Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

These blueberry oatmeal muffins are simple to make using honey rather than sugar.  I found this recipe on the Sally's Baking Addiction blog after seeing another recipe for Oatmeal Muffins.  

1 cup whole milk
1 cup rolled oats (not Quick oats)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 salt
1/2 unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 cup honey
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Combine milk and oats.  Set aside for 20 minutes so the oats puff up and soak up some moisture.  While the oats are soaking, melt and cool the butter.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 12 count muffin pan or use liners.  I use the tulip liners.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl until combined.  Set aside.

Whisk the melted butter, honey, egg, and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until combined.  

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir a few times, then add the soaked oats mixture and blueberries.  Fold everything together gently just until combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter into the liners, filling them all the way to the top.  Add a few extra blueberries to the top of the muffin, if desired.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

A super simple cake made with one pound of fresh strawberries!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
3/4 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and halved.  I bought a pound container of large strawberries and had about 6 leftover.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9" deep dish pie pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, and beat on low speed until smooth.  (The batter will be thick).

Transfer the batter to the prepared pie pan and smooth with a spatula.  Arrange the strawberries on top, cut side down, so that they completely cover the batter.

Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries.  

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 50 more minutes (1 hour total) until the cake is lightly golden and a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb from the midwest was available from the farmer's market well into the summer of 2019 due to the cooler and wetter than normal spring.  When fresh strawberries also were available, this recipe was a favorite!

For the Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling:

2 lbs. rhubarb, sliced 1/2" thick (about 8 cups)
1 1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
3 T. cornstarch
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Crisp:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small dice
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3 T. canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the strawberry rhubarb filling:  

In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with 3/4 cup of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In another medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Using a large slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to the strawberries and discard any rhubarb juice.  Add the cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla to the fruit and stir well.  Transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

For the Crisp topping:  Combine all the topping ingredients in a medium bowl.  Using a pastry blender, cut the ingredients together until large crumbs form. I use my hands to blend this so I get bigger chunks of crisp.  

Sprinkle topping evenly over the filling.  Bake for 25 minutes, reduce oven to 325 degrees and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.  

Let crust rest for about 20 minutes before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.

*adapted from a farmgirl's dabbles

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins Recipe

Using the perfect fresh Michigan strawberries from the farmers market in this recipe for the perfect summer muffin.  I used the tulip liners.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling on top)
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
2 cups chopped strawberries (washed and chopped into 1/8 inch bites)

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder.

Cut butter into small pieces and mix into flour with a pastry cutter (or two knives, or your hands) until the mixture is crumbly.

Stir in sugar.  Add milk and stir until just combined.  

Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.  Do not overmix the batter or the strawberries will bleed into the batter.  

Scoop into well greased or parchment lined muffin tins, distribute batter evenly among the 12 cups.  Sprinkle tops with a pinch of sugar each and bake for 400 for 20 minutes.  The tops will be slightly golden and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.

Cool on wire rack.  These can be frozen.  

Zucchini Muffins

I love to make these with zucchini from the farmer's market.  No mixer needed for this recipe.  The tulip cupcake liners are great to overfill the muffin tins.  

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups (packed) grated fresh zucchini

3/4 cups unsalted butter, melted

2 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup raisins or currants (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, then add zucchini and melted butter.  

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt in another mixing bowl.  

Stir the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture.  Stir in walnuts or fruit, if using.

Spray each muffin cup with cooking spray. Fill each muffin cup completely.  If using liners, do not spray muffin cups, line with tulip liners and distribute batter among 12 liners.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes with a toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done.  

Cool on wire rack.  Serve immediately or freeze.

*adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Peach Pecan Crisp

August and it's time for anything peaches, especially an easy peach crisp.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9 inch baking dish (I used a square).  Set aside.

Filling:
5 cups thinly sliced & peeled peaches (about 7-8 not firm peaches.  If they are firm to the touch they are easier to peel and slice).
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Make the filling:  Combine peaches with the flour, sugar, salt and vanilla in a large bowl.  Toss gently until combined.  Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Crisp:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not Quick)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup halved pecans (unsalted)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small dice

Make the crisp:
Whisk the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, salt and pecans together.  Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or with your hands until the mixture is crumbly.  Evenly sprinkle over peaches.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the peach juice is bubbling on the edges.  Remove from the oven, allow to cool on wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

*adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction blog.