Blueberry Muffins

 Blueberry Muffins

 

• 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for muffin tops
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup (79 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 – 2/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 grams or 6 ounces) fresh blueberries or a mix of dried and fresh

Directions

Heat Oven and Prepare Muffin Cups

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Then, line 8 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the 4 empty muffin cups (this helps to make sure the muffins bake evenly).

Prepare Muffin Batter

1. Combine flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder and the salt in a large bowl with a whisk. Whisk at least 10 times to make sure the baking powder and salt have evenly dispersed.
2. Next, add vegetable oil to a measuring jug that holds at least 1 cup. Add the egg then fill the jug to the 1-cup line with milk (this should be 1/3 to a 1/2 cup of milk). Add vanilla extract and whisk until combined.
3. Add milk mixture to the bowl with flour and sugar then use a fork to combine. Do not over mix. (The muffin batter will be quite thick — see note below for more details). Add blueberries and use a spatula or spoon to gently fold the blueberries into the muffin batter.
4. Divide batter between 8 muffin cups. (The batter will come to the tops of the paper liners). Then, sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin.

Bake Muffins

1. Bake blueberry muffins 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Note: This receipt has been adapted from another recipe online and is meant to be stored here as a private recipe -- I do not claim to have created it.

The recipe I found called for way too little milk -- I added at least another 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup (see adjustment above) to make it blueberry muffin consistency -- I also failed to measure the blueberries -- I just thew them in and added a handful of dried -- we'll see how they come out!

Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 ¼ cups cinnamon sugar graham cracker crumbs

1/8 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

3 pkgs (8oz) cream cheese

1 can (14oz) Sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

1 can (15oz) pure pumpkin pie filling

¼ cup maple syrup (no substitutions)

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 300°.  Combine crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press firmly on bottom of 9” springform pan

In a large mixing bowl, beat cheese until fluffy, gradually beat in condensed milk until smooth.  Add eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix well and pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1 hour & 15 minutes (NOTE:  I had to cook it 10-20 minutes more) until edge springs back when lightly touched (center will be slightly soft) cool.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or more) before serving.

No knead bread

addicted to making bread

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water (about 100 degrees or slightly warmer than body temp)

mix -- cover loosely and put on counter for 2 hours - then in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours

preheat oven to 450 degrees with enamel dutch oven inside- -

form dough into a soft ball by working it on a heavily floured board

bake for 30 min with lid on
and then take lid off for 15 min

lovely lovely bread

(pictured is parm. cheese and black pepper)

Baked potato cakes

Ok -- this is a real time recipe recording

I'm trying to make a baked Latke
hmm -- well -- not really
a potato cake with cheese -- because last minute I thought I would like that

I'm out of onions so I thought the cheese would add something

I heated the oven to 425 degrees and sprayed muffin tins -- heavily and put the tins in the oven to heat up.

potato cakes

4 small red potatoes - grated
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp matzo meal
lots of salt and pepper
and some dried garlic ground up
a few handfuls of cheese
3 eggs

This I scooped into the hot muffin tins (it made 6) and I put it in the oven at 5:13 -- so we'll see how it turns out.....

Ok -- some 12 minutes later -- they are done and lovely

the verdict

needs more salt
most definitely needs the onions

but the cooking method is sound

they are tasty

oh

the cheese added nothing -- so it either needs more or less cheese
but I will make these again (and I'll freeze/reheat the ones I made)

Roasted Veg lasagna

2 small zucchini
2 small sweet onions
2 small squash
2 roasted and peeled red peppers (I got them at the salad bar -- because I'm lazy -- but you can roast and feel them if you want)
1 small head roasted garlic (roast it yourself or buy it that way)
1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 small eggplant (if you like it)

slice veg and cook on the grill -- don't annihilate them -- just cook them so they still have some tooth -- I do the mushrooms in a pan -- put a bit of olive oil on them and salt and pepper -- chop coarsely  -- this is essentially my recipe for ratattouie

1 package soft tofu
1 small container low fat ricotta
1 box of spinach -- thawed

squeeze all the liquid out of the spinach and mix all three together with some black pepper

1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles

lots of sauce (I usually buy the cheap stuff in the cans -- I've made this with special sauce  -- and it doesn't seem to make a difference -- and you want the sauce to be a bit loose.

shredded mozzarella cheese

assembly:

ok -- it sounds crazy
but don't cook the noodles -- you don't need to.
nope -- really -- you don't -- the veg is going to let some of the liquid out and the sauce is sort of thin -- it will rehydrate the noodles.

