To Die For Blueberry Muffins

There are a million ways to make blueberry muffins and I was looking for a new one to try. These did the trick. They were moist and oh so delicious. --Mark

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 

¾ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

⅓ cup vegetable oil

1 egg 

⅓ cup milk, or more as needed

1 cup fresh blueberries

½ cup white sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour 

¼ cup butter, cubed

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and add enough milk to reach the 1-cup mark. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls always seem like such work, but every once in a while we get the hankering to put in the time and effort to try making them. This was a reasonable recipe and the results were great. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/2 cup white sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs

FILLING:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

GLAZE:
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 T half-and-half cream

Instructions:

Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly brush the far edge with water. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and 3/4 cup brown sugar and sprinkle over the rectangles. Then sprinkle the raisins and chopped nuts over the dough. Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam.

Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces; place the pieces in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan, or 12 inch deep dish pizza pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, combine the corn syrup with the vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar and enough cream to make a thick glaze; set aside. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls and serve warm.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Overnight-Cinnamon-Rolls-I/Detail.aspx

Blueberry Bread

Every year we buy fresh blueberries in 20-lb boxes and eat a lot of them. And then we're left with bags and bags to freeze. Not a bad thing. Tossing them into a blueberry bread for breakfast is awesome. We love to make this as 3 mini loaves and then eat them toasted. It is so good, and not too terribly sweet. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
3 T vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Mix together beaten eggs with the sugar. Add milk and melted shortening or vegetable oil.

Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Combine mixtures, stirring only until blended. Carefully fold in fresh or frozen blueberries and broken walnut pieces.

Pour into greased 5 x 12 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50-60 minutes. Cool in pan but try to turn it out of pan before it is totally cool. It will be easier to remove. Can also be made in a normal size loaf pan or can be made into 2 pans.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blueberry-Bread-I/Detail.aspx

The Best Banana Bread

I'm not sure who gets to say it's the "best" banana bread, but it certainly competes with any other basic banana bread I've eaten. --Mark

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x5 inch pan.
Cream margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, then bananas. Add flour and soda, stirring just until combined.
Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 1 hour (or till toothpick comes out clean). Remove from pan and let cool, store in refrigerator or freeze.

Notes:

Add salt, cinnamon, use half white and half brown sugar, use half flour and half oats, sub applesauce, add blueberries, walnuts, flax, whatever.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Banana-Bread/Detail.aspx

Sweet Rolls

Here is another great recipe that came from one of Stacy's college roommates, Katie. These are simple sweet rolls, but very good. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 pkg yeast (about 2 T)
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
4 3/4 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten

Filling
butter
cinnamon
sugar

Glaze
1/2 stick butter, softened
powdered sugar
milk
1 tsp vanilla

Ingredients:

Mix yeast and water. Set aside.

Heat the milk and add the sugar, oil, and salt. Allow to cool and then add 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Add the yeast and 2 beaten eggs. Beat again until smooth. Add the remaining flour slowly. Once the dough is smooth, allow to rise until doubled.

Spread out the dough into a large rectangle. Spread butter over the dough and fill with cinnamon and sugar. Roll and cut into rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Mix glaze ingredients until smooth, adding sugar and milk as necessary. When rolls are baked top with glaze and allow to cool.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

We don't make this often, but this is a great quick bread. It can also be made into muffins. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
chocolate chips
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Instructions:

Mix all together. Dust the bottom of a bread loaf pan with flour. Pour in the batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

Notes:

Bake 12 muffins for 24-27 minutes. Bake mini muffins for about 18 minutes.

Orange Rolls

These beauties are courtesy of Tauna, one of Stacy's college roommates. Well, they are her mother's recipe, but whoever concocted these is a genius. They take some work, but are so worth it. --Mark

Ingredients:

Dough
1 oz. yeast cake
1 T sugar
1 stick butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Filling
2 T orange rind
3/4 stick soft butter
1/2 cup sugar

Glaze
juice of 1 orange
1 lb box powdered sugar

Instructions:

Crumble yeast cake and sprinkle sugar on top. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. melt one stick of butter and pour the milk over it. Heat to a lukewarm temperature. Pour over the yeast and sugar and set aside.

Beat eggs and 1/4 cup sugar. Add to the yeast mixture and mix. Add salt and flour (one cup at a time) and mix until a smooth dough is formed. Store in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Knead. Let rise for 3 hours.

Mix the ingredients for the filling and set aside.

Divide dough into 2 balls and roll into circles for crescents. Spread filling evenly over the two circles. Cut them into triangles, like pizza. Roll each triangle from the edge to the point, forming a crescent. Let rise until they double in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Watch them carefully.

Mix juice and powdered sugar to make the glaze. Top the baked rolls with the glaze.