Homemade Granola

I am in love with this super simple, versatile granola recipe!  I've tried it with dried cranberries and raisins, my kids prefer it plain, and I've also added mini chocolate chips and walnuts instead of the dried fruit.  My favorite version is with the cranberries and raisins.  You can add whatever you like!

Homemade Granola

5 cups oatmeal (use either whole oats or quick oats; I actually prefer quick oats)
1/4-1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup (I like homemade)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt
a little water (about 1/3 cup)

Options:
dried fruit, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, etc.

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine the first 9 ingredients and mix.  Add dried fruit if desired.  Bake on 2 cookie sheets for 25 minutes.  Add chocolate and nuts after baking if desired.

Vanilla Yogurt Pancakes

• Another pancake recipe but these were honestly the fluffiest pancakes I've ever made and I needed to remember the recipe . i stuck it all in the blendtec and voila!
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• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Vanilla Yogurt

Cheesecake Rice Pudding

 from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

We had some friends over this weekend and they're gluten intolerant, so I wanted to make a yummy dessert that they could eat. I love rice pudding, so I was excited when I came across it, knowing that it was also gluten free! It was sooooo yummy! Everyone loved it!

Cheesecake Rice Pudding
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Pudding:
• 4 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups cooked medium grain rice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten and brought to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Variation:
• 6 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened to room temperature
• 2 tablesoons powdered sugar 

1. Pour 3 1/2 cups of the half-and-half, cooked rice, sugar, and salt into a large 3 to 4 quart pot. Stir constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon or flat silicone spatula until the mixture thickens, 25-35 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Place the beaten egg in a medium bowl. Slowly add a spoonful of the hot pudding to the egg, whisking vigorously and constantly. Continue to temper the egg with 3-4 more spoonfuls of the hot pudding, whisking constantly. Add the tempered pudding and egg mixture into the pot of hot rice pudding, stirring quickly to incorporate. Return the pot to medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture boils.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the last 1/2 cup of half-and-half and the vanilla extract.
4. Stir the softened cubes of cream cheese into the hot pudding. Add the powdered sugar and stir well until the cream cheese is fully melted and incorporated. Transfer the pudding to a large bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to avoid a skin forming and refrigerate until ready to serve. The pudding can be served warm, room temperature or cold and will keep well covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Breakfast Enchiladas

I made these breakfast enchiladas for our blessing brunch.  They are so, so good and very easy to make.  The recipe is technically an overnight recipe (make it the night before and bake it the next day) but the first time I made it I just cooked it right away and the second time I put together the burrito the night before and then poured the egg mixture on the next morning and baked it right away.  Super good and super tasty.  You can just add whatever you want into the burrito!

Breakfast Enchiladas

Recipe from Inspired Taste Blog

Why we love this recipe. You can prepare these enchiladas the night before, refrigerate overnight then bake in the morning. These are perfect for brunch or entertaining in the morning.

What you need to know. We kept the recipe below quite simple with ham, cheese and peppers, but feel free to add your favorite ingredients. Cooked bacon or sausage would be great as well as other vegetables like mushrooms.

Equipment you’ll need. You will need a 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, two large bowls and a whisk.

Created By: Joanne and Adam Gallagher

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups (151 grams) diced cooked ham
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 8 green onions, finely sliced
• 2 cups (227 grams or 8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 10 eight-inch flour tortillas
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups (473 ml) half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Method

Prepare Baking Dish

1. Lightly spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Roll Tortillas

1. In large bowl, stir together ham, bell pepper, green onions and 1 cup of the cheese. Place 1/3 cup of the ham mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.

Prepare Egg Mixture

1. In large bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, flour and the salt. Pour over the tortillas. Cover then bake or refrigerate overnight to be baked in the morning.

Bake Enchiladas

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Uncover baking dish then scatter the remaining cup of cheese over enchiladas. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover, and then bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until set and cheese melted.

Classic Bran Muffins

photo courtesy of allrecipes

So, living in the "country" definitely has it's benefits, but also it's drawbacks.  Last night we ran out of propane, and no propane = no heat or hot water.  This morning our house was 53 degrees.  Brrr!  Outside it is 19 degrees and it is supposed to snow today.  I was craving something warm for breakfast, so I was happy to find this bran muffin recipe.  I made it vegan by substituting rice milk for the buttermilk, and it turned out delicious!

Classic Bran Muffins
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups wheat bran (I used bran flakes)
1 cup buttermilk (substitute rice milk or any other milk)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line muffin cups or spray with cooking spray.  Mix together wheat bran and milk.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Beat together oil, egg, sugar, and vanilla and add to milk/bran mixture.  Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir flour mixture into bran mixture, just until blended.  Fold in raisins and spoon into muffin cups.

