154 you make your Recipes

muffin pans, a special metal baking pan , sometimes referred to as a muffin tin, with 6 or 12 cup-shaped depressions. most often this pan is made from aluminum., muffin cups are, standard muffin cup is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter., giant or texas-size muffin cup is about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and holds 5/8 cup batter., muffin cup is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and holds 1/8 cup or 2 tbsp batter., muffin-top cup is about 4 inches in diameter but are only 1/2 inch deep ., substituting a different size muffin cup, substitute another size muffin cup for original size listed in recipe. if substituting a larger size muffin cup the recipe will yield fewer muffins and if using smaller size muffin cup the recipe will yield more muffins. the bake time will be changed also. bake a larger muffin longer than the original time and smaller muffins a shorter time., tips on baking muffins, grease muffin cups by spraying each cup with no stick cooking spray or using a paper towel dipped in shortening to grease each cup., use paper liners in muffin cups for easy clean-up., if muffin cups are filled more than 3/4 full the muffins will have flat, flying saucer tops. if sufficient room is not allowed for muffins to expand before reaching the top of the cup the muffin will flatten on top., if some muffin cups will remain empty during baking , put 2 to 3 tbsp water in the unused muffin cups to keep the pan from warping., if baked muffins stick to the bottom of the muffin cup, place hot muffin pan on a wet towel for about two minutes., source : land o lakes, all about muffins, are you eating muffins or cupcakes, hot breads are always a hit and muffins are 1 of the easiest to make. they are more quickly and easily made than biscuits and no kneading, rolling or cutting is required. they can be a savory, last minute dinner muffin or a sweet delicious breakfast muffin. made using whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, bran, honey, fruits and nuts they can be very nutritious. but like the healthy granola craze which turned into candy bars, muffins also can quickly turn into cupcakes. eating cupcakes for breakfast is your choice, but don tsp tell yourself you are eating healthy breakfast muffins. a recent magazine article revealed some muffins available in new york delicatessens were claimed to be low fat, but actually contained up to 23 g of fat. that s more fat than two egg mcmuffins., what is the difference between muffins and cupcakes, some say cupcakes have frosting. a basic formula for muffins is 2 cups flour, 2-4 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, shortening or butter, 1 cup milk. when the fat, sugar and egg ratio in a recipe reaches double or more than this, you have reached the cake level., other technical difference between muffins and cupcakes, method of cooking is different for muffins and cupcakes. the muffin method is by far the fastest and easiest. flour, sugar, baking powder and salt (all the dry ingredients) are mixed together. this is where the leavening can be uniformly dispersed into the flour. sugar is mixed with the flour to prevent the flour from lumping when combined with the wet ingredients., making and baking muffins, in a large bowl, oil (or melted butter) and egg are beaten together to form an emulsion to disperse the fat more uniformly. then the milk is stirred in. this much mixing can be done ahead and held. the two are combined just before baking., combine, cut and fold liquid into the dry ingredients. mix only to combine. batter will be lumpy but no pockets of dry ingredients should remain. the general rule is only 12 strokes., bake as soon as it s mixed. when filling cups, do not mix batter between scoops. excessive mixing causes loss of leavening., cake method for making muffins, sometimes muffins are made using the cake method , i.e. cream the fat and sugar, add eggs, add the dry ingredients and milk alternately. this is more time consuming but produces a lighter, more tender, cake-like muffin., perfect muffin, perfect muffin has a thin brown crust , a slightly rounded top with a pebbled appearance and a moist, even interior. there should be no peaks, no tunnels which are usually caused by excessive mixing and too much liquid (muffin batter should not be fluid)., more leavening is not better, just because a recipe is in print does not mean that it is in balance. a guide for leavening 2 cups of flour in a recipe is either 2 1/2 tsp double acting baking powder, or 4 tsp fast acting baking powder, or 1/2 tsp soda plus 1 cup buttermilk (for the acid) and 1 1/4 tsp baking powder. excess baking powder and soda taste bitter., here are a few tips for altering muffin recipes, substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in the recipe. if these are stiffly beaten and folded in at the end it will produce a lighter muffin with less fat., use non-fat milk instead of whole milk ., use salad oil in place of butter. in place of the fat in the recipe , use 1-fourth of the oil and replace the other three-fourths with fruit puree such as applesauce. jars of baby food fruits provide a quick choice of purees other than apple. adding non-gluten grain products (bran, germ, oatmeal, corn meal) for part of the flour makes a more tender muffin., create your own taste sensations, begin with the basic formula and change 1/2 cup of the flour to corn meal, bran, wheat germ, rye, oatmeal or leftover cooked cereal. add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped apple, dates, prunes, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries, cranberries, cheese, nuts., make your favorite muffin mixes by measuring the dry ingredients twice (or more ) into two separate bowls. use 1 and package 1 with the list of wet ingredients to be added when mixing at a later date.

