hands, work in the bowl and knead three to five times, or until the dough just comes together. On a flour-dusted surface, divide in half and pat each piece into a 8-inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the scones until firm to the touch, 18 to 24 minutes. Glaze, if desired.

Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight for up to 1 day; reheat at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, thawed orange juice concentrate, and orange extract in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with a little more sugar or liquid as desired. Drizzle over warm scones with a fork or spread with a pastry brush.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 16.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 276
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14 g	21 %
Saturated Fat 9 g	43 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 42 mg	14 %
Sodium 157 mg	7 %
Potassium 18 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 30 g	10 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	7 %
Sugars 13 g
Protein 8 g	15 %
Vitamin A	13 %
Vitamin C	4 %
Calcium	16 %
Iron	8 %

Pear Clafoutis (Flaugnarde)

Adapted from Cooking Light's Comice Pear Clafoutis

Ingredients
Salted butter for the dish
2 firm-ripe Comice pears (1 lb. total), peeled, cored, and sliced lengthwise about 1/3 in. thick
1 c. whole milk

2 large eggs

4 egg whites, or 1/3 c.
1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. orange zest or 1/6 t. orange extract
1/8 t. nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/4 t. kosher salt
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. whey protein powder
Powdered sugar, optional for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 3-qt. glass baking dish (9"x9") and arrange pears in an attractive pattern over the bottom. (Fruit will rise to the top as batter is poured in.)

Put milk, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, orange zest or extract, nutmeg, salt, and flour (in this order) in a blender and whirl until very smooth and frothy, 1 minute. Pour batter over pears.

Bake until clafoutis is well browned and a little puffed, about 50 minutes.

Let clafoutis cool on a rack about 15 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving     1/4 dish
calories 227
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5 g	7 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	10 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 100 mg	33 %
Sodium 305 mg	13 %
Potassium 218 mg	6 %
Total Carbohydrate 26 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	7 %
Sugars 22 g
Protein 14 g	28 %
Vitamin A	4 %
Vitamin C	5 %
Calcium	12 %
Iron	3 %

Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Adapted from Eating Well's Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake

Ingredients
Cake
3/4 c. granulated sugar
5 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip)
1/4 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
2 T. lemon zest, or 1.5 t. powdered lemon zest
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla extract
1.5 c. unbleached heritage-grain flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. fresh blueberries
Additional flour for dusting the berries

Icing
2 T. packed confectioners’ sugar
1.5 t. lemon juice
1/8 t. lemon extract
1/8 t. powdered lemon zest

Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Butter a 9-by-5" glass loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in ricotta, lemon zest, 2 T. lemon juice, and vanilla until just combined.

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together on top. With the mixer on low speed, beat until almost combined.

Toss the blueberries with enough flour to coat and gently fold into the batter.  (This should minimize extra wetness and the tendency to make the cake blue.)

Transfer to the prepared pan. Bake the cake until starting to brown around the edges and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.  (1:50 with foil covering the browned tops for the last 50 minutes, probably because I didn't flour the blueberries, and I used frozen.)

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake, then invert it onto the rack. Carefully turn it right-side up. Let cool completely.

In a small bowl, add sifted confectioners' sugar and zest, then whisk in lemon juice and extract until smooth. Brush the glaze on the cake.

Make Ahead Tip: Wrap cooled cake airtight and store at room temperature for up to 1 day; glaze shortly before serving.

Room-temperature eggs make cakes fluffier. Here's a quick trick—place them (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm water for about 5 minutes.

• Needs more lemon in the cake!  Try this recipe next time.

Nutrition Facts

High Protein French Toast Casserole with Fresh Strawberries

Adapted from High Protein French Toast Casserole with Blueberries

Ingredients
1/2 12 oz. Challah loaf, cut into 1.5" cubes
4 eggs
1.5 c. egg whites
1 c. milk
2-4 scoops unflavored whey protein powder, enough to add 40g protein (~1/4 c. of the kind I use)
1.5 T. pure vanilla extract
1 t. orange extract
¼ c. Grade B maple syrup
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
1 T. brown sugar
1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
butter to grease pan

Directions
Grease 9"x13" glass baking pan with butter.  Place cubed bread in pan.

Mix eggs, egg whites, milk, extracts, syrup, whey, salt, and spices else in a pitcher or bowl that can hold at least a quart of liquid.  Whisk thoroughly or blend with an immersion blender.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Pour liquid mixture over the bread.  Make sure that all bread is covered by liquid mixture.  Allow to sit for as long as it takes to make the topping. Mix pecans and brown sugar together and sprinkle before placing in the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until there is no longer any liquid.