Bake 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

Its no secret that I love breakfast food and I definitely have my favorite recipe for waffles.  However, I'm always up for trying something new.  In this case, I'm so glad I did.  I might be adding cinnamon to waffles from here on out.  We served this with maple syrup, fresh whipped cream and bananas.  So delicious.

courtesy

Cinnamon Belgian Waffles

Recipe from allrecipes.com

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 Tbs. white sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pinch ground cinnamon (add more if you prefer)

Preheat your waffle iron.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, buttermilk, and butter until well blended.  Whisk in all dry ingredients- don't overmix.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer until stiff.  Fold gently into the waffle batter.  Cook batter in waffle maker until steam subsides.  This makes about 3 large waffles- so if you are cooking for a crowd, I would definitely double the recipe.

Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins

I pinned this as soon as I saw it on Mel's Kitchen Cafe (my fave cooking blog) because it looked so yummy and healthy too! I'm not a big muffin person- I'd rather have a cupcake! But, these looked justifiable. So, this morning, I had some bananas that were getting brown so I whipped up a quick batch. And, they were SO good! And, I felt okay about eating them for breakfast because they were 100% whole wheat!

Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins

*Note: You can sub the equivalent amount of wheat germ for the oats, if you like. Also, I prefer white whole wheat to red whole wheat due to it’s lightness, but either kind of whole wheat flour can be used here.
*Makes 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cups quick or regular oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, lightly mashed
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 teaspoons flour
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric stand mixer), beat together the butter, yogurt and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. In a blender or food processor, process the oats until they are finely ground. Add the wheat flour, baking soda and salt and pulse one or two times until the dry ingredients are lightly combined. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the lightly mashed bananas. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Toss the blueberries with the 2 teaspoons flour and then gently fold them into the muffin batter. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (watch the muffins carefully since each oven may vary slightly in temperature affecting exact baking time). Let the muffins rest in the pan for about 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Bell Green Smoothie

I've had a few requests for our family's "green" smoothie. We have been eating this EVERY SINGLE morning for months and months and months and I can honestly say it's expanded my children's palates and also given me more energy during the day. Even Eloise loves it! By the way, it's not always green-colored. It's often a brownish-purplish-greenish hue. Oh, and this isn't an exact science- the measurements are very estimated! So, here it is:

Bell Green Smoothie
serves 5

 2 c spinach leaves
3/4 c kale
1/2 to 3/4 c carrots
1 tomato
2 Tbl ground flaxseed
1/2 c water (or a little less)

Blend all ingredients on high until very blended. Then add:

1 1/2 bananas (not too ripe- it makes it very yucky)
1/2 peach
1 to 1 1/2 c frozen strawberries
1  to 1 1/2 c frozen tropical fruit OR frozen berries (we alternate every other day)

I usually pile all the frozen fruit on a plate and microwave it for about a minute and a half until only slightly thawed (this makes is easier/faster to drink b/c it's not as thick and cold). Add all the fruit to the veggie mixture and blend on high until well blended. Enjoy!!!

Favorite Buttermilk Syrup

This is just a slightly different recipe from the other Buttermilk syrup on this blog, but I think I like it a little bit better.  The other one sometimes doesn't work out for me.  If you have that problem, too, give this one a try!

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 Tbs corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Melt butter in a 4 qt pot over stove, add other ingredients except baking soda.  Turn on medium high and bring to a bubble of a boil, then add soda.  Remove from heat.

Green Smoothie

photo from lindawagner.net

Never thought I would be a morning smoothie girl but this is my new favorite go-to breakfast.  I like to add about a teaspoon or orange juice concentrate...

Green Smoothie 

From lindawagner.net

This recipe is super simple. All you need is a blender and the following ingredients:

§  1-2 bananas

§  1/2 cup frozen peaches

§  1/2 cup frozen mango

§  a couple handfuls of spinach

§  water

§  ice (if desired)

Add enough water to blend and enjoy, that’s it! Forget the dehydrating morning latte and get the glow with a Green Smoothie instead.

Strawberry (or Raspberry) Cupcakes

photo from realmomkitchen.com

Okay, funny story.  I had my back turned when Jake first tried these.  The noise he emitted scared me.  I turned around, very worried, and asked if he was okay.  His eyes were shining and he had an ethereal look on his face.  Then  he cried.  No, I'm kidding.  But he did say these were it--I mean IT!  His favorite!  **I'm not a huge fan of strawberry as the original recipe called for so I did raspberry.  I'd do it again just to see Jake's face.



