I am besotted with: The Great British Baking Show

8/16/17 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

I am besotted with The Great British Baking Show. It’s on my weekly must-watch-list and I’m not alone. This PBS show, filmed in England, has captivated American audiences as well as British. It is totally unlike American cooking shows. It’s a basic baking contest­ where I learn something new every week from non-professional bakers who are talented and civil. There is no yelling, throwing, or insulting. Amazing.

At the beginning of each season, 12 amateur bakers from around England are chosen in Bake Offs to appear on the television show. On the show, professional bakers and judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood challenge them to weekly prepare a variety of baking assignments. The baking takes place in the picturesque (and often wet) English countryside under a tent.

All contestants have one thing in common—they love to bake. Their age and experience are all over the place. Individuals range from a London firefighter to a gifted teenager, a Scottish grandmother and beyond. The kitchen tent studio is so huge that each baker has his or her complete cooking unit with all the necessities including a proof oven!

  

The Bake Off is divided into a three-challenge format. The signature recipe is a familiar, tried-and-true home-made style bake. The technical recipe involves obscure pastry and cake recipes. The showstopper recipe speaks for itself—it is always complex and elaborate. Sometimes a recipe is a relatively simple Yorkshire Pudding. Next could be to a Battenburg Cake assembled in a pink and yellow checkerboard pattern each frosted with Marzipan.

Hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins keep the atmosphere light because there is a time crunch for preparing each of three recipes. The pressure is on with each tick of the clock. The tense atmosphere is also softened by the camaraderie amongst the bakers. They are more helpful than hostile! At the end of the week, a Star Baker is chosen (no financial reward) and the losing baker is politely asked to leave with hugs all around.

The following recipe is a variation of a beloved British baking classic served at tea time. The baking notes all say that a good Victoria sponge should be well-risen, moist and light as air.  The filling recipes, however, are all different. Judge Mary Berry’s recipe calls for only 4 tablespoons of jam. I like more. Some call for a butter cream filling topped with jam. My favorite is the whipped cream and strawberry jam filling. The choice is yours. Enjoy!

A CLASSIC VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE

Cake:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

8 ounces whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup seedless strawberry or raspberry jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.

Beat 3/4 cup butter and white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs (one a time), mixing well between each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat briefly until well-blended in the batter. Continue beating batter until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes more.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Gently fold into egg mixture with a spatula just until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a cake spatula.

Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until stiff, adding powdered sugar and vanilla toward the end.

Turn both cakes with the flat tops facing you. Spread strawberry jam evenly on one cake with a spatula. Spread whipped cream in an even layer on the other cake. Sandwich the two cakes together. Dust with powdered sugar. Serves 8. Refrigerate leftovers.

 

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

A Simple Supper: Chicken Burritos

7/19/17 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Summer suppers are the bane of my daily life. I absolutely hate cooking in hot weather. The heat not only makes me grouchy and takes away my appetite but it fries my brain when it comes to meal planning. Usually, I wake up wondering what’s for dinner and it nicely gels into a plan before I’ve eaten breakfast. That does not happen in June, July or August. Cooking creativity and desire die in the heat.

Probably the most exciting meal we’ve had this summer is one that I concocted out of leftovers. I peered in the refrigerator and came up with some cooked rice, chicken, bell peppers, onions and tortillas. Hmm. How could I put this together, spice it up and make it special? Perhaps one of those new-fangled burritos would be good.

Now I am a California Girl and I love genuine Mexican food. One of my fondest  childhood memories was eating dinner at Olvera Street in the 1950s with my family in the heart of historic Los Angeles,. We also used to eat at the now famous El Cholo Restaurant on Western Ave. in L.A. But contrary to common food folklore, there were no burritos on the menu. Albondigas soup, enchiladas and tacos-yes. Burritos-no. Burritos were a poor working man’s meal made of simple corn tortillas and beans.