In you pan
put a good amount of sauce in the bottom
place the noodles on top
layer the tofu mix and the veg and cheese and noodles making sure that you put sauce on top of the noodles each time -- be generous

when I put the noodles on -- I press down to push out any air.

I almost alway freeze this after it's made

then I cook it -- just like a normal lasagna -- in the oven at 350 degrees until it's hot a bubbly


it's weird -- but it works.

No churn pumpkin ice cream

2 cups whipping cream (whipped to stiff peaks)

Mix until smooth
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 can pumpkin
cinnamon
maple syrup

fold together

freeze in containers for 6 hours

we'll have to see how it turns out.

ok -- here's the end result -- not bad -- not great.....needs to be either MORE or LESS pumkinny but isn't i pretty

today -- we're going to try to make strawberry.

Pot Roast

(In process right now -- final photo to come)

remove meat -- soften veg -- then deglaze pan with 1 cup broth and wine (save concentrated stock for later)

put meat back in the pot -- bring to a simmer -- cover and put in the oven at 350 for 1 1/2 - 2 hours

Mussels & Rice

I had mussels steamed in wine sauce last night -- and didn't use all the mussels.  You buy them live and keep them on ice -- and I think you should use them almost immediately -- but the next day is usually fine.

When I buy mussels -- I only buy them from an upscale grocery store where they are likely to sell a lot of them.  I ask to smell them -- if they smell like "low tide" even a little bit -- maybe you should buy some chicken instead.

Before I'm ready to cook them I check all of them to make sure there are no cracks in the shells and when tapped they all close up -- any that have cracks or stay open get chucked out.  I pull off their beards and set the rest aside until I'm ready for them.

So -- on to the leftovers.

I had

1 leek (leftover from making potato leek soup) cut into small pieces
5 small boiled red potatoes left over from the night before (set aside -- not cooked with the mussels)
2 or 3 leftover sliced mushrooms (raw)
1 cup of sushi rice (raw)
1 box of chicken broth
2 pieces of bacon - cooked and chopped (leftover)

I also had some
salt
some korean chili paste
black pepper
concentrated garlic (or you could add some fresh or dried)
concentrated tomato paste (just a bit -- you could leave it out)
butter
olive oil

I sauteed the leeks in a heavy bottomed pan with the cooked potatoes (quartered), olive oil and the mushrooms until soft.  I added a few Tbsp of butter and the seasonings and pastes and stirred in the rice and about 1/4 cup of chicken broth -- and cooked stirring for about 2 minutes -- adding 1 3/4 cup broth in and then covering it for about 15 minutes on med low -- stirring every few minutes

I kept tasting the rice -- when it started to get soft (but not completely soft ) -- I added a bit more broth and tasted it -- adjusted the seasoning and decided that the chopped bacon would be awesome in it.

at this point the rice is about 95% done -- add the mussels - stir them in and add a bit more broth -- cover -- check every 3 or 4 minutes and stir

stir -- take it off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.

If any of the mussels did not open -- pick them out

eat and enjoy -- this was good -- and the next version will be better -- maybe some curry powder? -- hmmm

Toffee

This was my first attempt to make candy -- well -- at least my first in a very long time -- and the first try came out overdone -- waaay overcooked.  The second attempt -- much better -- but a bit underdone -- I think the third time will be the charm.


Here's the trick -- candy thermometers are fine -- but you MUST stop cooking it when it's the color of peanut butter -- and Medium High heat -- is WAY too high.  I put it just below Medium once the butter and sugar started to boil.


Also -- screw buttering the pan -- you need to butter the pan -- AND use a silpat  -- and shoot -- I buttered that too.  Other than that -- it's the Paula Dean recipe

Ingredients
14 tablespoons (1 stick, plus 6 tablespoons) butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Dash salt
1 (6-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips or thin chocolate bars
Directions
Generously butter a cookie sheet.

Put butter, sugar, and water in a heavy pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a bubbling boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove spoon from pan, and cook to a very brittle stage (300 degrees to 310 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Or, make a cold water test: candy will separate into hard, brittle threads when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat and add nuts to mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread to 1/4-inch thickness. Cool slightly, top with chocolate chips or chocolate bars, and spread as it melts. Cool completely and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Penuche Pecan Bars

4 large eggs
1 # light brown sugar (2.5 cups - packed)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 # pecan halves (4 1/2 cups)untoasted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

preheat the oven to 350 degrees -- middle rack

Prepare a pan (9 x 13) by lining the inside with foil, buttering the inside well -- set aside.

In a double boiler (yes -- it sounds like a pain -- but these are WORTH it) beat the eggs and stir in the sugar (make sure there are no lumps) cook for 20 minutes stirring frequently and scraping the sides with the spatula

sift dry ingredients together.

put the pecans in a large mixing bowl.

after the eggs are cooked -- stir in the vanilla - pour the mixture over the nuts -- coating well, add in dry ingredients and stir to mix.

pour hot mixture into the pan and spread it out smooth.

Bake for 25 minutes -- a toothpick test will come out slightly wet

stand until cool.

turn out remove foil and refrigerate for an hour to overnight (sometimes I freeze it after I cool them in the fridge and cut them later.
Cut into small pieces as they are rich rich rich

they will be sticky when you first cut them but will dry out nicely and are a huge favorite (tasting a bit like pecan pie)

Jill's amazing cranberry sauce

2 bags fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups orange juice
the zest of one orange
2 oz candied ginger -- whole -- but if you love ginger you can chop some of it up


Combine all ingredients.
Cook on Medium high until cranberries burst
reduce to med low heat and cover
cook for about 20 minutes

Pick out ginger (large bits) before serving

We're going to try to use the leftovers (if there is any) in a tart shell -- this is the most wonderful sauce I've ever tried.

If you have ginger lovers -- they may want to eat the ginger that you take out -- it's spicy and delicious

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

4 to 6 servings

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried (I've never used these)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions
Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the bottoms off the Brussels sprouts and trim off any damaged outer leaves. Soak them in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes and drain them well. Cut them in half and put them into a roasting pan. Add the thyme, oregano, pine nuts, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil and vinegar and toss everything well to coat. Put the roasting pan into the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Give everything a good stir and cook for 25 minutes more, or until the Brussels sprouts are nicely browned and caramelized. Serve immediately.

Espresso Kahlua Brownies

3/4 cup unsalted butter -- cut into pieces
4 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
3 large eggs
2 cups + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2tsp vanilla
4 1/2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
3 Tbsp Kahlua
1 1/8 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
36 espresso beans

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Butter and flour 13 inch baking pan. In double boiler melt butter and chocolate until smooth. Cool to luke warm. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, espresso powder and kahlua in mixer until thickened and pale. Beat chocolate mixture. Sift together dry ingredients and beat into batter until just mixed.

Spread batter into prepared pan and arrange espresso beans evenly so one bean will be in the center of each brownie.

Bake 30 to 35 min. until toothpick comes out with crumbs adhering to it.

Cool completely. Cut into small squares.

Maple Biscotti

1/3 cup crisco
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup real maple syrup (lightly grease cup before measuring)
2 1/4 cup cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 egg whites

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Cream crisco and sugar until fluffy. Stir in syrup. Sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients and milk to shortening mixture alternating dry and milk until incorporated. Beat egg whites until fluffy. Fold eggs into batter until just mixed. Pour batter into 9" square pan that has been greased and lined with wax paper and grease the paper too -- (important -- this is very sticky dough)

Bake 45 minutes. Cool completely. Slice and lay slices on cookie sheet. Bake at 275 degrees until crisp flipping pieces part way through.

chill -- lovely maple-y biscotti.

Pizza Crust (Alton Brown)

2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup warm water (about 105 degrees)
2 cup bread flour
1 tsp instant yeast (for bread machines)
2 tsp olive oil (for bowl)

Use standing mixer. Place sugar, salt, olive oil water 1 cup of flour & yeast in the bowl. Mix until it comes together. Add remaining flour and mix it until it forms a ball.