main ingredients, chicken upper wings, tb char siu sauce, oil to fry chicken wings, tb corn flour, ingredients for the char siu sauce (if you want to make your own)1/4 1 cup 1/4 cup hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, honey, brown sugar, chinese 5 spice mixed powder, red chili powder to taste (optional)

italian dressing (i used store bought to make this easy, but you can make your favorite as well), garlic, minced, capers (mashed , just use a fork to mash them), salami, sliced 1/8-inch thick cut into cubes, cheese filled tortellini, cooked and drained (i prefer spinach), water-packed artichoke hearts, cut in quarters, not too small, tomatoes, stuffed green olives (i love the ones with anchovies or olives, but use your favorite_), peppadew pepper, mozzarella cheese , balls, pepperoncini pepper, sopressata, prosciutto, cocktail onion, mushroom, parmesan cheese, fresh basil

brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, all-purpose flour, rolled oats, ground pecans, sliced apples (about 24 oz), salt, cinnamon, homemade caramel sauce (see my other recipes, if you do not want to make your own caramels, use store-bought caramel sauce)

pie shell frozen or you can make your own fresh pie shell, fresh strawberries (three baskets of strawberries), fresh mint, water, corn starch, sugar or substiute (1/2 cup) ....or about 1/2 splenda equivalent, walnuts and make them chunky, cream over top or on sides for decoration and you can make it fresh, a bit of rum to kick it up a knotch just a drizzle or your favorite liqour, chocolate syrup over the top and you have this decadent desert

tortilla chips (you can make your own if you like ), evoo, onion, chopped, celery ribs, thinly sliced, carros, thinly sliced, jalapeno or serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (or pepper flakes to save time), garlic, minced, bay leaf, dried mexican oregano, tomato, peeled and chopped, chicken stock, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, acallions, finely chopped, limes, juiced (to taste), avocado, chopped, cilantro finely chopped, more if you like, bl. pepper (to taste)

ground sirloin or 1 lb ground chicken or 1 lb cut up chicken breast, poblano pepper, diced, anaheim chili, diced, jalapeno, seeded and diced, onion, diced, garlic cloves, diced, diced tomatoes (give or take...), green chilies, enchilada sauce (or make your own ), mexican cheese (low fat...whatever you prefer), corn tortillas or 12 flour tortillas, salsa (or more to your preference), corn chips (or more to your preference), fresh cilantro, chopped, sour cream (i use low fat )

combine and mix well - quick and easy to do in a good blender or food processor, prune/date fruit puree (this can also include other dry fruit like raisins and apricots), directions on how to make your own fruit puree : http://pattycake.ca/recipes/fruitpuree), eggs, melted butter (or non-hydrogenated margarine or vegetable oil), kahlua, brown sugar or sucanat, sift together in another bowl, fine whole spelt flour (or wheat), dutch-processed cocoa, raw cocoa (the is more bitter than the dutch, so if you want to use all , add 2 tbsp more sugar), salt , baking powder, tps baking soda, blend wet and dry ingredients, then mix in, roughly chopped walnuts

honey (preferably greek thyme , but no biggy if you can tsp get it. do use a good quality , though), water, sugar, cinnamon sticks (or 1/2 tsp ground ), lemon juice, lemon peel (without pith - 4 inch-long piece), orange peel (without pith - 4 inch-long piece), coarsley ground walnuts (very fresh ), coarsley ground almonds (make sure the nuts you use are fresh, very recently purchased), sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter, phyllo dough, unsalted butter, melted (don tsp use less, this is what will make your baklava taste exceptional, and it has to be butter!)

refried beans (or you can make your own , like i do), jalapenos packed in oil, tortilla chips (not sure on size... 1 bag, or you can make your own , like i do), four-cheese mexican blend cheese (grated )

shell pasta (i like small shells , ditalini or anything small in shape. rotini, spirals, and penne is too big to m), snow peas (ends trimmed and cut in half on an angle), frozen baby peas (thawed ), shallots, thin sliced, roasted red pepper vinaigrette, chives, chopped fine, salt, pepper, roasted red peppers (most jars are about 7 oz, if you want to make your own, approximately 1 large bell pepper roasted pe), balsamic vinegar (you can substitute red wine if you want, it changes the flavor a bit but it will work just fine), garlic, minced, shallots, minced, olive oil, honey, red pepper flakes (optional), salt, pepper, grated parmesan cheese

