Brittany's PantryCorn Cake Muffins
Brittany wrote this on 2 March 2012
cornmeal
These muffins are part of my ‘cheater’ repertoire. This title refers to any recipe I make that includes some kind of convenience item, like a cake mix. As you know, I usually bake from scratch but sometimes, the ease of these cheater recipes is exactly what I need and am looking for. I mean, lets face it! No matter how much I may want to, spending several hours to make a meal is not always an option. Especially after baby number three is set to arrive in just a few short weeks! If the recipe happens to be particularly scrumptious I keep it around for another day. These muffins are one of those special gems.
Several years ago I ended up with a tiny little Jiffy pamphlet cookbook. I don’t remember if I ordered it free online or if it was sent as a promotional thing or how I even ended up with it. But my recipe for Corn Casserole that I had been making for forever had introduced me to the cute little boxes of cornbread mix and all its possibilities. Little did I know that the Jiffy company had a huge line of different kinds of mixes, all of them used in various ways in this little book. And while I never warmed up to using mixes on a regular basis, there is one recipe from them that I do love to make. I tried these muffins and kind of fell in love. They taste exactly like their name: Corn Cake. Half cake and half cornbread makes for the perfect balance between muffin and cupcake. I made a double batch of these once for a huge BBQ we were having and-Let. Me. Tell. You! They were inhaled! I think they kind of reminded people of the sweet corn muffins you get at a certain BBQ restaurant that serves its food on trash can lids. Now I am not saying these are exactly like those, but I will say that they go fantastic with anything grilled, covered in sauce, or just spicy. Mmmm. They also happen to be great for brunch. Add a little whipped honey butter and forgetaboutit! Drool worthy. Bake them in a mini-muffin tin and they will go even farther to feed a group (although this makes it easier to snitch). And since the ingredient list is short, as is the time it takes to throw them together, they truly are a valuable little recipe to have in your kitchen arsenal!
Corn Cake Muffins
1 pkg Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 pkg Jiffy Yellow or White cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/2 c water
Combine all ingredients just until blended. Pour into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until just lightly browned.
Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
Brittany wrote this on 29 February 2012 gluten-free, sweet potatoes, vegetarian
Ah. Sweet potatoes. That vitamin packed veggie that can be sweet or savory and seems to be the favorite of babies everywhere. They also happen to be a major player at our house. I have mentioned these before, but thought I would give them their own post. These ‘fries’ are simple and go with just about everything. Although, I guess I do tend to serve them with things like fried fish with remoulade and brats and hot dogs fresh off the grill. They go awesome with pork chops too. Sometime I will share the lime mayo that I like to eat them with but for now, here are just the basics.
These are done just like everything else I roast. Olive oil, salt and pepper, and a high heat. The beauty of these is that they practically beg to be experimented with. Cut into a handy shape for snacking makes them perfect for kids. Actually, my kids eat the leftovers with their fingers-straight from the fridge. Yum. If you want to jazz things up (Go on! Live dangerously!) feel free to sprinkle them with the tiniest dusting of chile powder, onion powder, and/or brown sugar. Don’t get too overzealous with the sugar. They will burn long before they cook so go sparingly. Chinese five spice powder is or purchased grill seasoning is good too. More often than not, I like them plain.
Sweet Potato Fries
Yes these are called fries, but don’t actually expect them to be crunchy. That comes from deep frying in oil; a much less healthy option. Instead, enjoy how the sweetness, how incredibly good for you they are, and how quickly they cook!
2 large sweet potatoes (or however many you want) peeled and cut into ‘fry’ shapes
olive oil
salt and pepper
additional seasoning if desired
On a sheet pan toss the potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roast at 450 until tender. Length of roasting time depends on how big you make your fries, but it won’t take long! Don’t forget to check on them.
Note: Using half russet potatoes and half sweet potatoes is quite scrumptious.
Bite-Sized Cinnamon Rolls
Brittany wrote this on 26 February 2012
Every once in awhile, I find myself doing something really out of the ordinary. Culinarily speaking, of course. Take last week for instance. I had a tube of crescent rolls in my fridge. Now, this is not something I normally buy and I am unsure as to why I had purchased them in the first place. Also, they had been in my fridge for a long time and as I am trying to purge my freezer, fridge, and pantry in preperation of some make-ahead meals to have after the baby is born…they really had to go. I accidentally came across a recipe on tastespotting and decided to give these a try. As it turns out, there are about a bazillion different versions of these little darlings out there on the web and I am apparently the last person to discover them. I am posting about them now. Just in case any of you were as clueless as I was. And in case you are wondering this is the recipe I was refering to when I mentioned on facebook that I had just made something super cute; as most things baked in a mini-muffin tim are!
What it comes down to is that these are super quick, quite tasty, and so darn adorable you will just want to eat them all up!! Healthy, they are not. They will probably make a rotation in my house only as a fun surprie to whip up on a weekend or as an addition to a quick brunch. But no matter when I make them, they will be devoured. They are super fast and totally fun-especially for kids! These are a much more convenient size than eating a huge carmel or cinnamon roll. Not that those are bad things…
Bite-Sized Cinnamon Rolls
1 tube crescent rolls
1 T soft butter
3 T brown sugar
cinnamon
Open up the package of rolls into one big rectangle and gently press the seams of the dough together. Spread the butter evenly and thinly across the whole piece of dough. Use more butter if you need to. Spread the brown sugar evenly on top of the butter. It should be nice and thin. Sprinkle the whole surface lightly with cinnamon. Start rolling the dough along the long side of the rectangle, keeping it tight, until you have a long log. Pinch the seam together. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non stick spray and cut the log into 3/4 inch pieces with a sharp knife. Lay the rolls cut side down, one in each mufffin cup. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Yum!!
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