Muffins and Memories - Edith's Cheddar Blueberry Muffins

I know you will all find it hard to believe, I know I do sometimes, but I was not always in my forties. There was a point in time when I was of a single digit age. (Many, many, many, many, moons ago.) When I was but a young sprout, I can remember attending the church potlucks. Such an array of food for the eyes of a child to behold. Ya know, it's funny, even back then I would pass up on the Jell-o and ambrosia salads (they were still super popular in the early-mid 70's)

I was always a strange child, (no comments please) ;) forgoing the sweeter desserts in favor of a cup of tea (with milk) and these delicious Blueberry muffins that were made by one of our elder church members, Edith Wiggs. There was just something utterly delicious about these muffins and I never could put my finger on it. This always surprised me because, having been raised on Huckleberries, Blueberries always seemed a little on the "blah" side. But I loved those muffins.

Over the years things change. Sadly, my family changed churches, I grew up and moved out of the house, then moved to California and Edith Wiggs has passed "into the light".

But all is not lost! For I have just discovered that my mother had obtained the recipe from Edith a while back. So, I am extremely excited, for as I smell these toasty warm muffins, I have memories unfurling in my mind.... Digging for Razor Clams near her Longbeach cabin (in Washington, not California), of getting in trouble for using too much sugar in my cup of tea at the potluck, and her favorite hymn "The Brush".

Yes, these muffins are a testament to how food connects us to our past. I am pleased to share these with you, though the flavor combination may seem a little strange. They truly are delicious. And since this is a muffin (though she made loaves from it as well) I am going to do this in the "Alton Brown" Style

Edith's Cheddar Blueberry Muffins

Dry team:
10 oz (282g) (2 cups) AP Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt

Wet Team
7.1 oz (200g) (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Orange Zest (it's not really wet, but it's damp)
6 oz (177ml) (3/4 cup) Orange Juice
2 TB Unsalted Butter, melted

Third Party Players
3.5 oz (100g) (1 rounded cup) Sharp Cheddar, shredded
9.8 oz (280g) (2 cups) Fresh Blueberries (frozen will add more liquid so reduce OJ by 1 1/2 TB)

Wash and dry your berries, then set them aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pan with muffing papers (it just makes it a little easier)

Grab a large and a medium bowl.

Combine all the dry ingredients in the large bowl and whisk together.

Combine all the wet ingredients in the medium bowl and whisk together.

Add the Wet team to the Dry team and begin stirring with a spatula with a few quick strokes.

Don't work about dry spots, cause you need to fold in the cheese and the blueberries.

Fold in the Cheese.

Then fold in the Blueberries.

Fill each muffin cup with a rounded medium scoop of batter.

Bake for 15-20 minutes (my oven needed 18 minutes) until "golden-brown and delicious" ;)

Let them cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the pan and cooling them on a rack.

Sit back and enjoy the buttery goodness. (Man look at all those blueberries)

Either plain.

or with a big ol' schmear of butter.

Here's to you Edith.... Delicious as always!

Mangia!!
~~

Old Glory In All It's, Well... Glory - Independence Day Berry Tart

I had decided, since the whole family was getting together for the 4th of July, that we were going to need a garmungous (which is bigger than humongous) dessert. That is, for the adults who weren't going to be into the whole "Deep Fried Ice Cream" thing. While I was pondering my pan sizes, something I had seen several years ago, on the net somewhere, started tickling the back of my consciousness. When the thought fully formed in my minds eye, I was quite pleased with the idea.

All I needed were some fresh Oregon berries (quite fitting), some Puff Pastry, some jelly, a lot of whipped cream and some form of cooked pudding cause I refuse to use that instant gelatin based stuff. Not because it's based on gelatin, but because it's all artificially flavored. LOL
That was when I decided on the Cardamom Pastry Creme, which is what we Americans refer to as "Pudding", not to be confused with Christmas Pudding or Yorkshire Pudding (Those will be later posts).

Pastry Creme was first, so it could chill overnight. And I wanted to assemble on the 4th so that the Puff Pastry didn't have time to become soggy.

Old Glory

1 recipe Pastry Creme
1 Pkg Puff Pastry
Flour (for rolling out the pastry)
1 "half sheet" jelly roll pan
1/2 cup Pomegranate Jelly
1/2 pint Fresh Blueberries
2 pints Fresh Raspberries
3 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
2 TB Confectioners' Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 large piping bag fitted with a 17mm 52-7 tip (Kaiser)
1 small piping bag fitted with a #22 Star tip (Wilton)
A Lot of Patience

Be sure to make the Cardamom Pastry Creme the night before so it is well chilled.

Roll each of the sheets of Puff Pastry to about 10 x 14 on a lightly floured surface. (this will allow for about 2 inches of overlap in the center of the sheet pan)

Lay out the pastry in the sheet pan and dock it with a fork. (Be sure that it comes up the sides of the pan, cause it will shrink a little in the oven - Cause you rolled it out)

Bake for 15 minutes. (Like I said, it shrinks a little, but that is OK)

Warm 1/2 cup of Pomegranate jelly in the microwave for 40 seconds.

Brush the warm pastry with the liquid jelly. (This will create a barrier between the pastry and pastry creme, to prevent sogginess - and add some "zig")

Once the pastry has cooled completely, spread the pastry creme all over the crust.

Begin laying berries out in a flag design, remember 7 red stripes (the gaps will be white - there should be 6), the blueberries will be your "blue field of stars" (I made my blue field a little too small - it's bottom border should have been had the white stripe under it, not the red one)

In a medium bowl, whip the Heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar & vanilla.

Place 3/4 of the Heavy Cream in the large Piping bag and remainder in the small piping bag.

Using the large piping bag, pipe "white Stripes" into the gaps between the Raspberries.

With the small piping bag, pipe stars in the "Blue Field" - Remember, there are 50, from top to bottom with 5 rows of 6 and 4 rows of 5, alternating. Beginning and ending with 6. (This is when I figured out I had made the blue field too small)

Don't worry if you have some whipped cream left over... There is bound to be someone around who would be overjoyed to eat it.... LOL

Oh, say can you see, by the dawns early light!

Mangia!!
~~