Strawberry Cupcakes

Recipe from realmomkitchen.com

Cupcakes:

• 1 white cake mix


• 1 (3 oz) box of strawberry gelatin


• 2/3 cup canola oil


• 1/2 cup of frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed


• 1/2 cup water


• 4 eggs

Frosting:

• 2/3 cup frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed


• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened


• 6 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.


2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cake mix, gelatin, oil, 1/2 cup of the strawberries, and water until combined.  Then beat in the eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated.


3. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full with batter, do not over fill.  If you have extra batter then make a couple more cupcakes because if you over fill the liners the cupcakes will spill over the edges and you will have more of a flat top cupcake.


4. Bake at 350 for about 16 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow to cool.


5. Place the 2/3 cup of strawberries into a blender and puree.  Place the butter in a bowl and using a mixer beat until smooth.


6. Add half the powdered sugar to the butter and beat until all combined and fluffy.  Then beat in the strawberry puree until well blended.


7. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar until combined and fluffy.  Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.

Impossible Quiche

Pic courtesy Google Images

I made this for Eloise's blessing brunch and people loved it! I've been making this for years and it's actually from Mom's recipe collection. I love it and it's so easy.

Impossible Quiche
Rosalee Byers

1 1/2 c milk
6 Tbl butter, softened (or you could really get by with less)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 heaping cup of Bisquick or other quick mix
pepper to taste
any veggies, meat, cheese you like

Preheat oven to 350. Combine milk, butter, eggs, salt, and Bisquick in blender. Pour in to greased 10" pie pan or 8x10 casserole dish. Put any meat, veggies on top and poke it in with a fork. Put a thin layer of cheese and season with pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until edges are slightly brown and middle is firm. Let stand for 10 min. to set.

Homemade Vanilla Granola

photo from favfamilyrecipes.com

I am going all granola-ey!  Okay, that was lame.  I love making granola lately.  This makes such a huge batch, it's really moist, and super tasty!

Homemade Vanilla Granola
Recipe from favfamilyrecipes.com

8 c. oats
2 c. sliced almonds
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
craisins or raisins, to taste (optional)
3/4 c. canola oil
1 c. honey
3 Tbsp. vanilla (use the real stuff if you have it-- it tastes much better)

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Combine first 8 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a large bowl. In a saucepan combine oil, honey, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute then pour over oat mixture. Mix until all ingredients are moistened. Divide and spread mixture over 2 large cookie sheets and bake at 300-degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on pans until the granola hardens (it may be a little chewy and that's ok.. if you prefer it not to be chewy at all, allow to dry completely). Break up granola and store in large Ziploc bags or containers. Serve plain, with yogurt, or with milk.

Breakfast Pockets

photo from budgetgourmetmom.com

I am not gonna lie.  These were to die for...and so versatile!  You can put anything in the middle!  I froze about 20 of these and they were delicious just nuked in the microwave a little bit.  The dough is DELICIOUS!

Breakfast Pockets

Recipe from budgetgourmetmom.com

Dough

§  1 1/2 tblsp yeast

§  1/2 c warm water (110 degrees)

§  3/4 c evaporated milk (110 degrees)

§  1/2 c vegetable oil

§  1/4 c sugar

§  1 egg

§  1 tsp salt

§  3 1/2 c flour

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in the water. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough flour until it makes a soft dough but do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Once the dough is done, punch down. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 7 in circle on a floured surface. Top with 1/3 c filling, fold, and pinch shut. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Filling

§  1 lb bulk sausage

§  1/2 c onion, chopped

§  1 1/2 c frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed

§  7 large eggs

§  3 tblsp milk

§  1/2 tsp salt

§  1/2 tsp pepper

§  1/2 tsp garlic salt

§  pinch of cayenne pepper

§  2 c cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain. Add the hashbrowns, eggs, milk, and spices. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and keep warm.

To Freeze:
Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, place in the freezer until frozen. Store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for 3-6 months. To reheat, place on a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

Apple Fritter Muffins

photo from chasingsomebluesky.blogspot.com

These were really, really good!  I thought the process was a bit lengthy, but I guess that's what it takes! 