Change mixer to dough hook. lube hook w/olive oil. Knead w/mixer on medium for 20 minutes. Pinch off a tiny bit - flatten into disk and stretch. If it forms a window stop kneading - -otherwise go another 5 - 10 min until it does.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a ball. Place in oiled pan and cover with plastic. Place in fridge for 24 hours.

Heat pizza stone in 500 degree oven.

Wet hands w/water and rob on counter top -- roll balls on surface between hands until dough tightens -- cover with a towel and rest 30 min. Flatten dough slightly and stretch into a thin disk. Place on pizza peal -- add toppings.

bake 6 to 7 min -- remove from oven with peel.

Cool 3 min - and slice

also works great for making grilled pizza.

Napa Valley Almond Bars

10 oz (2 cups) blanched skinned almonds (toasted for 10 - 12 min)
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 3/4 cups flour
6 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips

Preheat to 350 degrees

Line a 9 x 13 pan with alum. foil -- butter with melted butter and coat with unflavored bread crumbs - -put the pan in the freezer

chop the nuts in a food processor - pulsing 7 to 8 times. set them aside.

In an electric mixer beat the butter until soft. Add the vanilla and both sugars and beat until well mixed. Beat in the egg yolk and then the flour. Finally beat in 1 cup of the nuts.

Place the dough by rounded spoonfuls over the bottom of the pan and dip your fingers into flour pressing dough all over to make an even layer.

Bake for 33 minutes -- rotating the pan once part way through. When done the layer should be a rick golden color and will just start to come away from the sides of the pan.

remove from the oven and immediate sprinkle with chocolate chips -- return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes to melt chocolate -- spread with the back of a spoon.

sprinkle the reserved nuts all over the chocolate and place a piece of saran wrap over the nuts -- gently press the nuts into the chocolate.

Cool completely -- even allowing to freeze a bit if you like.

Turn out -- cut into small squares --

Mom's Potato Salad circa 1980

Mix together

Boiled Potatoes (mashed a bit)
Hard boiled eggs, chopped
Sweet pickle relish (or chopped pickles and juice)
salt and pepper
dash of garlic powder
onion powder or finely minced onion
finely minced celeary (or celery salt)
enough Miracle Whip (ick -- but it's mom's recipe) to make smooth

Optional:

pimentos
mustard
dill pickles chopped instead of sweet
fried chopped bacon
good seasons salad dressing (prepared -- cut back on mayo)

Her recipe changed over the years -- it always includes mustard and salad dressing now -- and I think the miracle whip is required -- even though it grosses me out.

Snickerdoodles

Cream 1 cup butter, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs

Add 2 3/4 cup flour and 2 tsp cream of tartar, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and vanilla (doesn't say how much)

Blend well.

Chill 30 min.

Roll dough into small balls -- roll in a mixture of 2 tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbsp sugar.

place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees fro 8 to 10 minutes

makes 2 dozen

(I have not tried this since I was a girl)

Molasses Sugar Cookies

(another recipe from Mom I have never made)

Melt 3/4 cup shortening -- cool

Add shortening to 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup light molasses and 1 egg -- beat well.

Add 2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp each (ginger, cloves, salt), 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon.

Chill -- shape into balls -- roll in powdered sugar

Bake on a lined sheet at 375 degrees fro 10 to 12 minutes

Note on Mom's card: This recipe is from Sandi Vincent who was a diabetic -- this was one of her special recipes.

I have to add -- it must have been hard to be a diabetic in the 70s -- because this isn't exactly a low carb/low sugar recipe.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Note: this is from my mom's recipes but I have not made these)

Cream: 1/2 cup shortning; 1 2/3 cup sugar & 2 tsp vanilla

Beat in: 2 eggs and 2 oz of melted unsweetened chocolate

alternately Blend in: 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt

and 1/3 cup milk -- starting and ending with dry.

Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Chill 3 hours -- form 1 inch balls

roll in powdered sugar.

Bake on a lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 15 min.

makes 4 dozen.