 I learned about burritos from watching our neighborhood gardener’s helper eat his lunch. He was a Mexican immigrant, did not speak English and had not adopted American ways. He was a hard worker and there were no nearby cafes or parks where he could eat. Every day at noon, he would sit down at the curb, get out his lunch bucket, make a little fire and heat his beans and corn tortillas. I was mesmerized by the process but I didn’t stare (it’s not polite!) so I don’t know how he made the fire or heated the food. I just know that he did.

Corn tortillas were originally very small. They were a great staple of ranchers, cowboys and braceros who moved about the countryside—easy to make on a camp fire, the ingredients didn’t spoil but there was barely room for a spoonful of beans and meat inside. Maybe that’s why the larger flour tortillas were introduced in California and Texas border towns.

The size of today’s flour tortillas amaze me. They are so big that I seldom order a restaurant burrito because I can’t begin to eat it all. Still, one night, when faced with nothing for dinner, I decided to concoct my own gigantic chicken burrito recipe. It was good! So if you’re desperate for a dinner idea, check out your refrigerator and cupboards. You’ll be surprised at what you come up with. Enjoy!

Chicken, Rice & Veggie Burritos

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup red and green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
1 can, (15 ounce) Pinquito beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 small can green chilis, drained
1/3 cup black or green olives
3/ 4 cup thick and chunky salsa
Spices as desired: salt, pepper, dash cayenne, cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups Jack cheese
8 flour tortillas (10” wide)

Sauté onions and bell peppers until soft. Combine with rice, beans, corn, green chilis, salsa and olives with spices. Warm tortillas one at a time in a skillet. Place 1/4 cup cheese on bottom half of 1 tortilla; top with 1/2 cup bean mixture and rice mixture; add 1/4 cup chicken, leaving 1-inch border around bottom and side of tortilla half. Fold bottom edge of tortilla over filling, then fold in opposite sides of tortilla and roll up.

 Place each burrito seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake in 375ºF oven 15 to 20 min. or until heated through. They can also be wrapped in foil and heated on an outside grill.

Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, cilantro and lime wedges.  A fresh fruit salad makes a nice side dish. Serves 8.


Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 
that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

It's Strawberry Season!

6/21/17 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

Strawberry season crept up on me thanks to our soggy June weather. My first clue was when I saw that Laura at Eden Valley Farm was looking for pickers. Yikes! That means it’s time to take inventory of leftover freezer jam, buy some berries, mix up some smoothies and do a little baking.

Nothing can beat fresh Oregon strawberries. Fresh, huge, perfectly formed out-of-state strawberries are available all year long at local super markets but there’s just no taste comparison to Oregon grown berries. They aren’t big or perfectly formed and don’t last very long but they are red, sweet, juicy and taste like….strawberries!

It’s our wonderful Oregon weather that makes the difference. We have the best growing conditions for sweet, juicy berries. That means lots of rain, cool nights and (hopefully) warm, sunny days. It allows the berries to stay on the vines longer and the sugar to develop before the berries are harvested. It also means that their shelf life is short so we need to get them while we can.

We have already had our first strawberry shortcake of the season, a couple of smoothies and now I’m looking forward to stocking up on freezer jam. In between preparing batches of jam, I’m going to treat family and friends to some simple Strawberry Cheese Tarts for a quick dessert and some Strawberry Nut Bread at coffee break time. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY KALE SMOOTHIE
(Grandson Josh’s favorite)

2 cups strawberries

2 bananas
1-2 cups chopped kale
½-1 cup apple juice
Ice

Blend ingredients in processor until smooth.  Serves 2-4.

STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM

2 cups crushed strawberries or blackberries (about 1 quart berries)
4 cups sugar
1 package powdered pectin
1 cup water
To prepare fruit. Sort and wash fully ripe berries. Drain. Remove caps and stems; crush berries.
To make jam. Place prepared berries in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve pectin in water and boil for 1 minute. Add pectin solution to berry-and-sugar mixture; stir for 2 minutes. Pour jam into freezer containers or canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top. Cover containers and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until jam has set.

