Bidding a sweet farewell to mouse wench-hood

Something I just remembered out of the blue: On the Fourth of July, Robby passed around my desserts amongst his sailing team friends because I didn't want to have to carry half-full glass pans for four miles after the fireworks. Apparently his friends were skeptical at first -- Robby is quite the trickster -- but then bit into the food and remarked, "This is really f***ing good!"

I think that was possibly the best compliment I ever got on anything I made. ♥

Anyway, enough narcissism. Ahem.

My last week at work started off by sucking royally, and by Tuesday I was so fed up with it all that I actually just came home early to indulge in some baking therapy. To be perfectly honest, I had already been planning to bring a lemon cake for the animal facility staff on Wednesday, since Tuesday was the IACUC inspection (my very last!) and I wanted to thank them for being so awesome to work with for the past two years. So no, this was not quite as spontaneous an act of rebellion(?) as I made it sound. Bite me.

But you know, I put the cake in the oven, and it still didn't feel like enough. Enough therapy, I mean. So I made coffee cake muffins!

Becca got home from class just as I was pulling the muffins out of the oven.



The best part was that these were for us.


Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins
Adapted from Southern Living.

I think I over-beat the batter, or stomped around the kitchen too much (after all I do possess the grace of a leopard seal on land), or something, because the muffins collapsed and came out flat and dense. But they were still delicious, so whatever.



Muffins.
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the muffin tins with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, beat the oil and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Spoon batter into cups, filling them two-thirds full.

Topping.
1 c. pecans, finely chopped
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Stir together pecans, sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle pecan mixture over batter. Bake until done, 20-25 min. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

So, I made the batter, and then realized that the recipe makes two dozen muffins but I have only one muffin tin. Solution: bake the remaining batter in a greased 5" x 9" loaf pan, approximately 30 min.



I think the loaf actually turned out better.