Blueberry Muffins

I love these muffins and I have been making them for years. My youngest requests them often and I try to make them when he has friends overnight. Unfortunately, the last time I made them for just that reason, I forgot to put the blueberries in. Talk about a dumb blond moment! They were still good with the help of the streusel topping and because my husband cut a divot out of the tops of some and added some blackberry jam. I often use wild frozen blueberries for this (when I remember them!) but frozen raspberries are also good.  This recipe comes from the Betty Crocker's Cookbook, copyright 2000. I have had this book a least 10 years. My sister G got it for her birthday from our Mom. I told her she could tell our Mom that I would love that for my birthday present. Well, a few months later it was mine. This is one of those cookbooks I would buy for a person moving out on there own. There are tons of great recipes and they are not difficult.

Blueberry Muffins
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)
1 large egg
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel: 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of butter.
(mix the dry ingredients with the butter to make a course meal)

Preheat the oven for 400 degrees and grease 12 muffin cups with shortening. Mix the milk, oil and egg with a whisk in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients separately and then add to the wet ingredients stirring just until moistened. Add the blueberries. Pour batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel. Bake 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY

My Mother's Banana Bread

I found this recipe in my hometown's newspaper, the first year I was married. I was just really learning about cooking for a family and was just starting to become interested in baking as much as I could. So this is not actually my Mom's banana bread, but it is really good and everyone here gets mad if I try to use a new banana bread recipe. It's very moist and freezes well. I always make it without nuts, but I prefer nuts in it for myself. The guys don't. Picky, Picky!


My Mother's Banana Bread


1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (the darker the better)
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Directions: Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, beating well for 1 minute after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas. Mix the dry ingredients separately and alternate adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the sour milk, starting and ending with the flour. I do flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch loaf pan and bake 60-75 minutes at 350 degrees. I check this around 45 minutes and then just lay a piece of foil on top of the bread ( no need to secure) to keep the top from getting too brown. I check to see if this is done by sticking a butter knife right in the middle. A few crumbs mights stick but there should not be any real wetness in the middle. Allow to cool and than slice.


ENJOY

Strawberry Shortcakes

I love strawberry shortcake. I like to make it with sweetened biscuits and heavy whipping cream.

I just use my regular biscuit recipe, but add a couple of extra tablespoons of sugar to it. I think I made this for Mother's day. I don't ask or expect that my husband and boys make me a special dinner for Mother's Day or my birthday. I like to do it myself.

Strawberry Shortcakes

2 cups of fresh, sliced strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

Biscuits:

2 cups of flour

4 tablespoons of sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of sour cream

Clean and slice you strawberries. Mix the strawberries with the sugar in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to assemble the shortcakes. 

For the biscuits: Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Add the cubed butter and mix with your hands until a course meal is formed. Stir in the buttermilk just until moistened. Knead the dough 8-10 times on a floured surface. Pat out into a rectangle and cut into 6 biscuits. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes (or until golden brown). Cool.

Whip the whipping cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Slowly mix in the sour cream. 

Assembly: slice the biscuits and layer the berries and cream in the middle and on top. 

ENJOY