Store jams in refrigerator or freezer. They can be held up to 3 weeks in a refrigerator or up to a year in a freezer. Note: If jam is too firm, stir to soften. If it tends to separate, stir to blend. If it is too soft, bring it to a boil. It will thicken on cooling. Makes 5 or 6 half-pint jars.

STRAWBERRY CHEESE TARTS

1 pound low-fat cream cheese, softened

½ cup low-fat sour cream

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

(12) small packaged graham cracker tart shells (about 3½ inches in diameter)

2/3 cup strawberry preserves (preferably home made!)

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and lemon peel in small bowl; beat until smooth.  Spread evenly into crumb crusts; refrigerate about 4 hours.  Before serving, spread evenly the strawberry preserves over the filling. Garnish with whipped cream. Serves 12.

STRAWBERRY NUT BREAD

10 ounces frozen sliced strawberries
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. Salt
¾ cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts

Thaw strawberries.  Beat eggs until fluffy.  Add oil, sugar and berries, beating until light.

Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.  Blend flour mixture into strawberry mixture until flour is moistened.  Do not over mix.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into greased 9 1/2 by 5 inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min. or until tester comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes.  Remove from pan.   Finish cooling on rack. Serves 10


Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 
that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Picnic Apple Pies

5/24/17 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War to honor the dead and first known as Decoration Day. Congress changed it to Memorial Day to fall on the last Monday in May. One thing has not changed—the day honors those who have died in the service of our country. It is a solemn day of memorial parades, speeches and visits to cemeteries.

May 29 is also our day to remember, with gratitude, all those who have served or are serving our country. Following the public events, everyone is hungry. Picnics and potlucks are a welcome time to share memories and scarf down someone else’s cooking. I like to bake an apple pie. They are easy to prepare, travel well and there are seldom any leftovers.

It is said that during World War II soldiers coined the phrase “As American as mom and apple pie.” Maybe that’s why an apple pie seems to be an appropriate addition to the tradition of Memorial Day. Of course, any day is a good day to bake (and eat) an apple pie.

Today’s first recipe is for a two-crust apple pie with the addition of spices, orange juice and cranberries. Sometimes I substitute cherries for the cranberries and if cherries are out of season and my freezer is bare…my secret ingredient is a can of cherry pie filling! The second recipe sounds more complicated than it is. If you’re an expert at pie dough you can just roll the dough over the rolling pin and skip the waxed paper step. Enjoy!

CRANBERRY APPLE PIE

2 cups sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ cup orange juice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon apple pie spice

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon lemon juice

4 cups tart apples, peeled and cored

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Pastry for 9-inch double crust pie

2 tablespoons butter

In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Add apples and cranberries; toss gently. Line a 9-inch pie plate with bottom pastry. Add filling; dot with butter. 

Roll remaining pastry to fit top of pie. Cut vents in pastry, using a small apple cutter if desired. Place over filling: seal and flute the edges. Reduce heat to 350° F; Bake 50 min. longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Serves 6-8. 

Crust variation: a lattice-top pie crust 

Cut top crust dough into 12 strips. Place 6 of the strips over filling. Weave lattice crust with remaining strips by folding back alternate strips as each cross strip is added. Fold trimmed edge of lower crust over ends of strips. Seal and flute edge. Bake as directed. 

APPLE PIE BARS

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened

3-1/4 cups flour, divided

10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced (about 9 cups)

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. water

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually add 3 cups flour, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Shape into 2 balls. Place 1 ball on large lightly floured sheet of waxed paper; flatten slightly. Cover with second floured sheet of waxed paper. Roll out dough to 15-1/2x10-1/2-inch rectangle. Discard top sheet of waxed paper. 

Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray; invert over rolled-out dough. Flip dough and pan together. (Pan will be on bottom.) Remove second waxed paper sheet; gently press dough onto bottom and up side of pan. Toss apples with combined granulated sugar, cinnamon and remaining flour; spread onto bottom of crust. 