fruitcakes get an awful lot of bad press , especially the mass produced varieties, but a rich homemade version can be incredibly delicious., fruitcake is a mixture of fruits and nuts with just enough batter to hold them together. when wrapped in cloth and foil, saturated with alcoholic liquors regularly, and kept in in tightly closed tins, a fruitcake may be kept for months or even years, have it your way ..., if there are certain fruits you don tsp like , you can always include more of another, or some of your own favorites. dried fruits cooked in juice can take the place of candied fruits, and seeds can replace nuts. to convert a favorite dark fruitcake recipe to a light fruitcake, leave out the dark spices, use light colored fruits (golden raisins, dried apricots, etc.), and replace dark corn syrup or molasses with light corn syrup

fettuccine, parmesan ; freshly grated if possible but don tsp use a cheap cheese in a bottle with fillers, reduced calorie margarine, evaporated skimmed milk (if you can;tsp find it you can make your own by taking 1/3 cup +1 tbsp nonfat dry milk powder and 2/3 cup of water. makes 2/3 cup)

sliced peaches -- chopped, sugar -- divided, dry yeast, pineapple -- crushed, maraschino cherries, fruit cocktail -- cut, do not drain fruit. combine peaches and 2-1/2 cup sugar and yeast in a 1-gallon glass or crockery jar with a loose fitting lid, stir to mix. stir daily for 10 days., on the 10th day , add pineapple and 2-1/2 cup sugar. stir daily for another 10 days. add cherries, fruit cocktail and remaining sugar and stir daily for 10 more days., drain fruit , reserve juice for the next batch. makes enough fruit, day 31, you are ready to make your cakes., you need, duncan hines butter recipe cake mix (for three mixings), instant vanilla pudding mix, doz. eggs, wesson oil (2/3 cup. each for three mixings), (you may substitute), raisins (white or dark ), walnuts, pecans, coconut, you may add red and green cherries, if you desire), preheat oven to 300., drain fruit in colander over large bowl for about 15 min or until fruit has stopped draining. this juice is your new starters. fruit cake must be started within three days after receiving new starters., separate mixings, pour 1 box cake mix , 1 box pudding mix, 4 eggs, 2/3 cup oil and 1 1/2 cup of fruit into a bowl and stir with spoon (do not use a mixer). add 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup coconut, and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon., grease and flour either bundt pan or your loaf pans (i prefer four 2 lb loaf pans for each mix.), bake bundt pan or tube pan for approximately 1 1/2 hrs., pans take from 1 hr to 1 hr 15 min-until nicely brown depending on your oven., cakes can be frozen. they are easier to cut in slices, if cut when frozen. thaws quickly.

heavy cream, vanilla extract (almond, rum are good as well), stevia extract or you can use a vanilla or chocolate flavor stevia, cream cheese, softened ., smoot natural peanut butter ( i like crunchy :d), prepared chocolate cookie piecrust or make your own with your favorite crushed up low sugar cookie or i use oatmeal cookie..little fiber, just mix it with some melted butter and press into the pie shell.

chicken breast for every 2 people being served. i usually use boneless/skinless for this unless i am going to cook them over a wood fire. then i would use skin on and bone in, thick cut bacon (apple smoked or maple will add another flavor level). choose a bacon that you love the taste of., amounts of the vegetable you use depend upon how many people you are feeding . for only 2 i would use 1/2 of each color of bell pepper for example. for 8 i would probably use a whole or nearly whole bell pepper., red, green, yellow, orange bell peppers, cored , seeds removed, sliced into strips., vidalia onions (sweet and mild ) or red onions (zing) cut into strips, yellow and green squash cut slightly thick then in half, asparagus cut into 1 1/2 inch bites, grape tomatoes, garlic cloves left whole for now, mushrooms (your favorite type , of course!), fresh green beans, broccoli and cauliflower can be used too; but make them bite sized pieces, olive oil (have at least a cup or two available depending on how many you are cooking for. you need this to roast the vegetables and for making your croutons!), day old french or italian bread cut up into good sized bites, bigger than what would come in a box of croutons, i cut it up 1 1/2 to 2 inches., fresh grated parmesan or romano cheese, garlic granules , fresh cracked pepper, italian seasonings...or fresh marjoram, basil and thyme, (cut up the basil into small bits), some times i ll add some peas and corn to this as well. also optional would be a couple of boiled eggs..., kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper (white pepper could be added, but it is going to add a significant jolt in the heat/pepper pop department!)

count) package refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (or you can make your own if you have the extra time), cubed ham (or you can just cut up sliced ham into pieces), eggs, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, pepper

jiffy corn muffin mix (or you can make your own - i just happen to like theirs), diced hot fire roasted green chiles (or 2 cans if you want it spicier), eggs (as called for on the box of muffin mix), more) sour cream (omit milk called for on box of muffin mix), more) shredded cheddar or jack cheese (if you like really hot, use pepper jack)