Warm Puffin

Friday was a snow day, a blizzard day to be exact. The snow accumulated slowly, but we ended up with about 20-24 inches. Ms. Bailey has been enjoying leaping through the snow drifts and catching snowballs.
We stayed warm by the fire inside (except for the shoveling and snow blowing to clear the driveway) and started thinking about vacationing in warmer weather. It's exciting to think that we might be able to take our "annual" summer vacation again! It doesn't have to be anywhere extravagant, just some time away for the two of us.

 Puffins (Pancake Muffins)
Oven 375

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar (or splenda)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
7 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup nonfat milk
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and baking powder together. Set aside.



Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. The butter will melt then begin to bubble and foam. Eventually it will start to turn brown and smell nutty - be patient and watch carefully, it can go from brown to burned quickly. Once the butter is browned, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the batter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, egg yolk, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the cooled brown butter until incorporated. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and gently stir just until combined.







Divide the batter evenly among the wells of the muffin pans, filling each about 2/3 to 3/4-full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.










Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan to the rack. Best served warm with a drizzle of maple syrup on top.