Cake Tuesday: Super Sweet Heavenly Hash Cake

An easy to make rich chocolate, marshmallow and nuts candy formed to look like a cake. Great for holidays and gift giving!





From Denny: A Southern staple for sweet tooths - or a dentist's delight!

Louisiana is truly the Land of Seafood and Sweets (my term), so much so we are now the fattest state in America, a dubious honor for sure. My husband and I move away from Louisiana from time to time just to shake those extra pounds that are so easy to gain in this culture of eating and cooking and eating again! Because of the heat and humidity Louisiana is often an indoor culture except for the hardiest souls who hunt, fish, boat and water ski when the weather is accommodating.

New Orleans has to be the worst part of the state when it comes to a love affair with sugar - though folks in Alabama and Mississippi are Siamese sugar twins. The New Orleans culture revolves around sugar so much they would experience withdrawal symptoms if, Heaven forbid, sugar became a rarity. Trust me; they would cultivate something else like beets - or even worms if they thought it would work for their sugar - as these folks would simply not do without their sweet vice!

Heavenly hash “cake” is quite popular with home cooks. It is basically a marshmallow cake mixed with nuts and some chocolate and then bathed again in a chocolate glaze to seal the marshmallow. If you love marshmallows you will love this “cake.” About the only thing healthy about this cake is that marshmallows are made from egg whites, and, OK, lots of sugar.

While it’s far too sweet for me with my preference for European style less sweet products, in its defense I can say this “cake” is long on presentation when placed in a Bundt pan and given a lovely shape. It is also quite popular throughout the South.

In the Bundt pan version when the marshmallows were added they sunk in and mixed to create this marbling effect of chocolate, nuts and marshmallow as they stirred it. Once it was cool enough to hold its shape they must have turned it out and then given its chocolate glaze.

I’ve received this Bundt version as a Christmas gift all wrapped up in pretty cellophane with a lovely bow and then boxed in a large round tin. It was a wonderfully showy presentation. You can now purchase in the New Orleans area these mostly marshmallow “cakes” to gift others.

This is for serious sugarholics! When asked as to how long it's been around - it has made it's way around the South, who knows who originated it? At least for the past decade to achieve this kind of popularity and spread in the region.

Pralines are the original sweet of New Orleans that goes back to the 1800's like rice cakes (calas) and beignets. This crazy cake is much newer! I've only paid attention to it for the past decade; it might be a bit older. My guess is its from the 1990's as Bundt cake recipes and candies were big back then in that decade.

This version is done simply in a 9-inch x 13-inch pan, though you can change to several small or one large bundt pans. I suggest the very small bundt pans as this is one rich "cake." OK, it's really more of a candy poured into a cake form. Enjoy and watch your kids squeal with delight - while the adults are around the corner furtively eating it too! :)



Heavenly Hash Cake


From: James “B” Didier

Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten lightly

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

2 cups pecans, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons cocoa


Directions: Combine eggs, sugar, butter, flour, pecans, vanilla and cocoa in large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Pour into ungreased (9x13-inch) pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.



Icing glaze:

Ingredients:

1 bag miniature marshmallows

4 teaspoons cocoa

1 stick butter, melted

1 pound box powdered sugar

8 teaspoons evaporated milk


Directions: Place marshmallows on top of baked cake. Heat in oven until marshmallows are melted.

Mix cocoa, butter, powdered sugar and milk and heat until spreading consistency. Spread over marshmallows. Cut into squares to serve.


*** Photo by Flirty Kitty @ flickr


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Celebrate: Yummy Southern Gulf Coast Shrimp and Crab Boil

*** Find out how easy it is to do your own shrimp and crab boil to celebrate the great seafood of the summer!





From Denny: As a Louisiana blogger, we sure do appreciate all the support we have received all over the country since the disaster of the BP oil spill. "The Early Show" from CBS did their part by announcing the Gulf coast shrimp grounds have been cleared by the government testers as safe to eat. Those fishing areas reopened to shrimpers. Louisiana shrimpers provide about 20 to 30 percent of America's shrimp.

There are three agencies who have been testing hundreds of samples from all over the Gulf: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Food and Drug Administration. So far so good as the samples are coming back clean.

