Raspberry Corn Muffins

Howdy!

I hope everyone is having a restful and relaxing Lord’s Day today.  I’ve been crazy-busy at work the last couple of weeks, so I made a point of doing ONLY things I enjoy at home this weekend.  I started the weekend off with a Friday evening movie date with my hubby.  We got to see A Question of Faith, and it was excellent.  Go see it if you have a chance!

Yesterday, I got up and baked some of these delicious muffins.  (I haven’t had a chance to bake in a while, so it was wonderful to be in the kitchen again.)  After that, we ran a few errands in town and then had some yummy hummus sandwiches for lunch, and then headed out to the pasture to burn some brush.

We’ve had several large brush piles waiting to be burned for over 6 months now, and we haven’t been able to burn them because of a burn ban in our county (due to excessively dry weather conditions).  Thankfully, due to recent rains the burn ban was lifted, so we definitely wanted to get this done while we had a chance.  Now you’re probably thinking that doesn’t sound very enjoyable, but for me it really is.  As a farm girl, cutting, hauling and burning brush has always been one of my favorite things to do.  I don’t really know why…fond memories of doing it with my Dad…a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day…watching the fire burn down to embers…just being outside enjoying God’s creation (I spend all week inside an office!)…lots of reasons.  Anyway, although it’s hard, exhausting work, I always feel good at the end of the day.  Yesterday was no exception.

Once we came in and got cleaned up, we went over to my sister’s house to watch college football with my niece.  My dear Aggies were playing ‘Bama last night, and although the ending wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for, I was thrilled to see my favorite team suit up, show up and surprise ‘Bama with a win they had to work for.  😊

Today I’ve been blessed to have some quality time with God, and even a chance to do some more cooking (my latest creation - Faithy's Banana Pepper Pork is on our dinner menu tonight).  I’ve been able to get a few things done around the house and just relax, so I’m ready to face another busy week at the office.

Now that I’ve probably bored you to tears with my exciting life, on with the recipe!  I came across it years ago in a little paperback cookbook called The Christian Bed & Breakfast Cookbook published by Barbour & Company, Inc. in 1997.  I made these muffins several times back then, and then forgot about them.  When I was trying to come up with something to make yesterday, I pulled out the old cookbook and found the recipe again.  So glad I did.  These muffins are delicious!

According to the book, the recipe came from the Bayview Hotel in Old Aptos Station, California, where the muffins were often part of the breakfast menu.  The book is filled with lots of yummy recipes from places all over the country.  Keep an eye out for it at your local thrift stores or look for it online.  It’s a real treasure!  Okay, okay…I digress again…here’s the recipe…

Raspberry Corn Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar (or your favorite sugar substitute)

1 teaspoon baking powder (I always use sodium free baking powder)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs (I generally use egg substitute and it works great)

1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain yogurt (I used plain Greek yogurt)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1 cup fresh raspberries (if you don’t have fresh, frozen will work just fine)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter muffin cups (I used no-stick cooking spray).

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt and butter until smooth; add to the flour mixture and stir until the batter it is just combined.  Gently fold in the raspberries.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.  (I use a large cookie scoop, and the amount is just right for my muffin pan.)  Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove the muffins from oven and let them cool (in the pan) on your cooling rack for 3 minutes.  Then the muffins from pan and serve them while they’re hot!  (These muffins are also great cold or sliced, buttered and toasted the next day.)

The original recipe says that it makes 12 regular muffins, but mine actually made more like 15 or 16.  I can’t tell you exactly because after I filled my pan for the first 12, I made mini-muffins out of the remaining batter.  So in total, it made 12 regular muffins and 11 mini-muffins for me.

Well…gotta run friends…enjoy the rest of your weekend, and remember to THANK GOD for your many blessings!!

Love ya,

--Faithy

Faithy's Favorite Red, White & Blue Salad

Just thought I'd share this quick & easy salad recipe in case you're looking for something healthy and delicious for the 4th of July. 