Repeat rolling out of remaining dough ball to make second rectangle. Remove top sheet of waxed paper; carefully flip dough over apples. Discard waxed paper. Tuck edges of dough down sides of pan to enclose apples. Cut several slits in top crust to vent steam.

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until golden brown. Cool 15 min.

Mix powdered sugar and water; drizzle over dessert. Cool 30 min. before cutting into bars. Makes 16 servings.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner

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Green up dinner with a Baja Salad or braised vegetables!

4/26/17 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

A crisp green salad is always a bright and perky accent to whatever you’re serving for dinner. But after a long, wet winter, the lettuce we buy for our salads can be very disappointing. The dreary days and endless winter rains) lettuce is often kind of wimpy and tasteless.

In fact, my dinner salads have been so boring that not even the dogs want to eat them. I finally gave up on my old stand-by-salad of lettuce, tomato and avocado. Instead, I opted for fruit combos. I think I’ve added more shredded carrots, cabbage, cranberries, apples and oranges to lettuce salads than ever before.They are really tasty with a bottled raspberry-walnut dressing

I have the same bland, boring problem with green vegetables. One can only eat so much broccoli or green beans and I have had my fill. So I went looking for a different, tasty and interesting green leaf lettuce salad AND an unusual green vegetable combination. I found both in an old “Good Housekeeping” magazine.

The following recipes violate my rule of “the fewer ingredients the better” but they are worth the effort. The salad is a little confusing because it has three parts: dressing, pickled red onions and the salad base of greens, etc. But is tangy, crispy and different. The Spring vegetables are a meal in themselves.

Good luck and enjoy!

BAJA SALAD

Cilantro Dressing

1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons liquid from pickled red onions (see below)

1/4 c. olive oil

Make Dressing: In small food processor, process cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and pickled-onion liquid until garlic is minced and cilantro is finely chopped. With machine running, slowly pour in oil until dressing is well blended. Season with kosher salt. Dressing can be made up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.

Pickled Red Onions

1/3 c. fresh lime juice

1/4 c. distilled white vinegar

10 oz. small red boiling onions (about 30), peeled and halved, or 1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

Make Pickled Red Onions

If using boiling onions: In medium bowl, stir lime juice, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt together. Heat medium saucepan of water to boiling on high. Add small onions; boil 1 minute or until just softened. With slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with lime juice mixture. Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, at least 40 minutes or until cold. Makes 2 cups.

If using sliced onion: In small bowl, combine sliced onion, lime juice, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes, stir occasionally. Makes 3/4 cup.

Transfer to a jar; refrigerate (up to 2 weeks) until ready to use.

Salad

3 c. coarsely torn romaine lettuce hearts (from 1 head)

1 1/2 c. green cabbage, very thinly sliced

4 radishes, cut into matchstick-size strips

1 carrot, cut into matchstick-size strips

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

Pickled Red Onions (see recipe below)

2 small avocados cut into large chunks

1/2 c. coarsely crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese

3 tbsp. toasted shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 1/2 c. tortilla chips, coarsely crumbled

Make Salad: Just before serving gently toss romaine, cabbage, radishes, carrot, and tomatoes with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt. Drain pickled onions and scatter over salad. Top with diced avocados, Cotija cheese, pumpkin seeds, and crumbled tortilla chips. Serve immediately. Serves a lot!

QUICK BRAISED SPRING VETABLES

4 green onions, trimmed and slices

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lower sodium chicken broth (or water)

8 ounces asparagus (trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)

1 cup fresh fava bean (shelled, from about 1 pound pods, peeled, or sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise)

1 cup garden peas (shelled fresh, from about 1 pound peas in the pod or frozen peas, thawed)

1/2 head escarole (torn into bite-size pieces, about 2 cups)

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (finely)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (finely)

1/2 cups baby spinach leaves (loosely packed)

Parmesan cheese (for serving)

In heavy 12-inch skillet, combine onions, garlic, oil and broth; heat to simmering on med. heat. Cover; cook about 2 min. or until onion softens slightly.

