:: Elf-Food Recipes


September 26th, 2013

Some new Muffins from yesterday's baking session 



Clockwise from Bottom Left:
1) Coffee / Date / Slivered Hazelnut
2) Peanut Butter / Chocolate Chip
3) Blueberry / Banana with extra lemon zest
4) Fruit-Mincemeat / Pear /  with extra Raisins


Closeup of the Mincemeat Pear muffs.
Oh... Delicious. Can't decide which of yesterday's varieties I like best.
The coffee ones are pretty good, especially in the morning.
The peanut butter ones are so rich it's like eating cheesecake almost.
The mince ones are so flavourful and moist.
Thankfully they are all IN THE FREEZER and out of harm's way!

Recipes to follow though I am not sure when -
the days are getting hectic with corporate quote requests for parties and promotional crackers on top of all the usual cracker work.
Not quite at the 18 hour days just yet but getting close...
A friend brought me some tomatoes from his father's garden so I made some wonderful sauce with them over the past 2 days and decided to pick up some red peppers to stuff using the sauce for a very special treat.
Red peppers give this dish just a little extra bit of flavour and richness
and my friends tomatoes are amazing
coupled with garlic, cheese, fresh basil and portobello mushrooms.
Can't wait - will upload pictures and recipe for that as well
...when time frees up! 



Cheers Everyone
♥♥
from your Chief Cracker Elf,
Gillian





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Elf hours are long most of the year but come the end of September - the beginning of October they get longer still and by November 1st they run into 18 hour days. By this time, when energy and nutrition to keep the Elf-spirit thriving is so important, the time and energy to do so have vanished. Having quick, nutritious food in the freezer is a necessity so mid-August each year I begin preparing food for the freezer - soups, stuffed peppers, muffins and breads.  This year I added canning (jam, pickles, and relish) as well and fruit prep for the freezer. It all helps to keep an old elf burning the candle well into the night.





Cheers Everyone

♥♥
from your Chief Cracker Elf,
Gillian



Here are some Muffin pics:

For some reason muffins seem to improve in flavour after freezing.
Pop into the microwave right out of the freezer - for 30-35 seconds.
Don't over heat!
Or, pop frozen into your lunch bag for the office and it will be perfect by noon!

Hint:  When making several recipes of muffins at once, use paper muffin liners to minimize the washing up job and to keep the production line moving!

Banana date raisin walnut muffin - close up image





Applesauce Cinnamon Raisin Butterscotch Muffins
Applesauce Cinnamon Raisin Butterscotch Muffins

Recipe:

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
1 3/4 cups applesauce
3 cups flour
1 tblsp cinnamon
dahs of nutmeg and/or allspice if desired
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sale
2 cups raisins
Approx. 200 butterscotch chip-its


Method:


Lightly beat eggs.  Add sugar, oil & applesauce. Blend thoroughly.

Mix raisins into dry ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to liquids. Blend.
Fill muffin liners with about a heaping tblsp of batter.
Place 7 or 8 butterscotch chips over each.
Continue filling with batter to top of liners.
Optional: You can sprinkle brown sugar on top of each muffin before baking.

Bake: 375 for 15-20 minutes
Yield: Makes 24 medium muffins

Watch carefully; don't over bake!

Banana Date Raisin Walnut Muffins
Banana Date Raisin Walnut Muffins

Recipe:

1 (or up to 2 cups) mashed (mature) bananas
3/4 cup white sugar (or 1/2 cup honey)1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup melted butter (or marg)
Less than 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp salt


1 3/4 white flour or mix with cracked wheat or whole wheat flour - your choice!
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped dates (make sure you find all the pits!)
1/2 (or up to 1) cup of raisins
1/2 cup walnuts


Method:


Place the walnuts in a warmed pan on the stove at low-med heat for about a minute or so, shaking or stirring the nuts gently.

Mix the dates, raisins and walnuts into the flour mix.

Add sugar and egg to mashed bananas.
Add meleted butter.
Add dry ingredients.
Stir just long enough to blend.
Fill medium 
paper muffin liners pretty much to the top

Bake: at 350 degrees (375 if your oven is 'slow')
Bake for 18 to 25 minutes - Cook long enough so that the muffins no longer have a 'wet' look but not so long that that they start looking 'dry'.

Yield:
10 to 12 medium muffins


Blueberry Banana Lemon Muffins
Blueberry Banana Lemon Muffins

Recipe:

 1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 (generous) white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup milk
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup melted butter (or marg) (though 1/3 would still be ok)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 mature banana, well-mashed
Grated peel of 1/2 or 1 lemon - to taste


Method:

Mix dry ingredients; add blueberries.

Combine remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture and stir until just barely moistened.

Bake: @ 375 for 20 minutes.

Yield: 
Makes 10 to 12 medium muffins,
Watch carefully; don't over bake!











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