Ingredients:
--salad greens (I used a mix of red leaf lettuce, spring mix and spinach - but just use whatever you like!)
--fresh blueberries & raspberries (you could also use strawberries or even watermelon)
--crumbled feta cheese
--sugared nuts (This time I used store-bought sweet & spicy pumpkin seeds with black pepper, but you could also use sugared pecans or walnuts or even almonds.  I like to just dump some in a pan with sugar and seasoned salt, and stir them over low to medium heat until the sugar is melted and coats the nuts.  The you just spread them on parchment paper to cool, and break them up before using.)

Just toss everything together and serve in a clear glass or plastic bowl.  I generally serve it with poppy seed dressing and/or raspberry vinaigrette on the side.  (It stays fresh much longer if you don't "dress" the salad before serving.)

"Dressed" Salad

Quick, easy & delicious!

Happy 4th y'all!!
Blessings,
--Faithy 

Individual Blueberry-Buttermilk Breakfast Cakes

HOWDY!  How in the world is everyone?  Sorry I’ve been away so long…life is busy as always.  I have continued trying new recipes, but just haven’t had time to blog about them lately.  Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to post some of them soon.  I’ll start with this yummy breakfast cake that I made into individual muffin-sized servings rather than a regular full-sized cake.

I found the original recipe on a wonderful blog I recently came across called Alexandra’s Kitchen.  She calls it Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake, and it’s absolutely delicious.  It’s very versatile, quick and easy, and works well in either muffin or cake form.

I’m posting my version of the recipe (with a few minor changes), but you’ll want to try it Alexandra’s way as well.  And while you’re checking out this recipe, be sure to browse around through Alexandra’s other recipes…you’ll find plenty of yummy things to try.

Anyway…here’s my version.  Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Individual Blueberry-Buttermilk Breakfast Cakes

Ingredients

For batter:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon

7/8 cup sugar (3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons)

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. lemon juice

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (set aside 1/4 cup to toss with the blueberries)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup buttermilk

For Topping (this is optional, but it adds a delicious lemony-crunchy-sweet texture):

1 to 2 Tbsp. Turbinado sugar (I use granulated Sugar in the Raw)

1 tsp. lemon zest

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Cream butter with lemon zest and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until combined.  Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk.  Fold in the blueberries.  Mix turbinado sugar with 1 tsp. lemon zest and set aside.

Scoop or spoon batter into greased muffin tins (my large cookie scoop is the perfect size for this) or spread into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.  (Greasing the pans with butter adds a yummy buttery flavor, but non-stick cooking spray will work fine as well.)

Sprinkle muffins (or cake batter) with Turbinado sugar/lemon zest mixture, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes.  (NOTE:  If you are making a cake rather than muffins, it may take a few minutes longer to cook.)  Use a toothpick or metal tester to check for doneness, when it comes out clean, Your muffins are done!

I let them set in the pan for about 3 to 5 minutes, and then remove them to a wire rack to cool for another 5 minutes or so before serving.  If you make the cake, there’s no need to remove it from the pan, but you’ll want to let it cool at least 15 minutes before sampling.  Those blueberries get HOT!  (Not that I would know that from experience.)

Since this is a cake batter, these muffins are very light textured and delicious.  You’ll want to make them more than once!  They also freeze well if (despite them temptation) you can’t eat them all in one sitting.

I didn’t write it down, so I may be mistaken on this, but I think this recipe made about 15 regular muffins.

Once you’ve tried it, be sure to stroll through Alexandra’s Kitchen, and while you’re there, say howdy and tell her Faithy sent you!

Blessings,

--Faithy

P.S.  Hope to be back with some more recipes soon.

Mini Lemon Mint Cakes

HOWDY friends!  I hope you are all well and happy on this fine day.  It’s been really hot and humid in Zig Zag lately, sure makes me grateful for air conditioning!  I’ve been busy as ever, but I just had to find a minute to share one of my favorite new “go-to” recipes with you.