We do love shrimp boils down here in Louisiana and CBS decided to celebrate the reopening of the fishing in the Gulf with this great recipe to do your own shrimp boil. And make sure you add a cold crisp beer to wash it all down! :)

Make sure when you boil the shrimp that when they are cooked they curl up. If they are straight, then discard them because they were not fresh and are not the best idea to eat.

Pull out those old newspapers and cover your outdoor tables because a shrimp boil is messy - and good. Also, if you are in a part of the country that still has summer high heat, make sure you wrap up those shrimp shells in that newspaper and then put that wrap in the freezer until your garbage day. Trust me; you don't want that horrible smell just killing your garbage can, especially if it's stored in a closed garage. Here in Louisiana we always freeze the shrimp shells in newspaper and then dash out at the last minute to deposit it in our garbage cans when we see the garbage trucks rolling down our street. :)

The Louisiana seafood industry employs about 28,000 people and impacts the national economy by $2.4 billion a year. Louisiana is the number one producer of blue crabs, shrimp and oysters in the nation.







Low-Country Boil

From: Katie Lee

Ingredients:

2 lemons cut in quarters
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons Old Bay or crab boil seasoning
1 onion cut in quarters
1 pound kielbasa sausage links
12 red new potatoes
6 ears corn, cut in half
3 pounds shrimp, with peels
(In Louisiana we spice it up by adding Zatarain's liquid Crab Boil and Old Bay Seasoning)


Directions:

Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Add lemons, garlic, seasoning, and onions. Add sausage and potatoes. Let cook 20 minutes. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook no more than 2 to 3 minutes, until pink. Drain and serve immediately.




Crab Boil

From: Katie Lee

Ingredients:

2 lemons cut in quarters
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons Old Bay or crab boil seasoning
2 dozen blue crabs
(In Louisiana we spice it up by adding Zatarain's liquid Crab Boil)


Directions:

Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Add lemons, garlic, and seasoning. Add crabs and cover. Let cook 20 minutes, until crabs are red and cooked through.

Serve with sriracha mayo (mix equal parts mayo and sriracha sauce) or clarified butter.


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 22 Aug 2010

*** Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, science news, poetry, funny posts, photography, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.





From Denny: I tell ya, this summer heat index of 116 degrees Fahrenheit, along with the WikiLeaks nutjob child who thinks he's stalking me on this blog, you know it's a full moon out tonight. This poor kid has scrambled eggs for brains, taking a second and third run at me.

Guess it's time to go ahead and do another WikiLeaks post to explain to him and his silly little friends living in some gaming fantasy world in their heads that real life is not a computer game. It's much more serious because the people who are stalking them are out for a lot more than winning their props as a gamer.

As far as posts go I did manage to find some interesting health and science news and had some fun with some photo posts too. Take a look.



The Social Poets:


BP Screws Over Gulf Residents With New Claims Restrictions - BP continues to play the shell game of moving the pea with misdirection and sleight of hand, with the definition of "legitimate claims" an elusive target to hit for residents.

Economy, Afghan War, America, World Politics Cartoons - 21 Aug 2010 - This week's political opinion delivered through the national cartoonists.

Obama Family Photos and New Michelle Obama Portrait Unveiled - Enjoy the new First Lady portrait and a few other well done photographs of the First Family.

Scumbag WikiLeaks Founder Assange Charged With Rape in Sweden - Sweden charges WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, with rape and molestation.

Poetess Defies, Shocks Saudi Arabia - A brave woman in the Middle East dares to criticize her religion and her culture - through a live TV national poetry competition, the Arab world version of American Idol.

Funny Back to School Quotes and Cartoons - Cheeky Quote Day 18 Aug 2010 - Get a grin at some great cartoons and funny quotes about parents' favorite time of the year: when the kids go back to school.

Funny Video: Truth Is Bush Tax Cuts Are 30 Percent Of Our Deficit

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 16 Aug 2010 - Check out this week's funny late night jokes and latest cartoons lampooning politics to American culture, with a funny side dish of funny video clips thrown in to keep you grinning.

Funny Video: Newt Gingrich Mocked by Colbert For Lack of Morals - Check out Colbert as he mocks the amoral Gingrich trying to make a political comeback for President.




The Healing Waters:


Lonely people: Under More Pressure Have Higher Blood Pressure - Be aware of how loneliness can impact your daily health.

