MUFFINS :)

I find cooking and baking (and now farming/harvesting!) to be incredibly therapeutic and rewarding. I find that the creation aspect and making something delicious come out of a few ingredients fills me with pride and sense of accomplishment (not to mention that I tend to overeat when I'm stressed). Now that the first few weeks have gone by, it's getting to be that time where the work really starts to pile up. However, there are so many reasons why I'm excited (and terrifyingly anxious, but mostly excited!) for this year. One of the main reasons is that I finally live in an off-campus apartment where I'm able to cook my meals for the first time! For my first two years at Colgate, I lived in the dorms and therefore had to pay for Colgate's meal plan. Let's just say that the unlimited access and endless buffet didn't do me any justice (although they did provide locally sourced food options!).

   To help alleviate some of my stress, I decided to bake this week. I discovered this recipe one night when I was bored one night this summer. I knew I wanted to cook, but didn't want to have to go to the grocery store. After looking through the Magnolia cookbook, I settled on this recipe because it requires basic ingredients. For those of you who haven't heard of the now worldwide bakery that is known for their buttercream cupcakes, you can read more about what they offer AND treat yourself to an early birthday present (http://store.magnoliabakery.com/storefront.aspx :) In my opinion, these cupcakes are far superior to Baked by Melissa and although they may not be as cute, I believe they taste far more natural and fresh.

     Unfortunately, I did not bake cupcakes. Fortunately, I did bake what I like to call HEALTHY-ish Sour Cream Breakfast Buns. So next time you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed, just head into your pantry and whip up this delicious treat.

Here's what you will need:

Serving: Makes Approx. 18 Buns

Buns-

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/2 Sticks Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream


Topping-

1 1/3 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 Cups Coarsely Chopped Pecans
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Buns-
In medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, the baking powder, and baking soda.

Set Aside.






In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy (should be approx. 3 minutes).

Then, beat in the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the sour cream. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.










Topping-

In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, the pecans, and the cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping evenly (and generously) over the buns.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into center of the bun comes out clean.