Cottonwood Cooking

1 c. blueberries or raspberries
2 T. flour
1 c. flour
1/2 T. + 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. light margarine (I can’t believe it’s not butter light)
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. 1% or skim milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease or line 12 muffin tins. Sprinkle 2 T. flour on berries and stir. In small bowl, whisk four, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream margarine. Mix in sugar, egg, and vanilla. Alternate mixing in the milk and flour mixture. Fold in berries. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes.

Weight Watchers – 2 points each (around 100 calories)

3 c. flour (may use 2 c. bread flour & 1 c. pastry flour or 3 c. all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/4 c. cooking oil
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple (juice pack)
1 c. ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. walnuts, chopped

Grease 12 jumbo or thirty 2 1/2 inch muffin cups or line with paper cups. In very large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine eggs, oil, undrained pineapple, banana and vanilla. Stir into flour until just combined. Fold in nuts. Spoon into prepared muffin cups until 3/4 full (this batter doesn’t rise as most muffins do – its heavy). Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes for jumbo or about 20 minutes for 2 1/2 inch muffins. Makes 12 jumbo or 30 regular muffins.

1 package Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1 box (small size) instant chocolate pudding mix (dry, not mixed)
3/4 cup water
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, FROZEN, just place in the freezer overnight
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

These muffins are so good and they freeze well:

(use the mini chips, they blend into the batter better than regular chocolate chips)

Mix cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs, oil and extract with a mixer until smooth. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips and blend well. Spray muffin tins with vegetable spray, fill the tins 3/4 full. Bake 350: for 20-25 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean-make sure to not over bake or they will be dry. I use a jumbo muffin tin and get 6 very large muffins plus about 6 regular ones. The jumbo muffins will need about 5 extra minutes of baking time.

The recipe calls for only 1 cup of chocolate chips but I add extra because we like more.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Chocolate Chip Muffins serves/makes 12

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 lemon grated (about 3 tablespoons). Use fruit, juice and peel.
(Reserved some of the grated lemon peel for the glaze – see below)

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

Beat together cream cheese and butter until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. Beat in lemon. Combine and add flour and baking powder and beat until blended. Do not overbeat.

Spread batter evenly into a greased 10-inch tube pan and bake in a 350° oven for about 35 minutes, or until top is browned and a cake tester, inserted in center, comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan.

When cool, remove from pan, drizzle top with Creamy Lemon Glaze and allow a little to drip down the sides. Serves 10.

Creamy Lemon Glaze
1 tablespoon heavy cream/whipping cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
½ cup sifted powdered sugar

Stir together all the ingredients until blended.

{from Easiest & Best Coffee Cakes and Quick Breads by Renny Darling.}

Comments/recommendations about the recipe:
Author had a description for “grated lemon” means to use the grated fruit, which includes the peel, juice and fruit. The lemon can be grated on the 3rd largest side of a 4-sided hand grater, by using short, quick strokes. If the lemon is very thick-skinned, peel off the zest (the yellow part) and remove the pith (the white part). Finely chop (not puree) the zest with the fruit in a food processor. Author states a lime can be used instead of a lemon.

Recommend using a springform pan for ease of removing the cake, but it isn’t necessary. If not use a tube pan, the cooking times can very. Also, note because the cake contains cream cheese, the tester may not come out completely clean – just make sure the tester doesn’t come out with uncooked dough. The cake should have a firm visual texture on top, and start to become golden brown at the edges (most will still be yellow).

For the glaze, if the glaze isn’t thin enough to drizzle, add a little more of the cream at a time until you get the consistency you want. If you need to thicken it (i.e. added too much cream), add in a little more powdered sugar.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg
1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled pears (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In anouther bowl, beat the egg, yogurt, oil and molassess until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in pears, raisins, and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined miniature muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks.

If using regular-size muffin cups, bake for 18-22 minutes.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter or margarine
1 egg
1 cup milk
16 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely chopped

Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
5 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed
2 tablespoons cold butter or margarine
1 cup vanilla chips
1 tablespoon shortening

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg and milk; stir into dry ingredients juut until moistened. Fold in chopped cookies. Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full. For topping, combined flour, sugar, and crushed cookies. Cut in butter until crumbly; sprinkle about 1 tablespoon over each muffin. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt vanilla chips and shortening until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

Yield: 1 dozen.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup flaked coconut, divided
1/4 cup sweeted condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Combine milk, egg and oil; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon 2 tablespoons into 12 greased or paper lined muffin cups.

Combine 1 cup coconut, condensed milk and extract; place 2 teaspoonfuls in the center of each cup (do not spread). Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen.

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
6 tablespoons oil

1 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (dried blueberry also works)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Beat together first 6 ingredients until blended. Combine and add the next 5 ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix. Fold in the blueberries and pecans.

Divide batter between 4 greased mini-loaf pans (6x3x2-inches) and bake at 325 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tested, inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pans and continue cooling on a rack. When cool, brush tops with Creamy Glaze.

Creamy Glaze
1 tablespoon heavy/whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

Stir together all the ingredients until blended.

To toast the nuts:
Place nuts in a thin layer of a shallow pan and toast in a 350 degrees F oven for 8 minutes, stirring now and again.

1 egg
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt (can use sour cream instead)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup finely chopped ripe and peeled nectarines (about 2)
{don’t puree – it will increase cooking time)

1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

10 thin slices of nectarine (about 1/2 nectarine)
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

Beat together first 6 ingredients until blended. Combine and add the next 6 ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are just blended. Do not overmix.

Spread batter in a 12×8-inch greased fluted pan (with a removable bottom) and place nectarine slices decoratively on top. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center, comes out clean. {If it is baked in a 10-inch round springform pan, it will take about 55-65 minutes.} Allow to cool in pan.

When cool drizzle top with Sour Cream Glaze in a decorative fashion.

Sour Cream Glaze
1 tablespoon sour cream (can substitute plain unflavored yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

Stir together all the ingredients until well blended.

To make Cinnamon Sugar
Place 1 cup sugar and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a glass jar, with a tight fitting lid, and shake until blended. If you like it spicier, add more cinnamon to taste.

1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Muffins:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons grated orange peel

Combine the raisins, sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

Combine topping ingredients; spoon 1 teaspoonful into 12 greased muffin cups. (Use all of the topping mixture.) Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat egg, milk, honey, butter, and orange peel. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with raisin mixture. Top with remaining batter. {When batter is added, you may need to spread in out a bit to fill the muffin cup — batter is thick.) Bake at 375 degrees F for 16-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes. Invert the pan onto a lightly buttered foil-lined shallow baking pan. Serve warm.