How Can You Predict The Strength of Your Relationship? - Check out the latest study and new test devised to help you predict the strength of your relationship.





The Soul Calendar:


Check Out NASA Images of Devastating Pakistan Floods - These aerial view flood images of the entire country of Pakistan are mind-boggling in their scope of how the monsoon flooding is affecting the lives of millions.

New Tomb Uncovered in Egypt With Colorful Art - The fun side of archaeology is what you find in pristine condition after thousands of years.





Dennys Funny Quotes:

Funny Odd Hunh?! Cartoons - 21 Aug 2010 - Check out this week's grinners to soothe your work week stress.

25 Ridiculously Funny Celebrity Duck Face Photos - Laugh at celebrities posing for the camera, mocking sexy.





Dennys Food and Recipes:


4 Casseroles 4 School Night Dinners: Chicken, Tex Mex, Tamale, Shepherds Pie - Check out some family favorites, easy and quick to cook - and nutritious.

Muffin Monday: 5 Yummy Breakfast Muffins - Skip the coffee shop muffin, make your own, save some money and save a whole lot of calories too.





Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:

7 Quotes: Defining Joy in Our Lives - 7 quotes to consider about how we live our joy.





Visual Insights:


Raucous Tea Party Republicans Cartoons - 21 Aug 2010 - Check out what the cartoonists are lampooning about the Tea Party and the Republican idea of politics this time!

Dennys Photo Gallery: Beautiful Yummy Artichokes and 11 Recipes

Arts: Whimsical Fiber Artist Ed Bing Lee - This fiber artist has a sense of the whimsy while he explores new ways to use simple knotting techniques to develop his art.




*** Coffee cup from Brazil photo by Quoquo at flickr


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

4 Casseroles 4 School Night Dinners: Chicken, Tex Mex, Tamale, Shepherds Pie

*** Check out some family favorites, easy and quick to cook - and nutritious.




From Denny: Casseroles often get a bad rap in the food world. Even at our house the groaners would appear and roll our eyes. We remembered from our childhoods the sorry and tired vegetables that were left over leftovers thrown in to make a meal that tasted like gooey paste. So, yeah, we weren't fans of leftovers either.

These days good cooks know to make casseroles with fresh ingredients and usually oozing with delicious cheese. While a casserole may not look like haute cuisine when it arrives on the plate it sure tastes good like comfort food should. Louisiana cooks are fans of casseroles and have perfected the art of the casserole to appeal to the family.

And, in these tough economic times, home cooks are looking for ways to stretch their food budget and still taste good. One pound of ground meat or one chicken can go a long way in casserole recipes. The family sized casserole that feeds eight to ten people is the perfect answer for getting the most out of your food dollar. And some casseroles, like lasagna, actually taste better the next day.

Delicious casseroles are also great for welcoming a new neighbor or an easy dish to take to a gathering or family reunion. It's also an easy dish for the flurry of busy that occurs when kids are going back to school or during the holiday season. Look at it this way, when you make a casserole there is only one dish to soak and clean up, saving time in the kitchen. These one-dish meals are also great to put in the freezer for future meals when you are in a hurry. Add a side salad and a slice of good quality bread and you have a meal in minutes.

These casseroles are based off the traditional recipes originating from the 1950's and 1960's but with more vegetables, fresh ones, and more dairy. To lighten the calories you could exchange lighter versions of mayonnaise and cream or cheese.


Recipes Featured:

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
Lady Pat’s Shepherd’s Pie
Chicken Tamale Pie
Tex-Mex Casserole







Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Casserole

From: Shannon Poché

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 (10-oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
6 large chicken breast halves, deboned and skin removed
1 cup sherry, divided
1 or 2 bay leaves
2 tbls. butter
8 ozs. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 or 3 green onions, tops and bottoms, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (Poché uses Hellmann’s with Olive Oil)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (14-oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped OR a can of artichoke bottoms, coarsely chopped


Directions:

Thaw spinach and squeeze dry. Set aside.

In large skillet, add chicken, 1/2 cup sherry and the bay leaves. Heat to boiling, then cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and discard bay leaves and sherry. Set chicken aside.

In skillet, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, green onions and garlic. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

In separate bowl, combine mayonnaise, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, sour cream and the remaining 1/2 cup of the sherry. Set aside.

Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick coating. Spread spinach on the bottom of the casserole. Top with the chicken breasts, artichokes and mushroom mixture.