Cool slightly before serving.  Top with fresh berries and enjoy!

(I think I'll double the protein powder next time.)

Nutrition Facts

Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 327
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15 g	22 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	11 %
Monounsaturated Fat 7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 97 mg	32 %
Sodium 374 mg	16 %
Potassium 247 mg	7 %
Total Carbohydrate 37 g	12 %
Dietary Fiber 8 g	31 %
Sugars 12 g
Protein 16 g	32 %
Vitamin A	5 %
Vitamin C	19 %
Calcium	30 %
Iron	10 %

Apple Pie Scones

Adapted from Eating Well's Classic Scones Master Recipe and Budget Bytes' Apple Pie Scones

Ingredients
1 large egg
1/4 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1 t. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
1 medium apple, shredded, ~3/4 c.
2 c. unbleached heritage grain AP flour (plus a small amount for dusting)
1/2 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
5 T. cold butter, cut into 1/4" cubes

1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 t. apple cider

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the apple, cut it into quarters, then cut off the core from each piece. Use a box grater or large holed cheese grater to shred the apple.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, apple sauce, lemon juice, sugar, and shredded apple.
In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Once combined, add the butter and work it into the flour until it resembles coarse, damp sand.
Finally, pour the bowl containing the apple egg mixture into the large bowl with the flour and butter. Stir just until a dough forms and no more dry flour remains on the bottom of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a 6-8 inch wide, 1.5 inch thick disc (sprinkle more flour on your hands and on the surface of the dough if needed. The dough may be slightly sticky). Cut the disc into eight wedges.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cut scones on top. Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes in the fully preheated oven, or until they are just slightly golden brown on top. Allow the scones to cool completely.
To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and water until a thick paste forms. Once the scones are fully cooled, drizzle the glaze over top.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 16.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 124
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 4 g	6 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	12 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 21 mg	7 %
Sodium 1263 mg	53 %
Potassium 28 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 20 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	4 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 2 g	5 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	5 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	5 %

Glazed Lemon Poppyseed Scones

Adapted from Eating Well's Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones

Ingredients

2 3/4 c. unbleached heritage grain all-purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 T. lemon zest or 1 1/2 t. powdered lemon zest
2 T. poppy seeds

2 T. lemon juice
enough skim milk to make 3/4 c. (to make buttermilk)
1/4 c. whole milk
1/4 t. lemon extract
1 large egg

1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1/8 t. lemon extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.  Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut or rub butter into the dry ingredients. Stir in lemon zest and poppy seeds. Whisk buttermilk (lemon juice plus milk), lemon extract, and egg in a medium bowl; stir into the dry ingredients until just combined. Using the pastry blender, a sturdy wooden spoon, or your hands, work in the bowl and knead three to five times, or until the dough just comes together. On a flour-dusted surface, divide in half and pat each piece into a 8-inch circle. Cut each circle into 8 wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake the scones until firm to the touch, 18 to 24 minutes. Glaze, if desired.

Make Ahead Tip: Store airtight for up to 1 day; reheat at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon extract, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Adjust consistency with a little more sugar or liquid as desired. Drizzle over warm scones with a fork or spread with a pastry brush.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 188
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6 g	9 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	16 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 29 mg	10 %
Sodium 1690 mg	70 %
Potassium 25 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 29 g	10 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	2 %
Sugars 7 g
Protein 4 g	8 %
Vitamin A	4 %
Vitamin C	9 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	7 %

Salame Protein Focaccia

Adapted from Whey Focaccia with Rosemary and Tomatoes

Ingredients
2 T. warm water
1 t. sugar
1 T. yeast

3 c. unbleached heritage-grain AP flour
1/2 c. unflavored whey protein powder, ~2 scant scoops, ~40g protein
1 t. salt
2 T. fresh rosemary, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 c. skim milk, warm

1-2 T. olive oil
15 slices uncured salame, chopped
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1 cherry tomatoes, or chopped tomatoes
1/4 c. finely grated Asiago, Parmesan, or Romano cheese


Directions
In 2 T. of warm water, add the sugar & yeast and allow it to foam.

