Fresh Strawberry Muffins

This is the strawberry muffin recipe that was trending around Facebook last spring. I made it once, we loved it, then lost the recipe. Thankfully I found it again this spring and have already made it twice. This is a quick and easy muffin recipe; what takes the most time is chopping the strawberries.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins
makes 12 muffins

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c chopped strawberries
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400*. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and mix well.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to the butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon the batter into greased muffin pans. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.

Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Frosty Strawberry Squares

This is a summer dessert that Sarah and I love but this is the first time I've made it this year. <sad face> I ran across the recipe the other day and decided to make it before we dive headfirst into apples and pumpkins. The last burst of strawberry goodness will be nice this evening since it's a hot day. I will warn you though that it can make a mess when you're whipping the egg whites and strawberries together.

Frosty Strawberry Squares
from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook
serves 12-16

1 c flour
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c butter, melted
1/4 c packed brown sugar
2 egg whites
2 c sliced strawberries
1 c sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 c whipping cream

For crumb mixture, combine flour, nuts, butter, and brown sugar. Spread evenly into a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350* oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle 2/3 of the crumbs into a 13x9x2 baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat with mixer on high speed about 10 minutes or till stiff peaks form. In another mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream till soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture. Spoon evenly over crumbs in baking pan; sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours or until firm.

Margarita Fruit Dip

I had this at Bible study last week and it was really good. Then this week I had to bring some snacks to our MOPS meeting at church and thought they would like this. It was a big hit and really easy to make. It goes great with any sort of sliced/chunk fruit - melons, strawberries, blackberries, kiwi, bananas. It does make a lot, so be prepared!

Margarita Fruit Dip

1 8oz. package room temperature cream cheese
1/2 of a 15 oz. can of cream of coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container cool whip (not frozen)

Mix the cream cheese, cream of coconut, and condensed milk together in a mixer until well blended. Fold in the cool whip. Serve with sliced fruit.

*you can use low-fat/no-fat cream cheese, condensed milk, and cool whip

Applesauce

We went apple picking on Saturday, made it just in time! Apple season is just about over here; they had some apples left on the trees but not many and not the perfect, eating apples you see earlier in the season. I didn't care too much how they looked since they're going to be used for cooking - pies, applesauce, apple butter, crisp, apple cake and muffins. Lots of good stuff, but the apples don't need to look pretty.

This recipe is mostly from my Joy of Cooking cookbook but modified for what I have on hand today. I really didn't measure anything except the sugar so just adjust to the apples you have (more or less water, lemon juice, and spices) and your tastes.

Applesauce
about 2 pints

about 12-15 medium sized apples, a couple of varieties if you have them
1 - 2 cups of water, apple juice, or apple cider (depends on how juicy the apples are)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 piece of cinnamon stick
big dash of nutmeg
scant 1/2 c sugar

Peel, core, and slice the apples (I've got a counter top peeler, corer, slicer and it makes things SO much easier!). Put into a large pot with the water, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick. If you don't have a cinnamon stick, never fear, you'll be ok without. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until apples are soft and easily broken up. If you used the cinnamon stick, take it out. Use a potato masher to mash the apples to get a mostly smooth, but still a bit chunky sauce. If you want it chunkier, use a wooden spoon to just break up the apples; if you want it smooth, use a food mill to process the apples. If you didn't use a cinnamon stick, add about 1 heaping Tbsp of ground cinnamon along with the nutmeg and sugar. Stir, taste, and adjust the spices. Let cool, then either put up in jars, or prepare it to freeze.