Spoon mayonnaise mixture over top, then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Place in preheated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated through.





This photo of Bon Appetits' Greek version: Lamb and Eggplant Shepherd's Pie



Lady Pat’s Shepherd’s Pie

From: Lady Pat Sherman

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cooked using your favorite whipped (mashed) potatoes recipe
2-2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 or 2 tbls. olive oil or mix of olive oil and butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 or 3 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbl. brown roux
1 tsp. dry beef or chicken bouillon granules OR 1 tsp. Better Than Bouillon vegetarian base dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups frozen baby lima beans, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, cooked and drained OR 1 (11.3-oz.) can niblet corn, drained
Cooked carrots, if desired
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese for topping


Directions:

Prepare mashed potatoes according to your favorite recipe. Set aside.

Cook ground beef in large skillet until cooked through and no longer pink. Pour off all fat. Set aside.

In another skillet add olive oil or mix of olive oil and butter. Then sauté onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic until vegetables are tender. Add the sautéed vegetables to the cooked and drained ground beef.

Stir in the roux, the bouillon or Better Than Bouillon and water. Bring to boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes.

Place meat with gravy on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Add drained vegetables over the meat, then the reserved whipped potatoes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 25-35 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and potatoes are lightly browned. If potatoes get too brown before casserole is heated through, lay a piece of foil over the top.

Note: Instead of mixing the vegetables in with the meat as in most recipes, she layers the limas, corn, carrots, etc. over the meat. Then she spreads the whipped potatoes over the vegetables.





Photographer's tamale pie version made without meat but with beans and sweet potatoes



Chicken Tamale Pie

From: Recipe is from “Cajun Christmas” Food Focus

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:


1 (28-oz.) can Italian-style plum tomatoes with their juices
1 (16-oz.) can cream-style corn
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tbls. chili powder, or to taste
1 cup milk
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup pitted ripe olives
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives, optional
2 cups coarsely chopped cooked chicken or more if you like
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese mixed with 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Olive oil for drizzling


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine tomatoes, corn, salt, onion, olive oil and chili powder in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, stir together milk, cornmeal and eggs; add to the tomato mixture and cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the olives and chicken.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased shallow oven proof dish. Top with the cheese, drizzle with oil and bake until the pie is firm and cheese is crusty, 35-45 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Note: Like all tamale pie recipes, the base does have a mushy texture, so keep that in mind for anyone who is not a fan of this in your house - usually children.







Tex-Mex Casserole

From: Erin Enright

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup salsa
1 (4-oz.) can mild chopped green chilies
10 ozs. small shell pasta (if you have a 12-oz. pkg., don’t use all of it)
2 (8 1/2-oz.) pkgs. cornbread mix, prepared as directed on label
1 (16-oz.) container cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese


Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the ground meat and drain off fat. Add the water, onion, taco seasoning mix, salsa and green chilies. Let this mixture simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.

While meat mixture is simmering, cook shell pasta in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium-size bowl, prepare cornbread mixture according to package directions. Set it aside because it will be spooned over the top of the casserole.

In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, layer half the pasta, then half the meat mixture, half the cottage cheese and half the shredded cheese. Repeat another layer with remainder of pasta, meat, cottage cheese and shredded cheese.

Pour cornbread mixture over the top.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cornbread is nicely browned.



*** For more recipes, check out my photo blog:

Dennys Photo Gallery: Beautiful Yummy Artichokes and 11 Recipes



Photo Credits:

Shepherd's Pie photo by WordRidden @ flickr

Tamale Pie photo by greencolander @ flickr

Artichokes photo by joyosity @ flickr

Artichokes at the market photo by NoiseCollusion @ flickr

Beautiful peppers photo by Bisbi @ flickr



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Muffin Monday: 5 Yummy Breakfast Muffins

*** Skip the coffee shop muffin, make your own, save some money and save a whole lot of calories too.





From Denny: Here are five tasty muffin recipes to tantalize your taste buds, changing up your morning routine. They also come with calorie counts, ranging from 171 to 283 calories for each muffin. That sure beats the usual coffee shop muffins that often weigh in at a whopping 700 calories each!


