Grandma's Apple Muffins

This weekend my son and I went apple picking at Tougas Farm in Northboro, Massachusetts. 

We hopped on the caravan pulled by a tractor and headed out to the apple orchard.

 The staff told us which varieties of apples were ripe for picking - some varieties were great for baking while others were great for just munching. We had a good time filling up our bags and headed back to the tractor that brought us back to the farm stand where we paid for our apples. 

There's a nice store with produce and baked goods. You can grab a sandwich if you like and eat at picnic tables. The kids will enjoy visiting farm animals and you'll all enjoy some fresh air. 

Today I made these delicious apple muffins - a recipe I got from my sister Dottie. I used the Honeycrisp variety that we picked. 

Grandma's Apple Muffins

Prepare the Streusel topping. 

Streusel topping: 

In a small bowl mix together until crumbly:

 1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 c. melted butter or margarine. 

Set aside.

For the muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons each baking powder and cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 cup chopped apples

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk - see substitution below 

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Buttermilk substitute: Pour 1/2 TB distilled white vinegar into a liquid measuring cup, then add enough milk to reach the 1 cup line. Stir, then let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes. (Remember to use only one half cup of this buttermilk substitute for the recipe.)  

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, and cloves. Add apple and walnuts; toss to coat.

In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork; then beat in buttermilk and butter. Add flour mixture; stir just until blended.

Fill greased muffin tins 2 thirds full. Sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean - 15 to 25 minutes for regular sized muffins; 30 to 35 minutes for a 9 inch square coffee cake. Makes 36 miniature, 12 regular sized, 3 to 8 jumbo sized, or 1 9inch square cake.

My sister thought 2 TB of butter was all that was needed. I thought 1/4 cup was fine. :)

Enjoy!

Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters - Banana Bread

Several years ago, I got the chance to see the Brass Sisters in person at Northeastern University. These baking wizards performed their magic for us at the Xhibition Kitchen - an intimate venue where you can see chefs in action and purchase signed copies of their books. 

The Brass Sisters' book is a work of art in itself. It's beautifully illustrated with gorgeous photographs and colorful designs throughout.

 

Here's the banana bread recipe from Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters - More than 100 Years of Recipes Discovered from Family Cookbooks, Original Journals, Scraps of Paper, & Grandmother's Kitchen

Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 1/3 cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium banans)

1 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom and ends of a 9-inch by 5-inch by 3-inch loaf pan with a single strip of wax paper or parchment paper. Coat the pan and paper liner with vegetable spray.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.

3. Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg and bananas and combine. Add sifted dry ingredients. Fold in nuts.

4. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until tester inserted into loaf comes out clean. Cool on rack. Serve with butter and orange marmalade. Store covered with a paper towel and wax paper at room temperature.

*A personal note: This banana bread is not very sweet. Thus, the authors' recommendation of serving with butter and orange marmalade makes perfect sense.

From the Brass Sisters: This handwritten recipe for a thrifty staple uses those overly ripe bananas most of us usually have on hand. Most of the banana breads we've tried use mainly vegetable oil, sugar, and bananas. This recipe calls for melted butter. With our addition of finely chopped walnuts, it has more the flavor and texture of a banana cake.

 

Nigella comes through again

Sometimes I look through my recipe books and decide on something I want to make before I actually go food shopping. :) 

Since Nigella Lawson never disappoints, I went with her Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach, and Pine Nuts. It sounded great.... and it was. 

Here is the recipe, verbatim, and some photos to prove that I actually made it. :)

Curly Pasta with Feta, Spinach, and Pine Nuts

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 TB garlic flavored oil (I cut a clove of garlic and put it in olive oil)

1 onion, peeled and sliced

salt and pepper to taste

 1 pound of cavatappi, fusilli, or other short pasta (I used Fusilli Lunghi - long pasta)

1/4 tsp. allspice

1pound frozen leaf spinach, preferably organic

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

3-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

Put abundant amounts of water on to boil for the pasta. 

Toast the pine nuts by tossing them about in a hot, dry, heavy-based frying pan (for ease use one that will take the sauce later) until they become golden, then remove to a cold plate.

Heat the garlic flavored oil in the pan and add the onion slices. Keep them on a lowish heat, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes, until soft. If they look like they're getting too brown, sprinkle with a little salt (to help draw out the juices and slow down browning).

When the water comes to a boil, add salt and then the pasta.

When the onion is ready, add the allspice. Then add the frozen spinach; you need to keep stirring this to help the frozen spinach melt consistently. 

Just before you drain the pasta, scoop out about an espresso cupful of cooking water and add to the spinach sauce mix. 

Crumble the feta into the spinach sauce, stirring as the billiard baize of spinach becomes creamy with the cheese melting into it.

Stir in 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan before tasting to see if you want to add more. 

Drain the pasta and toss into the feta spinach sauce to mix, then season to taste. Decant into a, preferably warmed, serving bowl, then add the toasted pine nuts and toss though before serving. 

Nigella says that the leftovers make a great salad if you add some lemon juice and olive oil, a sprinkling of salt and a grinding of pepper. 

Enjoy!