Blueberry Muffins

Here is a recipe that is easy to pull together with common ingredients that you likely have in your pantry. I especially like the lemon that is used to flavor the top of the muffins and might use more lemon next time I make these muffins. If you do not have a lemon on hand, grated orange rind would work fine. The nice thing about making your own muffins, you can adjust the flavors to fit your preferences. Here, the recipe calls for one cup of blueberries, but I used a little more than a cup because I especially like blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, which do not need to be thawed, but can just be mixed into the batter frozen.

Blueberry Muffins 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 Tbsp. sugar 
• 2 tsp. grated lemon rind

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat egg; add milk and melted butter to egg. Add in dry ingredients, stirring until flour is just moistened. Add blueberries. Spoon into greased muffin pan. Mix two tablespoons and grated lemon rind together. Sprinkle lemon sugar onto each muffin. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Brownies Deluxe

Mom is a fan of brownies, so her recipe box has a number of brownie recipes. This recipe included the option of adding peanut butter chips, so I had to give it a try. With the addition of the peanut butter chips, these brownies are reminiscent of Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies. But these brownies are slightly more cake-like than the cookies, so it creates a different taste.

When I made these cookies, I did not have chocolate syrup on hand, so I made my own. To make chocolate syrup, add one-third cup water, one-third cup cocoa powder, and one-third cup sugar to a saucepan. Heat until boiling, then continue to boil while stirring continuously for about three minutes. Stir in a dash of salt and dash of vanilla. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Brownies Deluxe 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour, cocoa, and soda, alternating with syrup to the creamed mix; stir in peanut butter chips. Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Chocolate Babka

This recipe does not come from Mom's recipe box, but who can resist Chocolate Babka. It is so delicious. Making babka requires a good amount of time and effort but it is worth it. Like many, I was first introduced to Chocolate Babka by Seinfeld. Babka is a sweet yeast bread made by rolling out and twisting the dough to create many thin layers of filling and dough. Since learning about babka, I have tried many babkas from various bakeries. 

As Elaine asserts on Seinfeld, Chocolate Babka is the best babka, but cinnamon babka is pretty good too. Curiously, one secret to this particular Chocolate Babka recipe is that there is some cinnamon mixed in with the chocolate. I have enjoyed many babkas, but I really love to have it while it is still warm from the oven. 

Chocolate Babka 

• 1/2 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
• 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup + pinch sugar
• 1 whole egg + 1 yolk (save egg white for egg wash)
• 2 cups flour + more for work surface
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 10 Tbsps. butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• Streusel topping (1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 2 Tbsp. butter)

Pour warm milk into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast and pinch of sugar over milk; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1 egg yolk. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add egg mixture and mix until flour is incorporated. Add 6 tablespoons softened butter and mix until flour and butter are completely incorporated and a soft dough is formed. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to double in bulk (about one hour).

Place chocolate, 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon in bowl and stir to combine. Cut in 4 tablespoons until well combined. Punch down dough and transfer to floured surface. Let rest for five minutes. Roll out dough into a 16-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Brush edges with egg wash. Crumble most of the chocolate filling evenly over dough, leave 1/4 inch border. Roll dough up tightly like a jelly roll. Pinch ends together to seal. Twist 5 or 6 times. Brush top of roll with egg wash. Crumble remaining chocolate on the left half. Fold right half of the roll over the left half. Fold ends under and pinch to seal. Twist roll two turns and fit into greased loaf pan. Brush top of loaf with egg wash. Crumble streusel topping over top. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 325 and bake until deep golden brown, about 5-15 minutes. Allow to cool in pan. Enjoy!

Cheese Cake

There are many recipes for cheese cake. I can't say that I have a favorite because I like them all. This recipe makes a deliciously creamy cheese cake. I like eating cheese cake on its own, but cheese cake is often served with some fruit or fruit preserves which nicely complement the creamy cake.

Some cheese cakes bake at a low heat in the oven for a long time. This recipe relies on higher temperature, so it spends less time in the oven. The hardest part in making this cheese cake is waiting for it to cool before it can be eaten because it smells so good coming out of the oven.