Apple Fritter Muffins  

From chasingsomebluesky.blogspot.com

For the Apples:
2 large granny smith apples, 1/4 inch dice
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp water

1/3 cup flour

For the Muffins:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

For the Glaze: 
2 tbsp butter melted 
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla 
1 tbsp hot water 

Directions: 

1.            Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

2.            Line 14 muffin cups with muffin liners 

3.            In a skillet add add apple ingredients except flour and cook over medium heat until apples are tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in flour to coat apples (this prevents apples from sinking to bottom of muffins)

4.            In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5.            In a large bowl beat together applesauce, oil, and sugars till smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix thouroughly  

6.            Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined. 

7.            Spoon batter into cups, filling the cups, and smooth tops. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups. Bake until muffin tops are a pale golden and springy to the touch, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time.

8.            Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 10 minutes before glazing. 

9.            To make the glaze, In a medium bowl mix together the melted butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth. 

10.          When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the muffin top into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. Once hardened, dip a second time and allow to harden before serving.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

Pic courtesy How Sweet It Is

I saw these a few weeks ago and instantly knew I had to make them. A way to feel good about eating chocolate chip cookies? I'm sold. And, they were every bit as good as they sound. They almost tasted healthy. Christian went nuts over them.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

from How Sweet It Is

makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose) (I used all-purpose)

1 cup rolled oats (I used quick oats)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk (any kind will do)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Add oats to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk. Let soak for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the first few steps of the muffins.

In a large bowl, combine egg and brown sugar and whisk until smooth and caramel in color. Add in vanilla and butter, whisking well. Try to smooth the batter as much as possible – there still may be some small butter chunks. Add flour, oat mixture, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix. Add remaining milk and combine until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with lines and pour about 1/4 cup batter into each line. Optional: Sprinkle the tops with raw turbinado sugar. (I didn't do this and I loved them plain.) Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with butter!

Cowboy Casserole

photo from thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com

I made this for some friends before General Conference.  It was delicious!  The selling factor for me was that I could make it the night before so I didn't have to wake up early the next morning!

Cowboy Casserole

 From the cutting edge of ordinary blog

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 80/20)

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can (15.25oz) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons sour cream

1 bag (30 oz) frozen tater tots (I used Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns)

Before I got ready to make this casserole, I let the Crispy Crowns sit on the counter to defrost for an hour or so. The original recipe used still frozen tater tots, but I felt they wouldn't cook as well if they were still frozen solid.

In a large skillet cook the onion until tender and translucent. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the beef and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain the mixture and place into a large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the soup, milk and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Add to hamburger mixture and stir to combine. Add corn and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Gently mix to combine.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the Crispy Crowns on the bottom, pour the hamburger mixture over the top and then layer with the other half of the Crispy Crowns. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crunchy.

*Note - The second time I made this I prepared it the night before and stuck it in the fridge overnight. I took it out about an hour before I wanted to bake it, just so it could come to room temperature a bit. I think it was even better than the first one

Strawberry Cheese Danish

photo from life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

So danishes are one of my weaknesses whenever I stay in a hotel and have breakfast there.  When I saw this recipe it immediately stuck out to me.  Here is what I would do differently: I don't love strawberry jam, especially when it tastes fake!  So I would do just cream cheese or use blackberry or blueberry preserves--but that's just me! 

Strawberry Cheese Danish

From Life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com

Strawberry Cheese Danish

·                     1 tube (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls

·                     4 ounces cream cheese, softened

·                     1/4 cup sugar

·                     2 tablespoons lemon juice

·                     8 teaspoons Strawberry preserves

Glaze:

·                     1/4 cup powdered sugar

·                     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

·                     2 teaspoons milk

Directions:  Seperate dough into four rectangles. Seal perforations. In a small bowl whisk together cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Spread 1/4 of the mixture onto each rectangle. Roll up from long side; pinch edges to seal. Holding one end, loosely coil each.

   Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Top each coil with 2 teaspoons preserves. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or golden brown.

   For glaze, in a bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth and drizzle over each danish. Makes 4 danishes.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

photo from alexandracooks.com

Oh, these are so, so good!  Let me say that again, these are so good.  These beat out blueberry muffin boxes any day!

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake  alexandracooks.com

Serves 6-8

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup + 1 T. sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Sweet Fruit Muffin

Photo from Tasty Sensations blog

Super yummy!  I made these with a mixed frozen fruit from Costco...super good and nutritious feeling!

Sweet Fruit Muffins

Recipe from tastysensations.blogspot.com

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. pure almond extract
2 c. fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 c. chopped strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and almond extract, mixing just until incorporated. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries and stawberries, and stir into the batter. Mix the rest of the whole blueberries and chopped strawberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar. Makes a dozen very large muffins, or 24 mini muffins + 6 large muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown, and tops spring back when lightly tapped (about 18-20 minutes for mini muffins)