Fruit Muffins

This week, I was reminded of a simple muffin recipe that we enjoyed quite a few years ago.

The variation of ingredients added to muffins are too numerous to count but sometimes simple is best.

I don’t remember how this recipe came to me but it has been in my collection for a good number of years.  I made it often when the kids were growing up.

The ingredients for these Fruit Muffins are simple and can easily be found in most kitchens.  The half cup of pureed fruit however may require a little creativity.

I originally used apple sauce and don't remember when I began using the small jar of strained baby food. Perhaps it was the only pureed fruit on hand at the time as well as the realization that it was exactly the amount needed to make a batch.

Today I took a stroll along the baby food aisle in the grocery store looking for a small jar of strained apricots. For some reason apricot had always been my flavour of choice for these muffins but I'm sure any fruit flavour will work as well.

It‘s been a while since I've made my way down the baby aisle.  Some things have changed like the price of these jars which has more than tripled and a new type of plastic container now available. I chose to stay with what I knew best and purchased the classic glass jar that I remember well. I can’t say how many memories these muffins have brought back along with their delicious taste and soft cake like texture.

Rediscovering an old recipe is just as good as finding a good new one!

Fruit Muffins
2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1/3 cup oil (corn, canola)
1 egg
1 small jar strained fruit or 1/2 cup pureed fruit any flavour

1. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda and make a well in the center.
2. Blend or mix together milk, oil and egg together.
3. Pour into center of dry ingredients, add pureed fruit and stir together just until blended.  Do not over mix.
4. Fill paper lined muffin wells and bake at 375 degrees F. for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
5. Remove from muffin pan and cool on wire rack.
6. Brush with melted butter and dip tops in a bowl of sugar.  (optional)
7. Makes 7 to 8 large muffins.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Save time by measuring out a few extra batches of dry ingredients leaving only the preparation of wet ingredients when you bake the next batch.
• A dash of freshly grated nutmeg will go into my next batch, I can almost taste it already!
• Dipping the tops into sugar is optional but a great finishing touch.
• These muffins freeze well but are at their best eaten just slightly cooled from the oven although they taste quite good the next day as well.
• Add favourite nuts or fresh fruit like blueberries to the batter for a delicious variation. 

Bartlett Pear Scones with Maple Pear Butter

After baking the Bartlett Pear Bundt Cake a couple of weeks ago I was convinced that pears are absolutely delicious incorporated into baked goods and this recipe for Pear Scones promised to be as delicious.

I'm happy to report that these scones are light, not too sweet, crisp on the outside and very tender on the inside with small bursts of texture and flavor from the pear chunks .

I needed a change from the pie shape as in the Brown Butter Peach and Lemon Scones and cut the scones into squares instead. I’m sure the taste was not affected by the different shape .

I almost didn’t make the Maple Pear Butter that came with the scone recipe but would have truly missed out on something wonderfully delicious. The delicate balance of the pear and maple syrup blends right into the butter complimenting the scones perfectly. 

Pears are a delicious fruit in themselves and adapt well to sweet or savoury dishes. I definitely have a new appreciation for baking with pears since trying new recipes in the past few weeks.

Bartlett Pear Scones with Maple Pear Butter…delightful!

Scones
3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup peeled, cored and diced Bartlett pears ( 1 to 1 ½ medium pears)
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
½ tablespoons coarse sugar (for topping)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together.
3. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until butter is the size of peas.
4. Stir in buttermilk, maple syrup, pears and pecans if using.
5. Turn mixture onto a lightly floured board and knead several times until dough is smooth.
6. Press into a 10 inch circle and cut into 10 wedges.
7. Separate wedges and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Serve warm with Maple Pear Butter

 






Maple Pear Butter
1 large ripe Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
¼ cup soft butter
1 ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup

1. In a small saucepan simmer pear over medium heat until liquid has evaporated.
2. Let cool slightly then stir in butter and maple syrup.
3. Butter can be made ahead and refrigerated.

 

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• Make sure pears used are ripe to maximize flavour especially for the Maple Pear Butter.
• Don't over work dough for a tender scone texture, blend just until ingredients are well incorporated.
• Scones freeze well.

Carrot Pineapple Loaf

Once a year I find myself looking at a ten pound bag of fresh carrots that I have purchased and wonder why.  Although unlikely that the carrots will be used up before they lose their freshness it has become somewhat of a fall tradition to make such an abundant carrot purchase.

After sharing a few pounds and baking some carrot muffins there were more than enough left to try a new recipe.  My recipes for carrot cake, muffins and bread have been enjoyed for years but I remember a while back coming across a new carrot recipe in a magazine while waiting in the dentist’s office. 

I have encountered my share of disappointment in magazines found in doctor’s offices.  The page number printed on the front cover for what promises to be a great recipe turns out to be the missing page.  Being very sensitive to this total disregard of my fellow man or woman I have vowed never to tear a magazine page out but rather scribble the recipe on any piece of paper I can find in my purse at the time.

This Recipe for Carrot Pineapple Loaf is scribbled on an opened, used envelope which had no reason to be in my purse but was a welcomed sight when I came across it.

 It was an easy recipe to find in my file since it was the only one written on an old envelope  Unlike the recipe for French Gougere which had a long thirty year wait I got around to trying this recipe in two short years. 

Besides carrots being the star ingredient, the crushed pineapple and shredded, sweetened coconut make for interesting texture and taste but much to my surprise don’t seem to add extra sweetness.

Perfect with a good cup of coffee!

Carrot Pineapple Loaf

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

½ cup oil

2 teaspoons orange rind

2 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups grated carrots

1- 14 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

½ cup shredded sweetened coconut

1. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with double thickness of parchment paper.
2. Beat together until light and fluffy eggs, sugar, oil, orange rind and vanilla.
3. Sift together dry ingredients and make a well in the center.
4. Add wet ingredients and stir just until well blended.
5. Stir in carrots, pineapple and coconut.
6. Place batter in pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the middle of loaf comes out clean.

Notes, Tips and Suggestions

• A light dusting of confectioners' sugar though not absolutely necessary tops the loaf off nicely.
• I had omitted the baking time by mistake when copying the recipe from the magazine but my oven took close to an hour to bake. Check for doneness after 45 minutes then continue to bake if necessary.
• Didn't get a chance to freeze any although I think it will freeze well.