Add asparagus, fava beans and peas and sauté 2-3 min. or until heated through. Add escarole, spinach and basil; sauté 2-3 min. or until escarole wilts and asparagus is crisp-tender.

Stir in lemon peel and juice. Season to taste with kosher salt. Transfer to serving platter; sprinkle with chives and grated Parmesan. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. 

Quick springtime dinners for rainy days

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3/29/17 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

The calendar may say it’s springtime, but it doesn’t look springy to me. Looking out the window the daffodils are struggling to bloom and the skies are still gray and yucky. I know that we need the rain but I am really, really tired of wet, cloudy weather and boring dinners.

So while I’m waiting for the weather to lighten up, I checked out some of my old editions of “Food & Family” magazine. This is my go-to recipe source when I’m really desperate for something different to prepare for almost any meal. Kraft’s recipes are made to order for busy cooks of all ages and anyone who’s just plain old tired of cooking.

The thing I love about their recipes is that they look and taste special AND I can usually find most of the ingredients in my cupboard and refrigerator. Also, if I have to run to the market and pick up one or two ingredients it won’t break the bank. I always strike gold when I pull out a stack of their quarterly issues.

Today I’m sharing some recipes that now have a permanent home in my recipe box. They are especially colorful and tasty in this gloomy weather. The shrimp, broccoli and spaghetti go together so fast that you barely have time to set the table. And if company is coming I guarantee that the Bacon-wrapped Pork with Mango Salsa will be a hit. A quick Caesar Salad will be great with either of the entrees and my not-so-secret instant pudding recipe will polish off the meals with minimal effort if you add a store bought vanilla wafer. Enjoy!

SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC-SHRIMP BROCCOLI

8 ounces spaghetti, uncooked

4 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup Tuscan House Italian Dressing

1 pound uncooked, deveined, peeled large shrimp

2 cloves garlic, minced’1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package. Add broccoli to the cooking water for the last 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic; cook and stir 3-4 min. or until shrimp turns pink.

Drain spaghetti mixture; return to pan. Add shrimp mixture and cheese, mix lightly. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.

Note: Recipe says that it serves 6 but I think it’s more like 4.

BACON-WRAPPED PORK with MANGO SALSA

1 pork tenderloin (1 pound) cut into 4 pieces

4 slices bacon

1/4 cup zesty Italian Dressing

1 mango, chopped (or pineapple)

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1-2 green onions, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1-tablespoon fresh limejuice

Mango Salsa: Combine dressing, red pepper, green onion, cilantro and lime juice. Set aside.

Meat: Press each piece of meat into 3-1/2 inch medallion. Wrap bacon slice around edge of each piece; secure with wooden toothpicks.

Heat large heavy skillet sprayed with cooking spray on high heat. Add meat; cook on medium-high heat 5 minutes on each side or until done.

Remove and discard toothpick from meat. Let meat stand 3 minutes. Serve topped with mango mixture, a baked potato, green vegetable and salad.

Note: Can also be grilled.

QUICK CAESAR SALAD

8 cups romaine lettuce, washed, drained and refrigerated

1 cup seasoned croutons

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/ 3 cup Kraft Lite Caesar Dressing

Tear the romaine into bite-size pieces. Add croutons and lightly mix with dressing. Garnish with Parmesan Cheese. Serves 4.

NOT-SO-SECRET INSTANT PUDDING

1 small package Instant Jell-O Pudding

(Your choice: banana, butterscotch, chocolate, pistachio)

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup Cool Whip (defrosted)

Whip together the pudding and milk until well blended. Put in refrigerator about 20 minutes or until partially set. Remove and fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into serving dishes, garnish and serve when cold and set. Serving size varies.

