RECIPES

Blackberry Breakfast Muffins

 

(makes 12 muffins)

 

Butter for greasing muffin tin
1½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup 2% milk
⅓ cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh blackberries
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin wells in the muffin pan. Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Mix well with a fork, and make a well in the middle. In another bowl, whisk the egg with a fork, pour in the milk, and combine, then whisk in the ⅓ cup melted butter. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. It should be lumpy. Do not overmix! Add the blackberries and turn gently to distribute. Spoon into muffin pan, dividing evenly, filling each well about ½ full. Bake at 350 for 10 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the cinnamon with the ¼ cup sugar. Melt the ¼ cup butter in a small bowl. Remove the baked muffins from oven. While still hot, remove each muffin from the pan, dip into the melted butter, and then dip into the sugar.

 

Raspberry Quick Bread with Vanilla Glaze

 

1 teaspoon vinegar
1 cup milk
2¼ cups flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons) at room temperature
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup regular sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 pints fresh raspberries (may use fresh blueberries or halved small strawberries)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a bread baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the long sides. Butter the interior ends of the pan. Pour the vinegar into the 1 cup of milk and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the eggs. On a slow speed, add the flour in batches, alternating with the vinegar-milk and berries. Add the vanilla and beat. Bake around 60 to 70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Lift out of pan with the parchment “wings.” If using a small loaf pan, bake the remainder of the batter as small cupcakes for 16 minutes or giant cupcakes for 20 minutes.

 

Vanilla Glaze

 

3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1½ tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Krista’s tip: For easy cleanup and application, make this in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup.

 

 

Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 to 40 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, the cream, and vanilla. Stir or whisk until thick and smooth. Pour over cooled bread.

Strawberries and Cream Torte

 

Cake

 

¼ cup flour
5 slightly heaping tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs at room temperature
3–4 tablespoons warm water
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8- or 9-inch baking pans. Cut parchment paper for the bottoms and insert. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, and baking powder. Set aside. Separate the eggs into two mixing bowls. Four egg whites go in bowl one. The 4 egg yolks go in bowl two.

Lightly mix the egg yolks with the warm water. Add half the sugar and beat.

Beat the egg whites on a low speed until foamy. Then increase to medium speed. Beat to soft, moist peaks. Add the remaining half of the sugar and beat. Do not overbeat! They should still be a little bit soft.

Stir the flour mixture into the egg yolks. Add the vanilla. Gently fold the egg yolks and egg whites together until the flour cannot be seen and everything is incorporated. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. When touched, it should be firm but spring back. Remove from oven, place on kitchen towels, and immediately loosen by running a knife around the edges. Place a plate over top, and grip with the towels to flip. Peel off the parchment paper. Flip from plate onto cooling rack. Cool before frosting.

 

Cream

 

4 teaspoons of cold water or cold heavy cream
1 packet (about 1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream for whipping
¼ to ⅓ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

 

Pour the 4 teaspoons of water or heavy cream into a small pot. Sprinkle the gelatin over it. Give it a few minutes to thicken. Meanwhile, beat the 1 cup of heavy cream until it begins to thicken and take shape. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip. Do not overbeat! Place the gelatin over medium-low heat and stir constantly until gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool, but don’t allow it to set. (If it should set, try reheating and stirring to dissolve it again.) While slowly beating the cream, pour the gelatin into it. Whip at high speed until it holds a stiff peak.

 

Assembly

2 to 3 16-ounce packages of fresh strawberries

 

Set aside 3 or 4 pretty strawberries for the top. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a serving plate. Top with cream and spread. Hull and halve the strawberries (or chop them if you prefer) and arrange on the cream. Place the top layer over the strawberries. Spread cream over top and sides. Ideally, you will have enough strawberries to halve them and place them around the base, point up. If not, then pipe cream at the base and on the top. Add halved strawberries to the top.