Ingredients
2 packages of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (follow directions on box: requires 2 eggs and Milk)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
¾ cup brown sugar (1/2 cup into mix, save ¼ cup for sprinkling on top of muffins)
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup pecans (3/4 into mix, save ¼ for sprinkling on top of muffins)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease one Texas style jumbo muffin pan.
In a bowl mix two boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix per directions.
Add corn kernels, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans and mix thoroughly.
Spoon batter into each muffin tin. Add dollop of cream cheese into each muffin. Sprinkle pecans and a pinch of brown sugar on top.
Bake as directed. Make sure pecans do not burn on top of muffins.
Sticky Buns
Summary: “These are so amazing, Every single time I make these I get lots of extra love!”
Ingredients
- 1 loaf frozen white bread dough, thawed in refrigerator
- 5 Tbsps white flour, for dusting surface of rolling area
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- Butter-flavored cooking spray
- 1 bag whole unsalted pecans
- Table salt (a sprinkle)
- Molasses (drizzle)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place frozen bread dough in a greased bowl covered by a cloth and let it “proof” overnight. In the morning it should be doubled.
- Roll out white bread dough on a lightly floured or greased surface to form a 15 by 7-inch rectangle.
- Spread ½ stick of the softened butter on the surface of the dough with a brush then spread evenly with ½ cup brown sugar and cinnamon on top.
- Roll dough into a log and cut log into 1-inch slices.
- Use a muffin/cupcake tin to bake the sticky buns. Grease each cup with butter-flavored cooking spray.
- Use the remaining butter and place a dollop at the bottom of each tin, then sprinkle with ½ to 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and 3 to 4 pecans.
- Sprinkle a little salt and a wee drizzle of molasses in each cup, fill each with a dough slice and you are ready to ROCK!
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown and FLIP THEM IMMEDIATELY onto a wire rack or cookie sheet. Serve warm.
Food for Thought: If you cannot find frozen bread loaf dough you can use frozen pizza dough. If you don’t have either get some pre-made cinnamon roles from your grocer.
Green Door Editorial: German Apple Pancake
German Apple Pancake
I’m now writing a Cooper’s Table column for Green Door Magazine, sharing my food and finds. In writing my first column, I shared a recipe that was introduced to me by my friend Andrea Fowler of Keeping It Cozy. I love this recipe a lot. It takes very little effort for a big bang outcome. It’s apple season so you have no excuse not to make this little gem. Make sure you use freshly grated nutmeg…this is an absolute must, ok? Ok! Let me know your thoughts troops by sharing a comment or 10!
Pancake:
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
Filling:
1 lb local tart apples peeled, cored, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
nutmeg
optional: powdered sugar
Instructions:
Pancake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Beat together eggs, flour, salt and milk until very smooth. In a cast iron skillet, melt about 1 1/2 Tbsp butter. When hot, pour in batter and place skillet in the oven. Bake 15 minutes at 450 and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for another 10 minutes until golden brown and bubbly!
Apple Filling: peel, slice and saute apples in butter and sugar. Using a microplane or grater, grate nutmeg into filling. Apples should be medium soft.
Remove pancake from oven, pour apple filling into center and spread evenly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like. Serve immediately.
Blueberries, Bears and Buckle
We’re now approaching blueberry season here in Pennsylvania. While I love blueberries and all the great anti-oxidants and nummy qualities they possess (yes, I’m aware I just used the word nummy), the actual picking of them is a pain in the ass. Today was especially slow going, hot and humid with Jurassic Park sized mosquitoes en masse. Does that stop us from picking? Hell no! We’re cray cray, remember? Each armed with a coffee can and a string attached (see pic below), me and Mark headed out to wrestle mosquitoes and bears for mother nature’s treats. Bears? Oh yeah. Bears LOVE blueberries. Squirrel moment… change of topic. One of my favorite stories is when my friend Ana was blueberry picking and looked up to find a black bear gulping down berries on the other side of the very bush she was picking! She kept on picking and the bear kept on eating as if nothing had happened. That’s our Ana. Now if that were me, I’d leave behind the berries, the can, my cell phone, my pride and Mark in 2 sec with a cartoonesque trail of dust behind me. I think of Ana every time I nervously reach into a blueberry bush with eyes wide open. Isn’t it funny how some stories never ever leave your mind?
Annnnnd we’re back. When we returned to the farm with our harvest, I dove right into making my Blue Berry Buckle, a treat that always gets major points at the farmhouse table. I know you’ll enjoy this recipe for years to come.
Blueberry Buckle
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, 8 tablespoons melted and cooled
1 ½ cups sugar
3 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 cups blueberries
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups whole milk
Instructions:
1. Place oven rack in middle position. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 tablespoons cut-up butter in baking dish and transfer to oven. Heat until butter is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. In food processor, pulse 1⁄4 cup sugar and lemon zest.
3. Roughly mash blueberries in bowl and set aside.
4. Combine flour, 11⁄4 cups sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk in milk and 8 tablespoons melted, cooled butter until smooth. Remove from oven, transfer to wire rack, and pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Dollop mashed blueberry mixture unevenly (in random clumps) over batter. Evenly sprinkle lemon sugar, and bake until golden brown and edges are crisp, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let buckle cool 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Cooper’s Perfect Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unbleached self-rising flour
- 4 Tbsp cold unsalted butter cubed
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup zucchini finely shredded/drained
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and mix thoroughly with your hands/fingers, making sure you are integrating the butter into small crumbles.
On a cutting board, sprinkle a hand full of flour and spread evenly.
Lightly knead dough. Result should be soft and silky, not sticky. Shape dough into round disc. Using your rolling pin, roll dough to 3/4″ thick. It’s better to be on the thicker side. MUCH BETTER!
Cut biscuits out with biscuit cutter (I use a juice glass). Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes. It’s better to underbake then to over bake.
With remaining dough, form another disc, roll, cut and bake until dough has been completely used.
Wonder Eggs
Summary: “This recipe was passed down to me from my mom who used to make this egg dish for us as a special treat when we were good kid. This is the perfect dish to make with the kids!”
Ingredients
- 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 loaf WHITE Wonder Bread…no crusts
- 1 dozen eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Saute peppers and onion until slightly undercooked. Set aside.
- In a greased baking dish, cover the bottom with Wonder Bread slices.
- Lightly whip eggs and milk and pour over bread pieces.
- One ingredient per line.
- Top with cooked peppers and onion, salt and pepper to taste, and then sprinkle with a thick layer of the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake until fluffy and slightly golden brown on top, approximately 40 minutes.
Food for Thought:
You should feel open to adding any options you want to this versatile dish. Try salsa on top with a dollop of sour cream. Add 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes to the egg mixture, pre-cooked bacon bits or sausage or even steamed broccoli and peas….endless possibilities. GET CREATIVE!