Persimmon Freezer Jam and Basic Muffins

Last week my Fella picked up a pack of 6 persimmons he found on the discount fruit rack in the produce department. He thought they were tomatoes. I told him what they really were and that I'd never had them but I knew Martha Stewart seemed to like them a lot so they must be good. Hee hee.

I was intrigued by these little guys but a little intimidated too. What would I do with them? Were all the recipes going to be complicated and involved? I was delighted when right away I found a super simple Persimmon Freezer Jam recipe by doing a Google search on "persimmon recipes." 

I have been enjoying my jam (which took about two seconds to make...ok, maybe a little longer) on toast (when I manage not to burn it...or when I do, because then it tastes better) and on these quick and simple muffins via the good ol' Betty Crocker Cookbook. I love this muffin recipe because it is so easy and you can add just about any mix-in you desire to change it up. 

Want to try?

The jam recipe is here.

The muffin recipe is as follows:

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all-purpose or whole what flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Bake in greased (bottoms only) muffin tin, filled halfway at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes about a dozen.

*I actually make these vegan style and sugar free by substituting a flax egg, almond milk, and stevia for the egg, milk, and sugar respectively.

Bon Appetit,

Tamar

Time to Make the Doughnuts

My daughter asked for doughnuts as the sun rose this morning. Befuddled by sleep I vaguely recalled the job I had at a "mom and pop" doughnut shop during the summers on-and-off as a teen.

I remember the particular silence on the streets as I drove in to work, the sky an undecided grey as it slowly made its commitment to welcome the sun and the air as fresh as it would ever be.

When I'd arrive the baker had already been at it for hours and rack upon rack of old-fashioned, glazed, sugar-cinnamon, jelly and the distinctive crueller awaited me to place them on display.

The intoxicating smell, yeast and sugar, cinnamon and chocolate would linger in my clothing for a wash load or two afterward.

Friends and family would good- naturedly associate me, doughnut girl, with the popular advertisements from a certain popular doughnut purveyor.



So early that morning, when my eyes just barely cracked caught that familiar grey light in the early sky, I said, "Yes, let's have doughnuts."

I never knew specifically what ingredients went into the doughnuts I served all those years ago, but I found a great baked doughnut recipe on Krissy's Creations and came to realize, with the exception of the leavening it, was a lot like a pancake or waffle, which I've curmudgeonly groaned to my husband, who is all too happy to make them for the kids on the weekend, that it is just glorified cake, gosh darn it! Well I suppose a doughnut is too. But this morning they were extra special.

A bit of yeast and milk.

Sugar and spice and everything nice: butter, milk and egg.

Rise. Then bake.

Sifting.

A delicious doughnut, on a beautiful morning, spent with a sweet gal.

Bon Appetit,

Deirdre