Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Muffin Monster Made Me Do It

For me to enjoy muffins, they have to be moist and heavy. (Remember my aversion to most cakes? Blech, too dry!) Well, here's a muffin recipe that fits my criteria to a "T."

I made these a week ago and then forgot to blog about them. Took a plateful to a get together where they were gobbled up by all attendees including one person who walked by the meeting room, ventured in and readily accepted a muffin. I love it when I bake and people enjoy the product!

The recipe started out as a darn good one for blueberry muffins. Then one day I was trying to think of a way to use up some of the frozen raspberries I had in the freezer and decided to substitute raspberries for half of the blueberries. The combo proved to be so outstanding that now I can't remember the last time I made them with all blueberries.

BLUEBERRY-RASPBERRY MUFFINS

1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour
1-1/4 cups frozen blueberries
1-1/4 cups frozen raspberries

In medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and milk. Add the salt, baking powder and flour. When making muffins, it's important not to over-mix so using a good old-fashioned wooden spoon will give you better results than using a mixer.

Then fold in the berries.

One of the reasons I like making these muffins with my frozen berries is that the berries don't smoosh when you fold them in as they would if they were fresh. When you have that cache of frozen berries in the freezer in the winter, this is a perfect way to use some of them. Plus, with their bursting fruit flavor they taste like summer sunshine during a time of year when we all need a little infusion of that.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper inserts and fill evenly. Sprinkle some sugar over the top of each muffin. (I usually use a sugar-cinnamon mixture.)

Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

These freeze very well. At least they would if I ever had any left over to freeze.

P.S. If you haven't already seen the blog post my daughter put up today, you might want to go over there (The Tales of Chicken Mama, Lady Homesteader) and check it out. If she comes across as completely crazy to you, you may assume she takes after her father. If you think she's a super-competent, intelligent, strong, self-sufficient woman, well, she gets that from me.

6 comments:

Erin said...

The Poultry Mama is awesome LOL! I had to email a link to her post to my brother down in St Paul, they have a Yaris too, he'll love those photos. And you better slow down on those recipes, I can't keep up! Haven't even started the cranberry almond cake yet!

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Genetic fights! LOL!

I'm with Erin, I have lots of catching up to do! I don't have raspberries but I do have blueberries and strawberries in the freezer. Maybe I will whirl those together!

I thought you were going to say that you went to Chicken Mama's house today and stole your pan back!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

What one berry makes good, two berries makes better. I have some old blackberries in the freezer that need to find their way out. Maybe blueberry blackberry muffins are the cure.

Mama Pea said...

Erin - Aw, just read the recipes and let it go at that. It will save you all kinds of time baking and you'll consume less calories. (Not that you have to worry about that!)

APG - Blueberries and strawberries? Sorry, my child, but that just doesn't turn my crank. But, hey, I could be missing out on something great, right??

No, I was just yanking Chickie Mama's chain about the popover pan. I did give that to her a while back. I think it had something to do with the fact that I couldn't make a decent popover for love nor money.

Jane - I loves blackberries! I'd go with just the blackberries and forget about the blueberries. Blackberry Muffins? Oh, oh, that sounds soooo good!

Susan said...

Your Chicken Mama/Daughter is just totally amazing. My mouth was hanging open by the end of that post. And to think that she took the dogs AND her camera along. I would have been weeping in the snow. Given what I know about the family, I am not surprised. And thank you very much for yet another recipe that I must try. I will be *thinking* of you when none of my pants fit.

Mama Pea said...

Susan - As she was growing up, I tried really hard to instill a sense of independence in her. There were times (read: teenage years) when I was sure I'd done TOO GOOD a job of it. But now, there's not much she won't tackle . . . which has turned out to be a darn good thing.

You're welcome for the recipe. I'm thinking of saying to he!! with tight fitting pants and going to wide, swirling skirts myself. ;o)