Blueberry Muffins

I love summer, when the fruit and berries are a reasonable price. I got a big container of blueberries the other day, but realized today I can't eat them fast enough, so I'm making muffins. This recipe is not overly sweet, nor cake-like as many bought muffins are. It makes a dozen regular size, or 2 dozen mini muffins.

1 3/4 cups flour (I use half whole wheat and half white)
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cooking oil (canola or corn)
1 cup fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients separately, then add all at once to dry. Mix just until combined (never over-mix quick bread batters, they get tough). Stir in blueberries. Fill muffin cups (greased or lined with paper baking cups) 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes for full size or 10-12 for mini.

This is easily doubled, which I did today, and they freeze well.

Biscuits

I got this recipe in grade 8 Home-EC class. I remember coming home after that class and making supper for my family. We had these biscuits and corn chowder (that recipe has been lost, but I think it was basically boiled potatoes with cream of corn soup and milk, and a little bacon and onions).

1 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 butter
2/3 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients together, cut in butter until it is very small. Add milk and mix lightly. Turn out on floured surface and pat out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or small glass. Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes.

This should make about a dozen, depending on the size you cut them.

Cranberry Chocolate Mini Scones

This is a recipe I found a few years ago in a book called Death by Chocolate. They are so good right out of the oven (well, cooled down for 10 minutes), but do keep for a day or two. They also freeze very well, so I usually freeze half the batch.

3 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces (chilled)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients together. Add the butter and cut in. I've found you can do this with a mixer with a paddle, it takes about 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk, cranberries and chocolate chips and mix just until combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat out to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cut with a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, gently re-rolling extra dough and cutting it. Bake at 325F for 12-14 minutes, until light golden.

This should make 3-4 dozen, depending on the exact size of your biscuit cutter and how thick you make them. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, a small juice glass works well.

Banananana Bread*

A friend posted on her Facebook the other day how hard it was to buy the right amount of fruit for her family. She found that she always seemed to be running out or having way too much (I believe she said something about "enough bananas for a monkey's tea party"). I often find the same thing, with the kids craving bananas, then suddenly not wanting them at all. So banana bread is the answer! I often throw those unwanted bananas into the freezer (don't need to peel or wrap them), then make a double batch at a later date. (My friend tried that, I guess she just threw out 9 bags of bananas).

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed bananas
3 tbsp sour milked
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour (I use half white, half whole wheat)

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and bananas. Stir baking soda into milk, then add to butter mixture. Stir in flour in a few batches. Pour into 9x3 inch loaf pan and bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes. You can also add 1 cup chocolate chips (some people like it in my family, some don't)

* title courtesy of Emily. (and don't forget Hailey, who "can't say banana")

Scones

While we were in Australia this winter, we were treated to scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam a couple of times. I have been on the search for a good recipe for scones since, and got this one from the Banff Springs Hotel via the Calgary Herald's Swerve magazine. Now to find clotted cream...

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

Mix dry ingredients, cut in butter. Mix in milk and egg until just incorporated. Roll out dough to about 3/4 inch thick, cut to desired size (I made 11 3 inch scones). Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until golden.

They turned out pretty good, but a little sticky; I think I'll try a touch more flour next time.

Rainy day means bread making!

When I was a kid (well, teenager, I guess), whenever we had a snow day, my mom, sister and I would make bread. It was raining today, so I decided that counted and made some cinnamon buns. I cheat these days and use the bread machine to make the dough, but it still tastes great!

This recipe can also be made into dinner rolls (I roll them out in two big circles and cut them into wedges (12 each circle) and roll them up to make crescents)

1 large egg plus water to equal 1/2 cup
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp yeast

My bread machine is designed to put the liquid in first, then the dry ingredients, then the yeast. I then put it on the "dough" setting. After the dough is ready, roll out into a large rectangle, spread with butter and brown sugar, then sprinke with cinnamon. Roll, starting with long end, and cut into 12 pieces. Put in baking pan and let rise for 1/2 - 3/4 hour. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or so.

I also made cupcakes and hot-and-sour soup today, but those recipes are for another day!