Blueberry Muffins ~ By Sarah

I love blueberries muffins, but I find that the Betty Crocker ones from a box are hard to beat.  This recipe came from Mary Hunt of Everyday Cheapskate and they are excellent!

Ingredients:
1/2 c. soft butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 1/2 c. blueberries, drained (frozen, fresh, or canned)
2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1 T. sugar mixed with 1/4 t. ground nutmeg

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 12-muffin tin (or use metal cupcake liners--not paper).  In a medium-sized bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Add sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy and pale.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Beat in vanilla, baking powder, and salt.  Mash 1/2 blueberries with fork.  Fold into batter.  Stir in half the flour and then half the milk.  Add remaining flour and milk.  Fold in the remaining blueberries.  Scoop batter into muffin cups.  Sprinkle with nutmeg sugar.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Mine were done at 20 minutes, so check them often after about 15 minutes!

Roasted Cherry (or Berry) Dutch Baby with Caramel Sauce

After doing seven hours of cardio in the past five days plus snowboarding and tubing for several hours yesterday, I woke up this morning needing something sugary and full of carbs and calories. Luckily for me, TheKitchn.com had posted a recipe for Dutch Babies (or Pannekoene if you actually want to be fancy and call it by it's Dutch name) with cherries and caramel sauce earlier this week. Because I didn't have any frozen cherries, I used about a cup of frozen blueberries and it worked wonderfully! This recipe isn't quick --it took almost an hour from start to finish-- it's definitely worth the effort! I also don't have a cast iron pan big enough, so I just used an oven safe skillet. Some people commented on the original post that enamel cast iron pots work, too.

PS According to the recipe, it serves 8. I have already eaten half and I'm contemplating more. Keep that in mind if you are trying to serve several people.

I love TheKitchn not only for its recipes, but because their food is always so perfectly photographed!

Roasted Cherry Dutch Baby with Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Sauce
Serves 8

For the Dutch Baby:
1 cup (5 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (2 oz) white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (6 oz) whole or 2% milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 12- or 16-oz bag frozen sweet cherries
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter

For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse several times to combine. Add the milk, eggs, and vanilla and blend continuously for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides, and blend continuously for another 10 seconds or until there are no more lumps and the batter is frothy. Let the batter stand in the blender for 15-20 minutes to give the flour time to absorb the liquids.

Meanwhile, toss the cherries with the brown sugar. Scatter them in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-safe dish of similar size. Roast for 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries look wrinkled and their juices have turned syrupy.

Add the butter to the cherries and return the skillet to the oven for 2-3 minutes to melt the butter. Stir the melted butter into the cherries. Whiz the pancake batter to froth it up again and pour it immediately over the cherries. Don't stir.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. When finished, the edges of the pancake should be domed and turn deep brown while the middle should look puffed and golden. The dark cherry juices will make the edges look nearly burnt, but continue cooking until the middle looks done.

While the pancake is baking, prepare the sauce. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted, and let the butter and sugar come to a boil. Off the heat, whisk in the cream, cinnamon, and salt. Return to heat and let the sauce come back to a boil. Immediately remove the pan from heat and set the sauce aside.

Serve the dutch baby as soon as it has finished baking. Drizzle some sauce over the entire pancake and then divide it into eight wedges. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Fruit Pizza ~ by Sarah

This recipe came from Pioneer Cookbook, a compilation of recipes from people in the North Powder area.  Our family has been enjoying this recipe for years!

Sugar Cookie Crust:
3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

Put butter in bowl.  Add sugar.  Squish with fork.  Add 2 eggs and vanilla.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Chill 1 hour.  Spread out on pizza pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes or until the edges are brown.  Cool completely.

Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 of an 8 oz. container of Cool Whip
1/2 c. frozen orange juice, diluted only 1/2 as directed on can
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
3/4 c. water
assorted fruit slices

Directions:
Blend until smooth the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and Cool Whip.  Spread evenly over cooled crust.

Give your son the beater to lick:

Place any desired fruit pieces on the filling.  I used strawberries, peaches, and blueberries since that was what the fruit stand had.  We've used huckleberries, bananas, and kiwis, too.