In the meantime, combine flour, whey powder, salt, garlic, and rosemary, and mix. Add 2 T. olive oil and mix. Add the foaming yeast to the flour and mix in well. Add the warm milk and knead either in your mixer or by hand. Knead until it is a smooth ball that lifts off without sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Cover and let it sit for a couple of hours -- either plastic or a damp towel.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Drizzle remaining olive oil in a 9x13" glass baking dish.

Punch down the dough and toss it in the oil in the dish, using the dough to spread the oil to coat the dish, and spread the dough to fill the shape of the dish.

Sprinkle each topping in a layer, finishing with the cheese.

Let rest 20 minutes (keep covered if need be). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until you see that the crust is brown and the top is starting to brown lightly too.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 216
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7 g	11 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	8 %
Monounsaturated Fat 2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 12 mg	4 %
Sodium 513 mg	21 %
Potassium 134 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 24 g	8 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	14 %
Sugars 4 g
Protein 13 g	26 %
Vitamin A	6 %
Vitamin C	8 %
Calcium	11 %
Iron	10 %

Honey, Fig, and Goat Cheese Protein Muffins

Adapted from Eating Well's Honey- and Goat Cheese-Filled Fig Muffins

Ingredients
3/4 c. crumbled soft goat cheese, 100g
2 T. honey
1 t. freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/4 t. vanilla extract, divided
1 1/4 c. unbleached heritage grain all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unflavored whey protein powder, ~3 scant scoops, ~60g protein
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 large egg
3 large egg whites, 6 T.
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
4 t. lemon juice
3/4 scant c. skim milk
1/2 c. plain 2% Greek yogurt
1 1/4 c. chopped dried Mission figs (Reduce to 1 c.)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 (½-cup) muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

Thoroughly combine goat cheese, honey, lemon zest and 1/4 t. vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Lightly beat egg and egg whites in a medium bowl; add brown sugar and the remaining 1 t. vanilla, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Mix lemon juice, milk, and yogurt to make a buttermilk substitute.  Gradually whisk egg mixture into buttermilk mixture until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in figs.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Add 1 generous t. of the reserved cheese filling to the center of each muffin, and cover with the remaining batter. (The filling should not be visible.)

Bake the muffins until the edges start to brown and the tops spring back when gently pressed, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0

Amount Per Serving
calories 210
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	6 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 24 mg	8 %
Sodium 181 mg	8 %
Potassium 149 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 35 g	12 %
Dietary Fiber 2 g	8 %
Sugars 22 g
Protein 12 g	24 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	2 %
Calcium	11 %
Iron	6 %

Blueberry Orange Protein Muffins

Adapted from Eating Well's Blueberry-Orange Muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 c. all-purpose, unbleached, heritage-grain flour
3/4 c. unflavored whey protein powder, ~3 scant scoops, ~60g protein
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. plain 2% Greek yogurt
1/2 t. orange extract
1/3 c. orange juice
2 T. melted butter
1 t.  vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. blueberries
1 t. raw sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.

Whisk egg, egg white, and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Add yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, butter, and vanilla; whisk until blended.

Make a well in the dry ingredients; add wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with raw sugar. Bake until tops are golden and spring back when touched lightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto rack to cool completely.

DIY Muffin Cups: Make your next batch of muffins or cupcakes the ultimate grab-and-go treat by lining your tin with muffin liners. No liners? No problem. Use 5-inch squares of parchment paper, coat each muffin cup with cooking spray, and push each square into the cups using a small can or bottle, pressing the paper up the sides. (It's OK if some of the paper is sticking out over the rim.) Fill each cup as directed.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0

Amount Per Serving
calories 147
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 3 g	4 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	8 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 24 mg	8 %
Sodium 249 mg	10 %
Potassium 97 mg	3 %
Total Carbohydrate 21 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	4 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 10 g	20 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	9 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	5 %

Mocha Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins v.2

Adapted from The Iron You's Double Chocolate Protein Muffins

Ingredients

1 T. lemon juice
3/4 c. skim milk
1/2 c. 2% plain Greek yogurt
2 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. orange extract
3 T. instant espresso powder
1 large egg
1 egg white

3/4 c. unbleached heritage grain AP flour
1/2 c. unflavored whey protein powder, ~2 scant scoops, ~40g protein
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
dash each cinnamon, cayenne
4 oz., ~3/4 c. coarsely chopped Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate Pound Plus

Slightly reduced some volumes so the muffins don't overflow.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C), and place a rack in the center. Put liners in muffin cups.
In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, sugar baking soda, baking powder, salt and the chocolate chunks.