All-Bran: Our Best Bran Muffins

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups regular all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups Kellogg's All-Bran cereal

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1/3 cup soft shortening or vegetable oil


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

Measure All-Bran cereal and milk into a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cereal is softened. Add egg and shortening. Beat well.

Add dry ingredients to cereal mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion batter evenly into 12 greased 21/2-inch muffin-pan cups.

Bake about 25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Per muffin: 171 calories, 4 grams protein, 8 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 25 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 223 milligrams sodium






Applesauce-Oatmeal Muffins

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

MUFFINS:

1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg white, lightly beaten

TOPPING:

1/4 cup Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups or spray bottoms only with cooking spray.

For the muffins: Combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl; mix well. In a medium bowl, combine applesauce, milk, sugar, oil and egg white; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix. For the topping: combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

Fill muffin cups almost full with batter. Sprinkle with reserved topping, patting gently. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cool muffins in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan and serve warm, if possible.

Per muffin: 180 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 140 milligrams sodium, 31 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams protein - Nutritional analysis from quakeroatmeal.com






Basic Muffin Recipe

From: Shirley Coleman, Baltimore International College, published in the Baltimore Sun

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter or salad oil

2 eggs (slightly beaten)

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla (or another extract)

added flavoring: 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

Place all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.Combine all liquids in a separate bowl. Mix the liquids into the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries. Mix until just combined; do not over mix. Batter will be lumpy. Fill greased or paper-lined cupcake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Serve warm.

Per serving: 213 calories; 4 grams protein; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 56 milligrams cholesterol; 272 milligrams sodium






Blueberry-Yogurt Streusel Muffins

From: Anne Byrn, published in the Baltimore Sun

Yield: Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

MUFFINS:

vegetable oil spray (see note)

1 package (18.9 ounces) blueberry muffin mix

1 container (6 ounces; 3/4 cup) yogurt of choice

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

TOPPING:

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature


Directions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mist the bottoms of 12 muffin cups with vegetable oil spray. Set pans aside.

Prepare the muffin batter: Remove the package of blueberries from the muffin mix and set it aside. Place the muffin mix in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center. Place the yogurt, eggs and vanilla in a small mixing bowl and stir with a fork. Combine and break up the egg yolks.

Pour the yogurt mixture into the well of the muffin mix. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon until just combined, 20 strokes. Pour the reserve blueberries into a strainer, rinse them under cold, running water and drain well.

Fold these blueberries into the batter along with the fresh blueberries. Stir another 10 strokes just to combine. The batter still will be a little lumpy. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling it three-quarters of the way full. Set the pan aside.

Prepare the topping: Place the brown sugar and flour in a small bowl and stir together. Add the butter, mashing it with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. With your hands, sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of this topping onto each muffin. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake until muffins are lightly golden and just spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for minutes.

Run a dinner knife around the edges of the muffins, lift them up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips, taking care not to disturb the streusel. Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. The muffins are ready to serve.

Note: Anne Byrn recommends using a vegetable oil mister (an empty pump that can be filled with fresh vegetable oil) rather than commercial vegetable oil sprays.

Per serving: 221 calories; 4 grams protein; 6 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 46 milligrams cholesterol; 230 milligrams sodium






Bran Muffins


Yield: Makes 9 large or 12 medium muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Post Grape-Nuts cereal

1 cup sour milk

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 large egg, well beaten

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour


Directions:

Soak Grape-Nuts in milk until soggy. Add, sugar, egg, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix thoroughly. Add flour and mix only enough to moisten flour. Fill greased large or medium muffin pans about 2/3 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes to 30 minutes for medium muffins, or until golden-brown.

Per serving (large muffin): 283 calories; 5 grams protein; 1 gram fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 63 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fiber; 26 milligrams cholesterol; 316 milligrams sodium

Tester Laura Reiley's comments: "These are sweet, dense, deeply nutty flavored muffins. It's the cereal that adds the hearty taste of bran. You wouldn't know it's Grape-Nuts, but those little nuggets add to the texture, giving the finished muffins a denseness that's very appealing. "You needn't sour the milk, but if you want to, add a few drops of lemon juice to a cup of milk and allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour. Like lots of bran-muffin batter, the batter can be kept, tightly covered and refrigerated, for up to a week."



*** Photo of bran muffin with tangelo fig compote topping by norwichnuts @ flickr



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor