Cranberry Muffins

 Cranberry Muffins!

My first merit badge in 'Girl Scouts' was for baking muffins. I've been addicted ever since!

Cranberries are wonderfully tart, crisp, and make nice muffins with a bit of grated orange rind.

This recipe is an old favorite I've used for many years. One of my pet peeves is a muffin that is very gluey. A muffin should rise quickly, and brown nicely. Muffins should be a little dry in consistency as well as moist yet crumbly.  


Cranberry Muffins 

2 C Flour

3/4 C Sugar
2 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
4 Tbsp Melted Unsalted Butter (cooled)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 C Milk
1 Egg
1 C Cranberries
1-2 Tsp grated orange rind

Grease large muffin tin or 2 small muffin tins.
Pre-heat Oven to 425.

• Wash, drain cranberries. 
• Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, add cranberries to dry mixture, toss to coat. 
• Add cooled butter, milk, and egg (beat egg slightly before adding to dry ingredients). Grate orange rind. Mix ONLY until all are moistened. 

• Fill greased muffin tins to just about the top. Sprinkle with pastry or regular sugar.

• Bake for 20 minutes (Large) or 12 minutes for small. I usually set my timer a few minutes before to be certain they don't burn. (Do not open the oven during baking or the muffins might drop).

• Remove from oven to wire racks. Cool for 3 minutes.Loosen edges only with a sharp knife. Allow to cool until just warm. Remove from tins to wire wrack.

I hope you'll love these muffins as much as I do!

Enjoy!

Refrigerator Pickles

Refrigerator Pickles

This summer I decided to make pickles! I had an excellent source from my one vine this year. 

It was such a hot summer here I made the refrigerator variety. They are very easy to make and the rewards are almost instantaneous! 

Supplies: Quart size canning jars. Depending on the size of the slices you will use 4 Quart size or 6 Pint size jars. Most supermarkets sell the jars and the plastic lids for refrigerator canning.

Clean jars and plastic lids in hot soapy water. Set aside to air dry.

Recipe

10 pickling cucumbers (approximately 6 Cups sliced)

3 Onions Sliced
4 Cups Vinegar
4 Cups Sugar
1/3 Cup Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Tsp Tumeric, Mustard Seeds, Celery Seed

Slice cucumbers to 1/2" or desired thickness. Slice onions. (I used a ridged knife to get the rippled effect for pickles).

Layer onions and cucumbers in jars. 
Pack VERY tightly. 

Combine vinegar, sugar, and spices over low heat to dissolve sugar. 

Mixture will be hot. (Do not boil). Remove from heat once mixture is blended.

Ladle hot slurry over jarred cucumbers and onions up to 1/4" from rim of jar. 

Wipe rims clean and seal jars with plastic lids. 

Refrigerate for 24 hours. 

Pickles will last up to one year in fridge.

Enjoy! 

Portuguese Chourico

Recently on a cold snowy day I decided to make a 'HOT' Portuguese sandwich of Chourico with Peppers and Onions.


The picture below lists the ingredients that make up Chourico.

I purchased the ground Chourico at my local supermarket. Chourico is also sold in links by many other companies here in New England. I decided to try the ground sausage for a change and ease of use.

• 1 Pkg of Chourico (either ground or link style)
• 1 Lg Green Pepper Diced
• 1 Tbsp Minced garlic
• 1 Onion Diced
• 1/2 C Tomato Sauce
• 1/4 C Water
• Hot Pepper Flakes to taste

• Brown Chourico in saucepan

• Add all the rest to browned Chourico
• Cover lower heat and simmer till peppers and onions are tender (about 20 mins on medium low heat)

Serve hot on any type roll you'd like.  Add a little Port Wine and ENJOY!!