In another bowl whisk together the lemon juice and enough milk to make 3/4 c.  Let sit a while to make buttermilk replacement.  Add yogurt, vanilla and orange extracts, espresso powder, and egg whites.

With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. If the batter looks a bit too dry (which might depend on the quality of the protein powder you're using), add more buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency of a proper muffin batter.

Divide batter among muffin cups (I used an ice-cream scoop).

Bake for about 20 minutes. It is hard to tell when chocolate muffins are baked and you definitely do not want to over bake them or they will be dry. So check them towards the end of baking.  They are done when they are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 162
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5 g	8 %
Saturated Fat 3 g	16 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 17 mg	6 %
Sodium 234 mg	10 %
Potassium 136 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 21 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	13 %
Sugars 10 g
Protein 8 g	16 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	1 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	15 %

Mocha Chip Muffins

 
Adapted from Cooking Light's Chocolate Chip-Coffee Muffins

Ingredients
2/3 c. skim milk
5 T. butter, melted
3 T. instant espresso powder
2 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. orange extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c. flour, sifted
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. or 4.5 oz. chopped Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate Pound Plus
2 t. baking powder
dash each cinnamon, cayenne
1/4 t. salt
Cooking spray

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 6 ingredients.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 17 minutes or until done. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0

Amount Per Serving
calories 179
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10 g	16 %
Saturated Fat 6 g	31 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 28 mg	9 %
Sodium 109 mg	5 %
Potassium 85 mg	2 %
Total Carbohydrate 20 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	12 %
Sugars 15 g
Protein 3 g	5 %
Vitamin A	4 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	3 %
Iron	16 %

Homemade English Muffins

Adapted from The Kitchn's How To Make English Muffins

Ingredients

For the dough starter:
3/4 c. (3 1/3 oz.) all-purpose flour or bread flour
1/2 c. water
1/2 t. active dry or instant yeast (or 2 T. active sourdough starter)

For the English muffin dough:
1 c. milk, whole or 2%
1 t. active dry or instant yeast
2 T. sugar
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 t. salt
3 to 3 1/4 c. (13 1/2 to 14 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour or bread flour
Cornmeal for dusting
Butter for the skillet

Directions

1. Make the dough starter: Mix the flour, water, and yeast for the starter in a small mixing bowl. Beat until the batter is smooth and glossy, about 100 strokes.
2. Let the starter sit 1 to 12 hours: Cover the starter and place it out of the way for at least 1 or up to 12 hours. The starter will become increasingly bubbly the longer it sits and will double in bulk. The longer you can let the starter ferment, the better the flavor and structure of your finished English muffins.
3. Whisk together the milk, yeast, and starter: In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine the milk and yeast for the dough. Scrape the starter into the bowl and use a whisk to break it up and dissolve it into the milk. It should become quite frothy.
4. Mix the dough together: Add the sugar, butter, and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine. Add 3 cups of the flour and stir with a stiff spatula until you form a shaggy, floury dough.
5. Knead the dough: With a dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth ball, 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, knead by hand against the counter. If the dough is very sticky like bubble gum, add extra flour as needed, but err on the side of caution. The dough is ready when it forms into a smooth ball and springs back when poked; it will feel slightly tacky to the touch, but shouldn't stick to the bowl or your hands.
6. Let the dough rise overnight in the fridge: Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly filmed with oil. Cover and place in the fridge overnight or for up to 3 days.

→ Quicker English Muffins: You can also let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and then make the muffins immediately. These muffins will have a milder flavor.

