Vanilla Ricotta Muffins

Oh yes, I did! I got that dinosaur muffin pan! Actually, I didn't buy it from Amazon, though - I found it at Target for 10 bucks cheaper, and then I really couldn't resist any longer! I'm impressed with the pan - it's heavy and has nice details. Today I was testing out a muffin recipe both to see how the dinosaurs came out, and to see if Picky would go for Vanilla instead of her usual chocolate for her birthday party. I put a scoop of home-made plum jam in each muffin (I'll write about my jam making experience later in the week...) to see if that would work as well (the kids liked it, but it did spill out the sides a bit because of the awkward shapes...). This muffin recipe is nice - homey and filling - but it's not my favorite muffin recipe from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe (the chocolate ricotta muffin is my husband's favorite as well as Picky's, and I like a toasted oatmeal one...). This is one of my favorite cookbooks, and is full of kid-friendly recipes, although it's not marketed as a kid-friendly cookbook (but rather as a breakfast cookbook). Anyway, here it is:

Vanilla Ricotta Muffins

Nonstick spray
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
a pinch (or a few grates) of nutmeg
2 Tbsp (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• Preheat the oven to 350 - Lightly spray 8 standard (2 1/2 inch diameter) muffin cups with nonstick spray.
• Combine flour, powdered milk, salt, baking powder, granulated sugar, and spices in a medium-sized bowl. Crumble in the brown sugar, rubbing it with your fingers to break up clumps. Stir until blended
• Place ricotta in second bowl, beat in the milk. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with a medium-sized whisk after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
• Pour the ricotta mixture, along with the melted butter, into the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a rubber spatula, stir from the bottom of the bowl until the dry ingredients are all moistened. Don't over-mix.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. For smaller muffins, fill the cups about four-fifths full. For larger muffins, fill them up to the top. If you have extra batter, spray one or two additional muffin cups with non-stick spray and fill with the remaining batter.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the muffins from the pan and place them on a rack to cool. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving.

I also sprinkled powdered sugar on the top, which was a nice touch, I thought - you could still see the details of the dinosaurs. Of course, Picky wants frosting for her birthday, so frosting it is - but I think I'll serve it on the side, so that everyone can admire the beautiful dinosaurs for a few seconds before covering it with frosting and devouring it... sound good?