Blueberry Muffins and Beyond

Who doesn’t like a fresh muffin on a cool morning, hot out of the oven, maybe with butter or cream cheese stuffed inside to melt? Here is a recipe that makes fruity muffins simple and satisfying. I stole it from my daughter after trying her muffins!

Blueberry Muffins (basic recipe)
2 c flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
1 lg egg
3/4 c milk
1 1/2 c blueberries

Preheat oven to 350*F.
Combine dry ingredients.
In separate bowl combine wet ingredients.
Fold dry into wet until thouroughly mixed.
Fold in blueberries.
Spoon into greased or lined muffin tins.
Bake approx 10 minutes or until golden.

Blueberry Lemon Cherry Variation

Blueberry Lemon Cherry Variation

For a lemon variation add 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more to taste) to wet ingredients.

The pictured variation is blueberry, lemon, and chopped maraschino cherries with a half tablespoon of the cherry juice.

Crushed pineapple may also be added for a different taste sensation. A variety of berries may be substituted for the blueberries, or added to them. Strawberries, dewberries, and blackberries are all tasty variations.

For folks with certain dietary restrictions, these substitutions are also handy:
Milk = Almond Milk, or other non-dairy alternative
Butter = olive or vegetable oil
Sugar = Truvia or other sugar substitutes suitable for baking
Egg = Egg white or egg substitute

With so many possibilities, how can you go wrong?

Henry Weinhard’s Black Cherry Cream Gourmet Soda

This weekend I got to try Henry Weinhard’s Black Cherry Cream Gourmet Soda. It’s made and bottled in Fort Worth, Texas. What really grabbed me was “hand-crafted with only the finest and highest quality ingredients, including the flavors of fresh Oregon Bing and Black cherries,  Black Raspberry, and Bourbon Vanilla.”  Of course, I had to try it.

It’s considered a carbonated beverage (because it is), though it tastes more like candy. If you like sweet, this is a good choice. The combined cherry flavors are very mild, almost velvety, while the raspberry bite is a background presence that hints rather than strikes at the tongue. The creaminess is obviously from the vanilla, making this beverage slide across your tongue in a pleasing fashion. Sadly, I detected no bourbon.

The carbonation, while present, is a gentle fizz rather than the scortching burn modern soda drinkers have become more accustomed to. It would combine well with sweet or dry wine for a spritzer.

The color is bright red on the dark cherry side, and very clear. It’s bottled in clear glass, so the color is easy to enjoy.

It’s well suited to warm or hot days, with a crispness that belies it’s soda fountain origins.

On a scale of 1-5 —
Appearance: 4
Scent: 4
Flavor: 3.5
Texture: 3.5

— Ann Cathey