7. Divide and shape the muffins: Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Use a pastry scraper to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece gently against the counter to shape into smooth, round balls.
8. Transfer the muffins to a baking sheet to rise: Scatter cornmeal generously over a baking sheet and arrange the balls on top, spaced a little apart. If you have muffin rings, place them around the balls at this point. Sprinkle the tops of the balls with more cornmeal.
9. Let the muffins rise until puffy: For dough that was refrigerated, this will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours; for room temperature dough, this will take about 1 hour. Depending on the size of your muffin rings, the muffins may not totally fill the rings — that's okay.
10. Warm a skillet: When ready to cook the muffins, warm a large skillet over medium heat. Melt a small pat of butter — enough to just coat the bottom of the pan and prevent sticking.
11. Cook the muffins 5 to 6 minutes on one side: Working in batches, transfer a few of the muffins to the skillet — allow an inch or so of space between muffins and do not crowd the pan. If using rings, transfer the muffins with their rings to the pan. Cook until the bottoms of the muffins are golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
12. Flip and cook 5 to 6 minutes on the other side: Flip the muffins and cook the other side until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. If you prefer thinner, less puffy English muffins, you can gently press the tops with the spatula to prevent them from rising too much.
13. Adjust the heat as needed: If your muffins seem to be browning too quickly on the bottoms (or not quickly enough), adjust the heat as needed. (If you find that your muffins are browning too quickly, throw them in the oven at 350°F to finish baking through.)
14. Finish cooking all of the muffins: Transfer cooked muffins to a cooling rack. Continue working in batches until all the muffins have been cooked. Add a small pat of butter to the pan between batches to prevent sticking.
15. Split and serve! Split the English muffins with a fork, spread with butter or jam (or both!), and eat. English muffins will keep for several days in an airtight container on the counter and are fantastic warmed in the toaster oven. Fresh English muffins can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and kept frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0

Amount Per Serving
calories 177
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	4 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	7 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 7 mg	2 %
Sodium 198 mg	8 %
Potassium 31 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 33 g	11 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	5 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 6 g	12 %
Vitamin A	2 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	10 %

Double Chocolate Protein Muffins v.5

Adapted from The Iron You's Double Chocolate Protein Muffins

Ingredients
1/2 c. unbleached heritage grain AP flour
1/2 c. unflavored whey protein powder, ~2 scant scoops, ~40g protein
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 t. instant espresso powder
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
pinch cinnamon
dash cayenne
4 oz. (9 squares) coarsely chopped Trader Joe's 72% Pound Plus dark chocolate

1 T. lemon juice
enough skim milk to make 3/4 c. buttermilk (with the lemon juice)
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1 T. vanilla extract
few drops orange extract
1/4 c. melted unsalted butter
1/4 c. 2% plain Greek yogurt

Mexican Chocolate Muffins
Increase cayenne to 1/16-1/8 t. cinnamon to 1/4 t., and espresso to 2 t.

Peppermint Chocolate Muffins
Add 1/4 t. peppermint extract, to taste, and sprinkle crushed peppermints on top.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place a rack in the center. Put liners in muffin cups.
In a large bowl sift the dry ingredients and the sugar, then mix in the chocolate chunks.
In another bowl whisk together the butter, egg whites, buttermilk, and extracts.
With a rubber spatula fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are combined. If the batter looks a bit too dry (which might depend on the quality of the protein powder you're using), add more buttermilk, one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency of a proper muffin batter.
Divide batter among muffin cups (I used an ice-cream scoop). Top with the remaining chocolate chunks.
Bake for about 14 minutes. It is hard to tell when chocolate muffins are baked and you definitely do not want to over bake them or they will be dry, so check them towards the end of baking.
They are done when they are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

This is a reboot because I didn't keep proper version notes before.

• v.0 was the original linked recipe, with the flavor additions, if I recall correctly.  The result was too dry and the muffin cups were overfilled.  v.0-v.2 were baked at 375˚F.
• v.1 had 7/8 c. flour and baked for 15 minutes.  Still too dry and slightly too large.
• v.2 had 3/4 c. flour and baked for 12 minutes.  Delicious and moist.  Excess butter leaked through the papers.
• v.3 had half the butter replaced with yogurt.  Somehow this made 16 muffins.  These were baked at 350˚F for 14 minutes.  These are CUPCAKES!
• v.4 was an exercise in reducing the volume, so I reduced milk from 1 c. to 3/4 c. (including lemon juice), reduced flour from 3/4 c. to 1/2 c., reduced sugar from 1/2 c. to 1/3 c., traded one egg for one egg white (to increase the protein and lower fat and Calories).  I also reduced the baking soda from 1 t. to 1/2 t. These are still cupcakes!
• v.5 increased yogurt to 3/8 c. and reduced butter to 1/ c. Chocolate needs to be finer than I chopped it this time.  It sank.
• v.6 Swap remaining egg for egg whites.

The nutrition facts are for the most current version.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving    1 muffin
calories 154
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7 g	11 %
Saturated Fat 4 g	20 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 22 mg	7 %
Sodium 180 mg	8 %
Potassium 134 mg	4 %
Total Carbohydrate 16 g	5 %
Dietary Fiber 3 g	13 %
Sugars 8 g
Protein 8 g	15 %
Vitamin A	2 %
Vitamin C	1 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	16 %