For the glaze, cook until clear and thickened the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and water.  Cool and pour over the fruit.  (The can be made ahead and refrigerated.)  You are likely to have quite a bit of this left over!

Serve to your bratty younger sister when she finally comes home from Germany.

Blueberry Muffins...The Best Way ~ by Sarah

I didn't make the title up--I copied it from TastyKitchen.com--but I agree with it!  I find it hard to beat Betty Crocker's blueberry muffin mix, but I had fresh blueberries I wanted to use, so I found this recipe. They are yummy!  Simple, too!

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
Mix flour, sugars, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Combine melted butter, eggs, and milk and stir by hand into the dry ingredients until just blended.  Fold berries in lightly and carefully.  Spoon into greased muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes--until golden brown.  Makes 12 extra large muffins or about 20 regular-sized muffins.

 

Berry Scones ~ by Sarah

I found this recipe in my latest Parents magazine.  I like to think that they're healthy since they only call for one tablespoon of sugar.  (But that's what I get for thinkin'...)  They really are delicious--I like that they aren't super sweet.  According to the article, they have half the fat and calories of bakery versions.  I'll take it!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
3/4 c. whole-wheat flour
1 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. low-fat milk, plus 2 t., divided
3 T. canola oil
1 egg
3/4 c. fresh blueberries (I used blackberries.  I'm sure raspberries would be good, too!)
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet.  Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Combine 1/2 cup milk, the oil, and egg, then pour liquid mixture into the dry mixture.  Add berries.  Dust surface with flour and turn the dough over onto it.  Pat it into an 8-inch circle.  Score dough into 8 wedges, cutting halfway.  Bake 20 minutes; finish cutting wedges and place on a wire rack.  Once the scones are cool enough to touch, mix powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of milk.  Drizzle over scones with a spoon.  (I ate mine without the frosting and it was still excellent.  I never like frosting on my pastries!)

Pioneer Woman Blueberry Cobbler ~ by Sarah

This is another Pioneer Woman recipe that did not disappoint!  In fact, it is so delicious that it has now easily become one of my top five favorite desserts of all time.  Seriously, it is AMAZING!  This probably has to do with the full cube of butter.  I have an unhealthy relationship with butter.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/4 c. plus 2 T. sugar
1 c. self-rising flour (I didn't have any, so I made my own--1 1/2 t. baking powder and 1/2 t. salt for every one cup of all-purpose flour)
1 c. milk
2 c. fresh (or frozen) blueberries (or blackberries, peaches, raspberries, etc.)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 3-quart (9x13 inch pans are 3 quart) baking dish with butter.  Place the stick of butter in a microwave-safe dish.  Heat in a microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until melted.  In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup of the sugar with the flour and milk.  Whisk in the melted butter.  Rinse the blueberries and pat them dry.  Pour the batter into the baking dish.  Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter.

 

Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the berries.  (I only sprinkled about 1 tablespoon because my blueberries were delicious and naturally sweet.  Plus, I don't like usually like sugar-coated desserts.)  Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown and bubbly.  **Note: Check frequently after a half hour has passed.  Depending on your oven, it may cook more quickly.  Take it out when it looks like the picture below and when a toothpick comes out clean.  It's not nearly as good when overcooked!**  When 10 minutes of cooking time remain, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top.  (I didn't do this, either.)  Top with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.  Amazing!!!

 

 

The Ultimate Cheesecake ~ by Molly

This is the cheesecake I made for Gavin's birthday last summer. It's one of my favorite recipes!

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence (Food Network)


Prep Time:
30 min
Inactive Prep Time:
4 hr 35 min
Cook Time:
45 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
Crust:
• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
• 1 pound cream cheese, 2 (8-ounce) blocks, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 dash vanilla extract
• Warm Lemon Blueberry Topping, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
For the Filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Using a spatula spread a layer of Warm Lemon Blueberry topping over the surface.
Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

Warm Lemon Blueberries:
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
In a small saucepan add all the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or so until the fruit begins to break down slightly. Leave to cool before spreading on cheesecake.