Lemon Blueberry Muffins

From the milk calendar

Yield

12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup gran. sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350, line 12 muffin pan with paper liners
  2. In a small bowl, toss 2 tbsp of the flour with blueberries.
  3. In medium bowl whisk together remaining flour cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy, beat in egg until blended.Beat in lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla\Using a wooden spoon, stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with milk.
  5. Gently stir in blueberry mixture
  6. Spoon into prepared muffin pan
  7. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes and then on wire rack

English Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 small egg whites
  • fine cornmeal

Directions

  1. In a large bowl pour in lukewarm ( 110F ) water. Add instant yeast, baking soda and 2 cups of bread flour. Mix till smooth. Allow to sit for 5 minutes uncovered. In the meantime, add egg white into a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You want them to become stiff and moist. Once the egg white have formed stiff peaks; add to dough batter. Using a rubber spatula fold in egg whites till incorporated into the batter. Start to add in the rest of the flour, a 1/4 cup at a time. After the first 1/4 cup mix in salt. When the mixture becomes to hard to mix in the bowl. Pour out onto a flat surface. Knead for about 5 to 6 minutes till it becomes smooth and silky. Add a little oil to a clean bowl and place the dough into the bowl. Turn dough over till all sides are very lightly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest till double in bulk, about 1 hour. Afterwards, pour out onto a flat surface. Press to release some of the air from the dough. Using a rolling pin roll out to a 1/2 inch thick. Allow dough to rest for 3 minutes to relax. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out circles. Place the cut out pieces onto some cornmeal. When you have left over dough just gather together and cut out a few more circles. Sprinkle the tops with more cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 45 minutes. About 5 minutes before you are ready to cook the english muffins turn on your griddle or fry pan to 350F or medium heat. Spray with a little oil spray and once the griddle is hot. Place the muffins on and fry. If you are using a fry pan you may only be able to fry 3-4 at a time. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes. Then turn over and fry for another 4 minutes. Do this once more to a total of 16 minutes.

Easy Sticky Buns

(Adapted from the recipe originally published in Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients by Ina Garten)

Yield

1 dozen

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces
  • 1 package (17.3-ounces/ 2-sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
  • For the filling:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
  3. Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2-inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Be careful – they’re hot! Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon) and cool completely.

Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Yield

1 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast
  • 2/3 cup warm milk (100-110F; low fat is fine)
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • Filling/Topping
  • 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch ground cardamom
  • Icing
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp milk or cream

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Dissolve the yeast in a measuring cup filled with the warmed milk, then stir milk mixture, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and egg into the flour mixture. Mix well, until very smooth. Pour into prepared pan and let rest for 15 minutes.
  2. While the dough rests, mix together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl using a fork until all the butter has been incorporated into the sugar and mixture is crumbly. Divide the batter between 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly on top of rested dough and press the mixture down into the dough with your fingertips (or swirl in with a spatula.)
  3. Place pan into a cold oven, then set the oven temperature to 350F.
  4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bread is lightly browned at the edges and the center of the bread springs back when lightly pressed. Some of the sugar mixture on top may still be bubbling.
  5. Cool for at least 30 minutes before whisking the powdered sugar and milk together to form an icing and drizzling it onto the bread.
  6. Serve warm. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

Dinner Rolls

Yield

1 dozen

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ cup flour
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • 1 ¼ cup water
  • 2 tsp instant yeast

Directions

  1. Mix and kneed several time
  2. Cover and let rise till double 9 3—50 min. Bake 350º for 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. For whole wheat rolls, use 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour and 1 ½ cups flour.