One of my favorite bloggers is Ally over at Ally’s Kitchen.  I love her creative takes on old favorites.

I was perusing her Facebook page a while back, and came across her recipe for Lemon Mint Cake Pie.  I love lemon, and mint, so I knew I had to try it.  I needed something to serve some volunteers at my office one morning, so I decided to make it into mini-muffins rather than the larger pie pan cake in Ally’s original recipe.  The final product was very light and flavorful, and I’ve made it quite a few times since.  It gets rave reviews every time I serve it!  I just love the little bite-sized bursts of flavor.  It’s impossible to eat just one!

This is DEFINITELY one you’ll want to try my friends.  Take my word for it!  It’s perfect for brunch or tea time snacking.  My adapted recipe is below, but please go by and check out Ally’s version too!

Mini Lemon Mint Cakes 
Yield:  24 mini muffin cakes

INGREDIENTS

Batter: 
8 Tbsp. salted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup Whey Low Granulated (or regular granulated sugar) 
1-1/2 lemons, juice & zest (about 3 to 4 Tbsp. lemon juice & 1 Tbsp. zest) 
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh mint, finely chopped (I've played around with several varieties, and haven't found one I didn't like yet!  Just use your favorite or whatever type you have on hand.) 
1-1/4 cups flour, all purpose
1 tsp. sodium free baking powder 

Lemon Glaze: 
1/3 cup Whey Low Powder (or powdered sugar), sifted
2 Tbsp. lemon juice 
1/2 tsp. lemon zest 

Garnish: 

turbinado sugar (optional)
sifted Whey Low Powder (or powdered sugar) 
1 tsp. fresh Lemon Zest (optional)
finely chopped mint (optional)

DIRECTIONS 
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Batter:  
Combine butter and Whey Low Granulated (sugar) in a large mixing bowl, and mix until light and fluffy.

Add the remaining lemon juice and zest to the bowl.  Blend until incorporated throughout.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Remove from mixer and stir in mint with a rubber spatula.

Whisk flour & baking powder together in a small mixing bowl.  Stir into batter about 1/4 cup at a time.  Blending well after each addition.  The batter will be thick.

Fill mini muffin cups (sprayed with cooking spray) to the top.  (My small cookie scoop works perfectly for this!)

NOTE:  If you decide to go with Version Two...see below BEFORE you put them in the oven! 

Bake in a preheated 325° oven for 12 to 15 minutes.  (I like to cook them until they are just starting to brown on the edges.)  Remove from pan to a cooling rack.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze.  Whisk together the Whey Low Powder (powdered sugar), lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl (or 2-cup measuring cup), until all lumps are dissolved. 

I've made this quite a few times now, so I've played around with the recipe a bit.  I think I like the extra lemony goodness absorbed in Version One (below) the best, but Version Two (pictured above) looks a little prettier.  Both variations are scrumptious! 

Version One: 
Brush glaze liberally over hot muffins.  (You want the muffins to absorb as much as possible.) 

Once muffins have cooled completely (waiting is SOOOOOO hard!), dust with Whey Low Powder (powdered sugar).  (I have a great Pampered Chef flour & sugar shaker that works perfectly for this, but a fine mesh strainer works well too.)  Top with additional lemon zest and the remaining fresh mint, and enjoy! 

Version Two (pictured): 
Sprinkle with turbinado sugar/lemon zest before baking.  (This adds a delicious crunchiness!)

Allow the muffins to cool completely, and dust with Whey Low Powder (powdered sugar).  Drizzle with lemon glaze, and garnish with fresh mint.

I hope that this will become one of your favorite recipes, just like it has become mine.  Be sure and stop by Ally’s website or Facebook page, and tell her Faithy sent you!

Enjoy your summer my friends, and try to stay cool out there!
Blessings,

--Faithy