Failed Muffins!

This post started out as How To where I walk you through making yummy muffins.  Well, I'm not going to lie to you, I have no business walking anyone through a brightly lit straight hallway since even I couldn't get these right!  It was a total 'user error' on my part, I admit, and I will be making them again, without changing a thing from the original recipe.  It was a pleasant way to pass the time before my friend Katie came over to make us lamb burgers before we watched the newest episode of Walking Dead.

I have had the same two packets of instant oatmeal in my pantry for a bit of time now and I wanted muffins.  I had recently purchased my first muffin tin and was raring to find a great, easy recipe for muffins.  (The muffin in a mug recipe was, well, not good.)

I came across this recipe online: Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal Muffin

Here is the photo of the muffins they supposedly made

Looks so innocent and tasty and trustworthy huh?  HA!  Ok, I'll be nice.  They actually do look pretty good, which is why I wrote down the recipe.

Here's their recipe:

• Streusel Topping:
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter
•  Muffins:
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 packets instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve.
3. Combine 1 3/4 cup flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, and the instant oatmeal in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; pour in the egg, milk, and oil. Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Evenly sprinkle streusel topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Seems pretty simple and delicious, if you followed the recipe.  I didn't.  

My muffins before baking time

This is what I did wrong, and I vow to you never to do it again!

• I got tired of using the knives for the streusel topping and used the food processor instead.  A bit too fine of a topping, but that actually worked out in the end. 
• Everything was going great until the egg, oil and milk.  That's where it went horribly wrong. 
• I used Egg Beaters instead of egg
• I used non-fat milk, may not have been the best idea
• I used applesauce instead of oil

And the straw that broke the Quakers back was the paper cups.  I thought I was going to be so cute and bring homemade muffins to work in my cute little paper cups.  Did I spray with Pam? Nope.  I figured paper cups would come right off. 

They didn't. 

Trying to eat my muffins (pardon the expression...) was a mess.  I basically had to forsake 1/4 of each muffin to the cute and useless paper cups.  I made 12 muffins that tastes like a dense, bland, sponge with giant bubbles and a hint of paper.  I made Katie and Myles eat one and I ate two (I was hungry.) and threw the rest away.   This recipe as not seen the last of me!  I will make them again!  

What is your favorite muffin recipe?

Next on Fabrycated Mom: Simple Baby Shower Gift Tag

XOXO

-Lisa

Eeek! Zombies!

Tonight was a new episode of Walking Dead, which, I've never seen. My friend Katie doesn't have cable and I was more than happy to have her come over and end a lovely weekend with food, friends and Zombies!  Or 'walkers' as I believe they are called to fans of the show.

I made Italian Chicken from Our Story Blog.  I had originally found the recipe on Pinterest.  

It turned out really yummy and I also discovered that I do NOT like artichoke hearts.  Thankfully it wasn't a main part of the dish so I just handed them over to Katie and Zoltan.  I used fresh basil from my garden and there was enough for Zoltan, Katie and I to all have some for lunch tomorrow.

Katie was super sweet and brought over Pumpkin ice cream and apple pie.  Two things I've been really wanting this time of year, and pregnancy.  :-)

After watching, and screaming at, Walking Dead we were still too full to eat dessert so maybe tomorrow we'll have to watch the very first episode and enjoy dessert!

How do you feel about zombies?  Love them or leave them?

XOXO
-Lisa