Cheese Cake 

• 1 1/4 cup graham crackers (crushed)
• 1/4 stick butter (melted)
• 1/4 cup sugar

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Press into the bottom and sides of the pie pan. 

• 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip softened cream cheese in a mixer. Add sugar and eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and pour into graham cracker shell. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.

• 1/2 pint sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over cake. Bate at 475 for 10 minutes. Cool. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcut Cake

For Megan's Birthday this year, I made this delicious cake. When looking through Mom's recipe box for a cake recipe, I was looking for a recipe that Meg would like. She does not like chocolate cake but does like strawberries. This cake was just right. The strawberry flavor added a nice sweetness to the golden cake. I frosted this cake with whipped cream before decorating it for her Birthday. But the cake would be just fine without any frosting. While baking, the marshmallows rise to the top and create a nice top layer.

The recipe calls for using frozen sliced strawberries in syrup. I had frozen sliced strawberries, but I did not have any frozen in syrup. So I made my own strawberry syrup by adding about a cup of strawberries to a little bit of water and a third of a cup of sugar to a saucepan, simmered for about 15 minutes until the strawberries begin to break down. Because the syrup is to be mixed with the two cups of strawberries, I did not strain the syrup, but added it to the strawberry slices with some lumps. 

Strawberry Shortcut Cake 

• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 2 cups frozen sliced strawberries in syrup
• 1 package (3 oz.) strawberry jello
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs

Generously grease bottom of 13x9 inch pan. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over bottom of pan. Thoroughly combine completely thawed strawberries with syrup and dry gelatin; set aside. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat three minutes on medium speed, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Pour batter evenly over marshmallows. Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Hungarian Pot Roast

In the winter, a hearty meal can be so comforting. This pot roast recipe is no exception. Although it does take some time to prepare, it is worth it. I think the paprika, caraway seeds, and sour cream make this particular pot roast Hungarian. The flavors are delicious and comforting on a cold winter day. Better still, there will be leftovers that will make all the work for this meal worthwhile.

When I made this pot roast, I made bread to go with it. But next time I might try some egg noodles to mix in with the gravy. And despite some lumps, this gravy was delicious. So when you have some time to prepare a filling meal, give this pot roast recipe a try.

Hungarian Pot Roast 

• 5-6 pound roast (chuck, rump, round)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed beef bouillon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. caraway seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1 cup sour cream

Trim any excess fat from meat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy kettle over medium heat. Add meat. Brown well on all sides, turning just as it browns (about 15-20 minutes). Remove meat from pan; set aside. Saute onion in fat remaining in pan for five minutes or until golden. Sprinkle onion with paprika. Cook one minute. Return meat to pan. Add 1/2 cup water, bouillon, bay leaf, and caraway seeds. Cover pan. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low so liquid just simmers--there will be only occasional small bubbles. Simmer, turning meat occasionally, about four hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat to heated platter to keep warm. Remove and discard bay leaf. Skim fat. Blend 1/2 cup water with flour in small bowl until smooth paste is formed. Stir into pan. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Lower heat. Stir in sour cream gradually. Heat but do not allow sour cream to curdle. Slice meat and serve with gravy. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I often start the new year off with a cake. This recipe certainly fits that trend. This pound cake has just the right density and moistness that you might expect for a pound cake. It has a classic flavor that is delicious on its own or can be accompanied with any frosting, whipped cream, or fruit.

Mom's recipe calls for using an angel food cake pan, which is a tube pan. I do not have a tube pan, but my bundt pan worked just fine. This cake looked so good when it came out of the oven that is was hard to wait for it to cool. In truth, we let it cool a little but had our first pieces while it was still warm. Because I did not put frosting on the cake, I plan to eat the leftover cake warmed up.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake 

• 1/2 pound butter
• 2 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar; add cream cheese and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add dry ingredients alternating with sour cream; beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Bake in a greased angel food cake pan for one hour and five minutes at 350, or until cake is done. Enjoy!