Muffins and Memories {Recipe: Honey Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Muffins}

Muffins are the one thing I remember my mom giving me specific instructions on how to make. Usually she just set me loose with a recipe and let me have at it. But with muffins, she actually made them with me. She showed me to mix the dry ingredient together in a medium size mixing bowl, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then add all the wet ingredients into the well. Once all the ingredients are in the bowl, stir until just combined. She told me that small lumps were okay and, most importantly, do not over mix. Of course she is correct, over mixing leads to very tough muffins.

In turn, muffins are one of the first things I taught my daughter, Lili, to make. Muffins are the perfect thing to teach a beginning baker. They are simple and quick to make, and a good lesson on how to mix baked goods properly. The only difference between myself and my mom is I explained a little more about why the muffins get tough. I explained to Lili that mixing activates the gluten which can make things more elastic and chewy. Which is okay in some baked goods, pizza dough for example, but not cookies, cakes or muffins.

Muffins are also great for experimenting. If you have a good muffin base, you can try different stir-ins or try different toppings. The first 8 ingredients of the following recipe make for a good muffin base, although it will only yield about12 muffins. Cranberry Orange is one of my favorite combinations, but the kids prefer them plain, with chocolate chips or dipping the tops in butter, then rolling in cinnamon and sugar.

Honey Whole Wheat Cranberry Orange Muffins

Note that I combine the muffins a little different than how my mom taught me: I mix the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowl, then combine. I still make a well in the dry ingredients, but it is not necessary. 

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 egg
1 cup milk
zest from one orange
3/4 cup low sugar dried cranberries
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 15 muffin wells in a muffin tin(s) with paper liners or grease the wells. 
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium size mixing bowl; set aside. 
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together sugar, honey, and melted coconut oil. Then whisk in egg, milk, vanilla and orange zest. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Stir in cranberries and pecans. 
5. Using an 1/4 cup scoop (ice cream scoop), fill prepared muffin cups. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tester inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Makes 15 muffins

Update: The kids are not fans of the cranberry-orange flavor, so I made them Maple Brown Sugar Whole Wheat Muffins. Using the above recipe, I substituted brown sugar for the granulated, maple syrup for the honey, and butter for the coconut oil. I just omitted the orange zest, cranberries, and pecans. The kids loved them!

Enjoy!

Happy 2017! {Recipe: Potato Beef Bake}

Happy New Year! It has become a tradition in our family to end the year with this casserole. We usually have some sort of roast beef, prime rib and/or brisket, during the holidays and there is always leftovers. So, this casserole is our favorite way to use up those leftovers.

This recipe comes from my mother. It is not the healthiest recipe (I swear she was a very healthy eater), but it is oh so good! I believe dishes like this stand out in my memory because it was not typical of what my mother cooked. When she did make something like this, we loved it!

What is like my mother is not to waste anything, so this casserole is perfect for using up bits of left over roast. It is a great way to stretch out that last bit of a good roast!

Potato Beef Bake

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 cups (or more) cubed beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons buttered bread crumbs (optional)*
6 slices cooked beef (optional)*

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Scrub potatoes and pierce with a fork. Place them in a large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender. Once cooked, remove the potatoes from the water and allow them to cool enough to handle. Once cool, peel off the potato skins; they should just slip off or easily scraped off with a knife. For a more rustic casserole or if you like potato skins, go ahead and leave them on and just cube the potatoes. Place cubed potatoes in a large bowl and add cubed beef and onion; set aside.
3. Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan, whisk in flour, salt, mustard and pepper. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixed; bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and stir in mayonnaise. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the potato/beef mixture in bowl. Give it all a good stir until well combined. 
4. Once combined, pour into a 2 quart casserole and top with buttered bread crumbs.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Arrange beef slices on top and bake an addition 10 minutes. 

*Neither my mother nor I have ever used the buttered bread crumbs or beef slices on top. I just bake the casserole until bubbly and golden brown on top, about 30-45 minutes. 

Enjoy!