Raspberry Muffins

The children are fighting.  “How many have you had?”  “I’ve only had 2.”  Then they uncover the potential for the discrepancy: “Mom, how many have you had?”  This time – 3.  Usually – 0 (because they won’t share).  Who raised them??? 

This goes against everything that David is: it comes from a box.  It is the best kitchen hack for me right now.  I have tried other berry muffin recipes and I have (yet) to find a replacement to the box.  If you have one, save my marriage – send it!

Ingredients:

• 1 box (16.9 oz) Betty Crocker Wild Blueberry muffin and quick bread mix
• 1 cup raspberries (note: I typically use frozen raspberries and break them into smaller pieces with the smooth side of a meat mallet/tenderizer so the smaller raspberry pieces are “everywhere” in the muffin)
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs

Follow the directions on the box, except you don’t use the can of blueberries.  Mix the muffin mix with the water, vegetable oil and eggs.  Once that it blended, pour in the cup of raspberries and fold them in gently.  Line your muffin pan with paper liners.  Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. 

Bake at 425 (or 400 for dark or nonstick pans).  Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

This recipe will make 12 muffins (which means 4 per kid in our house – unless the mom sneaks one, or 3, to make it even).

Creamy Cole Slaw

A true friend is one where you can pick up exactly where you left off and the time and space between you doesn’t seem to matter.  Sing.  Sing a song.  Sing out loud.  Sing out strong: “I’ll Be There.”  “Lean on Me.”  “That’s What Friends are For.”  “With a Little Help From My Friends.”  “Thank You for Being a Friend.” 

I’d like to be friends with Bobby Flay.  Among other things, he has this great recipe for creamy cole slaw.  (If you prefer a vinegar based cole slaw, be sure to revisit this recipe for Carolina Cole Slaw).  As a side or as a topping to David’s pulled pork from the Big Green Egg (now you're going to want to be friends with David), this dish is a great sidekick.

Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage, finely shredded (or 1 bag of Fresh Express Angel Hair Cole Slaw*)
• 2 large carrots, finely shredded, optional
• 3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 2 Tbsp grated Spanish onion (or ½ Tbsp onion powder)
• 2 Tbsp sugar, or to taste
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp celery salt
• Salt and freshly ground pepper 

*If you use a bag of cole slaw, cut the other ingredients in half.  You can always add to it if you want more creaminess.

Combine the shredded cabbage (and carrots) in a large bowl.  Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture.  Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning.  Add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.

Pound Cake

I’m all about the slogan.  It’s the marketing genius that sticks with you.  "Betcha can’t eat just one."  Correct – the Lay’s potato chip and I are good friends.  "Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Sara Lee."  Enjoy a slice of their pound cake while working your way through all of those double negatives which somehow cross-cancel into a positive statement.

If you have the time, make a pound cake from scratch.  This recipe from Southern Living is titled “Classic Southern Pound Cake.”  This might be southern but not sure about “classic” as most pound cake recipes do not include cream cheese (although no one is complaining around here about the smooth, moist result).  Paula Deen and some others use shortening; Ina Garten uses buttermilk; another used sour cream; the purists are straight butter.  The Mann family taste testers do agree that the cake tastes better with a topping of fruit.

“I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” – Alka-Seltzer

Happy Labor Day!

Ingredients

• 3 C granulated sugar
• 1 ½ C (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• ¼ C half-and-half
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 C all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 300ºF with oven rack in center of oven. Grease and flour a 10-inch (14-cup) bundt pan.

Beat sugar, butter, and cream cheese with an electric stand mixer on medium-high speed until very fluffy and pale in color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs,1 at a time, beating on low speed just until yellow disappears after each addition. Add egg yolks, half-and-half, and vanilla, and beat on low speed just until blended.

Stir together flour and salt in medium bowl; gradually add to butter mixture in 3 batches, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Remove bowl from stand and scrape batter. Using a spatula, stir batter once by hand, scraping sides and bottom to incorporate any unmixed batter. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and gently tap pan on counter to release any large air bubbles.

Bake in preheated oven until cake is golden and a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes (note: mine took closer closer to 1:40/1:45). Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove cake from pan, and cool completely on wire rack before slicing and serving, about 2 hours.