muffins...

I got a new toy this week, a muffin pan with leaves and pumpkins. Perfect for autumn gatherings so today I gave it a try making blueberry muffins from a recipe I had saved a while back.
I had fun using a the leaf shaped ones and made some lemon flowers to go with them and my tea. How do all those other blog authors get their lemon slice to float perfectly center in the cup? Impossible I say :)
I know I originally got this recipe from another blog but I am sorry I don't remember which one.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

1 stick softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 c. 2% milk (or cream)

1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixer cream the butter, cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest until well combined. Slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. With mixer on low, add half the flour, then half milk or cream, then remaining flour, then remaining milk until just combined. Carefully fold in blueberries. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and fill with muffin batter, about ¾ full. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through. Remove and let cool.

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Breakfast with the Birds...

Join me this morning as I had my breakfast in the garden surrounded by birdsong. With blossoms popping out everywhere...the gazebo is the best place to enjoy a meal alone just taking in the beauty everywhere. The tamarisk tree in the background is blooming in full pink beauty. This tree is also called a tamarix by many nurseries but I prefer the "old" name as it was referred to way back in Genesis 21:32.
Of course, I had to get out one of my sets of bird plates to fully enjoy the breakfast with the birds experience ;)
Robins, bluejays and mourning doves came into feed while I quietly ate breakfast but the first to entice me to lift my camera was this hummingbird feeding on the honeysuckle vine.
I think I love looking at it's shadow photographed as much as the bird itself!
I know of at least three pairs of wrens nesting in the yard but the constant chatter is everywhere so there could be more. This one was the closest and went about feeding her young while I was eating.
Watching Mrs. Wren come out of the house over and over while feeding her babies reminded me that I am asked often on the garden blog how many bird houses I have. After fininishing off the muffins, I decided to count. Check out today's post on Marsha's Garden to find out the answer.

The blueberry muffin recipe is from the Joys of Family Cooking recipe book published by the Believer's Fellowship Mennonite Church in Meeker Co, MN. The contributor of this recipe was Lucy Miller.
Marvelous Blueberry Muffins
2 C. all purpose flour
2/3 C. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 C. milk
3 T. melted shortening or vegetable oil
3/4 C. blueberries

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Measure remaining ingredients into a hollow in the dry ingredients. Stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

My notes: We like lots of blueberries so I use the whole pint of berries. Make sure to stir just until mixed.

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a Madison YUMMY!

Yesterday as I was checking out the other posts in Foodie Friday, I came across this post from The Bloom Girls. It featured a video segement a la "cooking show" with the lovely Madison Grace, a 4 year old baker. Let me just say, it was the most entertaining 4 minutes and 42 seconds of video, I have watched in a long time. It brought back such wonderful memories of the late 80's when my sister lived in Japan and we would send her home videos to keep in touch. My daughter, Jayme, and niece, Ashley, who were just a little older than Madison would make cooking videos to send. Yesterday, Madison showed us how to make carrot muffins with cream cheese filling...even without Madison's recommendation that with a glass of milk they were YUMMY, I knew would have to try them.

Let me just say...these are the BEST!

I opted for coffee with milk rather than a glass of milk but it was a perfect breakfast. Oh, what a beautiful morning...

oops, as my cup says...Oh, what a birdiful morning...
he does have a carrot colored background ;)

Recipe from Karyn at the Bloom Girls

Carrot Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling - Makes 12 Muffins

Batter:
1/3 cup softened butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (compressed down into the cup)
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (you can subsitute, whole wheat or organic)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Filling:
4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions:

Mix together filling ingredients (cream cheese, sugar and orange peel) until well blended, set aside

In a different bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy with mixer. Add milk, orange juice and eggs until well mixed. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnomen and stir into creamed mixture until moist. Stir in carrots, dried cranberries and walnuts (if including)

Using paper lined cupcake pan, fill each liner 1/3 full of carrot batter mixture, then add about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese filling and then another 1/3 of carrot batter mixture. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Test with a wooden toothpick to ensure they are done. (the toothpick should come out with tiny crumbs or no uncooked batter) Cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan to wire rack to continue cooling. Store these in the fridge!

My Notes: I didn't have dried cranberries in the house so I omitted them and we love pecans so I used pecans instead of walnuts. We'll be making these again and again!

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Jeff - Thumbs UP