Garnish according to pudding flavor: banana slices, coconut, maraschino cherries, butterscotch or chocolate chips, etc.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 
Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing
 a variety of recipes that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

All about muffins!

3/1/17 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

I like muffins for breakfast. Scrambling up a couple of eggs to be eaten with a freshly baked muffin is a great way to begin my morning. The problem is that I am often lazy and don’t want to take the time to stop and make muffins from scratch. The other problem is that although we have a lot of company, there are usually just two of us to eat those 12 muffins in each batch.

The solution is relatively simple. Every so often I make up a batch of muffins for our breakfast and freeze the leftovers for another meal. I even bought a set of the larger muffin tins (6 to a pan) to accommodate our sometimes larger appetites and cut down on freezer space.

Now, a true confession. I will also admit that I’m a muffin back-slider. I often walk by the market baking aisle and notice that a tray of 9 muffins is only $6. Six dollars? Wow! What a bargain. So I buy them and they’re good. But I have to tell you…they’re not that good (they taste commercial) and their selection is limited.

So I determined to get back on track and start making my own muffins again. I went through my recipes and picked out some of my favorites to start re-stocking and share with you. The first recipe is an effort to cut down on the fat in each muffin. It uses applesauce in place of butter or margarine but has a fair amount of sugar in it.

I still have leftover rhubarb in the freezer from last year’s garden, so I can also make the Buttermilk Rhubarb muffins. FYI: If possible I prefer to use buttermilk in quick breads because it results in a moist and tender product.

My favorite muffin of all time is the Morning Glory muffin. Today’s recipe is a simplified version that uses dates in place of the usual raisins. Finally, if you need help in getting things going in the morning, try the Refrigerator Bran Muffins. You can make as few as you like or a whole bunch and they’re good for you. Enjoy your breakfast!

Apple Walnut Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup applesauce (unsweetened)

1 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 cups raisin bran cereal

1 medium apple, peeled, finely chopped

3/4 cup walnuts, chopped and divided

Preheat oven to 425° F.

Mix flour, sugar, baking power and cinnamon in large bowl and set aside. Using a wire whisk, beat egg, milk, applesauce and oil in small bowl until well blended. Stir in cereal; let stand 5 min. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy). Stir in apples and 1/2 cup walnuts. Spoon batter evenly into 12 greased or paper lined muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts. Bake 20 min or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.

Buttermilk Rhubarb Muffins

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup salad oil

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb

1/2 cups pecan pieces

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon melted margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare topping and set aside. Grease 12 large or 24 medium-sized muffin cups.

Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat until well mixed. Add buttermilk, rhubarb, and pecans to mixture.

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture all at once to rhubarb mixture and stir until all ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix. Fill prepared muffin pan cups 3/4 full with batter.

Sprinkle topping on batter in each muffin cup. Bake in preheated oven on center shelf 15 to 20 minutes.

Morning Glorious Muffins

2 beaten eggs

1 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups carrot, shredded

1-1/2 cups apple, shredded

3/4 cup coconut

1/2 cup dates, snipped

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

2 cups flour

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Spray 12 large (3-inch) muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine fruits and nuts (carrot, apple, coconut, dates and pecan). Set aside. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon). In mixer bowl, combine beaten eggs, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until moist. Lightly stir in fruit and nut mixture. Bake 18-20 min.

Note: These are good topped with an orange marmalade glaze: Mix a teaspoon of powder sugar with 2 tablespoons of orange marmalade; heat and drizzle over warm muffins.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

(As written by my friend Linda L in Colorado)

Put 3 cups whole bran cereal in large bowl

Pour 1 cup boiling water over cereal. Stir and set aside to cool.

Add:

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup salad oil

1 cup currants (or golden raisins)

Combine ingredients below and then add to above:

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir all ingredients well, cover and refrigerate in large container. When ready to use preheat oven to 400° F. Put amount desired in greased regular sized muffin cups. Bake about 20 min.

Note: Add some water to any empty cups!

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.