Cranberry Wheat Muffins

This recipe for wheat muffins is one that I have been working on for a while. Muffins made with wheat bran or whole wheat flour can be a little tricky because the recipe can easily turn out to be dry and crumbly, which is exactly what you don't want, but whole grains are so good for us that it is worth the effort to make them. This recipe turned out a good muffin that we enjoyed for breakfast last week. The one thing that you might want to do is to add more chopped cranberries for more flavor. Also, do check the baking time at 12 minutes as these muffins bake fast and you for sure don't want to over bake them. Over baking really drys out baked products.

Recipe:

1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries (like Craisens) larger pieces cut in half

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a medium sized 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Beat together egg, butter and buttermilk in a medium size bowl; stir in brown sugar until sugar is dissolved.
3. In another bowl combine dry ingredients and cranberries.
4. Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture and mix just until combined. Evenly distribute batter into muffin cups.
5. Bake 12-15 minutes or until muffins test done with a toothpick.
6. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool.

123 calories each made with whole egg
120 calories each made with egg substitute
1.8 grams fiber each

Peaches 'N Pudding Crisp

This recipe for peach crisp is so good and very simple to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together because canned peaches are used rather than fresh, so precious time is saved by not having to peel fresh peaches, but the flavor is still wonderful. The topping is unusual in that it has a package of cook-and-serve pudding added in addition to the usual flour and oatmeal. Whether I serve it to guests, or just for my husband and I, I always warm it up a little in the microwave and top it with a little vanilla ice cream. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 29-oz or 2 16-oz cans good quality sliced canned peaches, reserve 1/4 cup syrup
1 tablespoon pudding mix

Combine the peaches, syrup and 1 tbsp. pudding mix in an 8" x 8" baking dish.

Topping:

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small package vanilla cook and serve pudding, reserve 1 tbsp. for peach mixture.
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the topping ingredients using an electric mixer until well blended and crumbly. Sprinkle topping over peaches. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and peach mixture is bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings
Tip: Canned peaches in juice can be used in place of the heavy syrup without needing to add more sugar to the dish.

Seasoned Coating Mix for Chicken

This tasty seasoning mix is very fast to put together with ingredients that are usually on the pantry shelf. The recipe makes enough for 4 small or 2-3 large chickens, so plenty if you are going to have a house full of people. I have found that chicken is usually a good choice when it comes to serving guests because very few people dislike it and it combines well with a large variety of side dishes. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons paprika
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Figure 1/2 cup for a 2-1/2 to 3-pound fryer. (I have found that the average fryer is more like 3-4 pounds anymore.)

Directions for use:
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 inch jelly roll pan in a 375 degree oven. Watch carefully so butter doesn't burn. (If you prefer, simply brush the pan with 1-2 tablespoons of oil, but I think the butter gives much better flavor.) Shake chicken, a few pieces at a time, in coating mix in a plastic or paper bag until coated. Place pieces skin side down in the pan and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Turn pieces and continue cooking for another 15-30 minutes or until chicken tests done. If the chicken begins to brown too much, cover it with foil so it doesn't burn.

Tip: For lower calorie chicken, I remove the skin and as much fat as possible and still have gotten good results with this coating mix. You will have to be a little more careful when turning the chicken so the coating doesn't come off.
Tip: This mix would work well for gift giving. Put it in a pretty jar with directions for using on an attached label.

Fresh Cranberry Salad

I know it is way past the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, in fact Easter is just right around the corner, but for me, anytime is a good time for cranberries. I love these tart little berries, and thankfully, so does my husband. So not too long ago I pulled out this recipe to serve alongside a chicken dish. If you don't have fresh frozen cranberries on hand, please do keep this recipe in mind as the holiday time comes around later this year. It is very simple to prepare and very good. I like to serve it to guests because it combines gelatin with fresh cranberries for a sweeter salad. This is nice for guests who don't care for the tartness of fresh berries in conserves and relishes. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 package (6 ounces) raspberry gelatin or your favorite flavor
1 can (8-1/4 ounces)crushed pineapple in juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat water and sugar to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan; boil 1 minute. Add cranberries. Heat to boiling; boil 5 minutes.
2. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Stir in pineapple (with juice) and pecans.
3. Pour into a 6-cup mold or a 8"x 8" pan. Refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours. Unmold on salad greens, such as red leaf lettuce, or cut the pan of gelatin into 9 servings.

Yield: 9 servings
Tips: For a sweeter salad, use crushed pineapple in syrup.
Celery, or other kinds of nuts, make good additions in place of the pecans.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

This pound cake isn't really a pound cake because it doesn't have a pound of butter in it, but it does have a wonderful dense texture and terrific flavor. Another bonus is that it is very easy to make and it freezes beautifully if you would like to make it in advance to have on hand. Because of the firm texture of this kind of loaf cake, it slices easily and makes a great dessert along with a scoop of ice cream. 
Recipe:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9"x5" loaf pan. Set aside.
2. Mix together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat well.
4. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat to incorporate, then add half of the sour cream and beat again. Repeat with another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the remaining sour cream. Mix in final 1/3 of the flour and make sure all is fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
5. Beat egg whites until very stiff, then fold into the batter with an over-and-under motion. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
6. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until golden on top and a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Let cake cool in the pan on a rack. It can be stored in an airtight container or frozen (indefinitely).
Serves 12