Nothin' But Muffins

Here is a very good basic muffin batter, to which you can add just about anything.

1 pound butter (at room temperature)
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten (at room temperature)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Cream the butter and sugar, then add beaten eggs. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add alternately with the milk, mixing only until blended. Add fruit or other "mix-ins" as you like. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

This weekend I tried Hummingbird muffins with this batter and they were delicious. I added about 12 oz. of canned crushed pineapple (drained), 2 smashed ripe bananas, and about a tsp. of cinnamon. This made the basic batter a little thin, so I added some more flour. I like my muffin batter thick.

The other muffin variation I tried with this basic recipe was something I call "Fig Newton Muffins." Just cut fig bar cookies into chunks--as small or as large as you like. Again, add as much or as little as you want to the batter. When I told my husband what I was making, he gave me a skeptical look, but gave his approval upon tasting. I think it's the muffin batter that makes the "Fig Newton Muffins" so good. I don't think they would taste quite as good with just any batter!

Fig Newton Muffins

Weekend Warrior

I'm a weekend warrior when it comes to baking. My full-time job leaves me tired on most weeknights, even though I would love to bake every night if I could! But, I save my energy for the weekend and then often have marathon baking sessions. This weekend I was anxious to try a recipes I found for "The Best Honey Bundt Cake." The reviews said it was moist, delicious, and always turns out fantastic. Although I followed the instructions very carefully, I was somewhat disappointed in the results. The recipe described the batter as thin, which it was. It took the full 70 minutes to cook. I was sure the raisins were going to sink to the bottom of the pan, which they did. This resulted in a cluster of raisins on the top of the cake, which was visually interesting, but I like my raisins distributed through the cake. The cake is definitely moist. It's very sticky as well (as you might guess from the addition of 1-1/2 cups of honey). The consistency is a bit like a bread pudding. I won't bother printing the recipe here, but here is a link to it.

http://www.recipezaar.com/The-Best-Honey-Bundt-Cake-71494


Make sure you grease and flour the pan. This cake does not come of of the pan easily.

"The Best Honey Bundt Cake"

Rugelach

I credit my daughter, Olivia, with my new-found love of rugelach. She is a sophomore at NYU and I've had many opportunities to explore Manhattan on my trips to drop her off and pick her up. Chelsea Market is one of my favorite places to visit. It's housed in the old Nabisco building on 16th Street and 9th Avenue--quite a hike from NYU! Anyway, Chelsea Market is home to Ruthy's Bakery, which has delicious rugelach.

Last fall I had a craving for some rugelach and I wasn't due for a trip to NYC for awhile, so I decided to try making some myself. This recipe is from Ina Garten.

Rugelach
Copyright 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Directions
Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts.

On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges—cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Why aren't cookies called "bakies?"

I have way too many cookie cutters. Yet, I still buy more every time I see something cute that I don't already have. It's a relatively cheap habit. I especially like to look for vintage cookie cutters at antique shops. I recently made some cookies for a basketball banquet. I couldn't find cookie cutters to fit what I had in mind, so I made templates from clip art and cardboard and hand cut them--all but the circle for the basketballs. This was also my first successful attempt at making real black and real red icing. I've made dark gray and dark pink before, but I've never been able to achieve the true, deep colors. After doing a little research on the internet, I found that the secret is to let the icing sit for several hours before using it, preferably in the refrigerator.

My Baking Blog Begins

I have enjoyed baking for as long as I can remember. My pleasure has its roots in my first Easy Bake Oven. God bless my dad for all of the little disks of "cakes" he ate, lovingly baked by me and a 100 watt light bulb. How that light bulb baked a "cake" I'll never know. We used to try to fry eggs on the sidewalk on hot summer days and that NEVER worked.


I started more serious baking at the elbow of my older sister, Janice, who taught me how to make our family's favorite wheat germ chocolate chip cookies. Fast forward to today, where my enjoyment for baking has turned into a passion. I fantasize about someday opening a bakery--perhaps when I retire and I no longer depend on my "regular" job to pay for college loans.

I took a weekend job last fall in the bakery at Smolak Farm in North Andover, MA. I figured it would be a good way to find out if I'm really serious about this bakery thing. I started out baking pies, something I was never very good at. After thousands of pies, I think I can finally say I'm getting better! I'm enjoying my part-time job at the bakery and it inspires me to explore new recipes and to learn more about the "science" of baking.

This brings me to this blog. My daughter, Helen, keeps telling me to start one. So, here it is, Helen. Enjoy!