Island Breeze Muffins

Makes 18

Muffin – noun  An individual cup shaped quick break made with flour or cornmeal and baked in a pan.

Cupcake – noun  A small cake, the size of an individual portion, baked in a cup shaped mold.

 I give you the definitions of a muffin and cupcake because this recipe is almost a blend of the two…even though it’s basically a muffin.  You wouldn’t particularly associate this muffin as part of the main meal because this particular muffin is most definitely dessert!  If you scrape off the frosting, and what a crime that would be, you could have this muffin for breakfast as well.  Your call.

The texture of this beauty is a cross between well, muffins and cupcakes.  What sets this unusual muffin apart from others is the beautiful subtle blend of pineapple and coconut that only gets better the next day.  This is another aroma that I would love to bottle and spray throughout the house.  I call this muffin Island Breeze because it conjures up images of a gentle rolling ocean, sandy beach, setting sun and caressing breezes.  Hmmm…I think I may be in need of a vacation!

Muffin Ingredients:

 3 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/3 cups sugar/Splenda/Stevia
10 tbls. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained.  (Keep the juice)
1 cup flaked coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. pineapple juice, or however much is needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin/cupcake tins with paper or foil baking cups. 

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well. 

In a medium bowl, add the sugar, butter, sour cream, eggs and egg yolk and whisk until combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened.  The batter will be lumpy and there will be quite a few streaks of dry flour.

Add the pineapple and coconut to the batter and fold in until just combined.  Don’t over mix.

 

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup with batter. 

 

The batter should mound higher than the rim of the cups by about 3/4″. 

 

Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when you press the middle, about 30-35 minutes.  Let the tins cool on a wire rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter and pineapple juice.  Mix until well blended.

Sift in the powdered sugar and pulse the mixer on its lowest setting off and on so that your kitchen doesn’t get powdered in white!

 

Fill a icing bag, fitted with your favorite tip, with the frosting and pipe onto each muffin.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Let sit about 10 minutes when removing from refrigerator.

 

The next time I make these I’m going to use my popover pan and see how high I can get them.  If you want to tease someone, bake some of these muffins and then hide them.  The lingering fragrance in the kitchen will do the trick.  Or, do as I did.  Grab a muffin, a cup of coffee, settle in a nice easy chair and read about vacations with balmy breezes!