Sheryl's Recipes

Blueberry Muffins

Inspired by the muffins sold at Boston's department store, Jordan Marsh. They freeze beautifully.

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-½ cups blueberries
Sugar for sprinkling tops of muffins

Grease 12-cup muffin pan or line with papers. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add alternately to creamed mixture with milk and vanilla.

Crush ½ cup berries and add to batter. Fold remaining berries into batter and spoon into muffin pan. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes and turn onto wire rack. Makes 12 muffins (sometimes more, depending on size of berries), about 205 calories each.

Cheesecake Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup butter, softened
⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

6 dessert bars or 16 squares
Oven 350 degrees
Easily doubles (bake in 9-by-13 pan)

In large mixer bowl, combine flour, butter, and brown sugar. Blend with mixer until particles are fine. Stir in walnuts. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remainder in ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.

In same mixer bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend well. Spread over partially baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool; cut into squares.

Special K Bars

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1-½ cups peanut butter
6 cups Special K cereal

1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips
1 10 oz. bag Reese's peanut butter chips

Butter a 9"x13" pan.

In a large pan, over low heat, warm sugar and corn syrup; stir until sugar dissolves. DO NOT BOIL!! Remove from heat. Mix peanut butter in well. Add cereal. Press firmly in pan.

Melt chips together (1 minute in microwave) and spread over cereal mixture while still warm. Cool and cut into squares.

Simple Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
½ cup raisins (or dried currants)
½ cup sour cream
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, egg, and extract until smooth.

Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface (or lightly floured piece of wax paper) and pat into a 7-to-8-inch circle about ¾ inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 8 scones, 317 calories.

VARIATIONS:

Cranberry-Orange: Add a teaspoon of finely granted orange zest to the dry ingredients, and substitute dried cranberries for the raisins. Add a little bit of fresh orange juice to the liquid ingredients.

Lemon-Blueberry: Add a teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest to the dry ingredients, and substitute dried or fresh blueberries for the raisins. Add a little bit of fresh lemon juice to the liquid ingredients.

Cherry-Almond: Add ½ teaspoon almond extract to the liquid ingredients, and substitute dried cherries for the raisins.