Black and Blue Muffins

Pin It Breakfast food is amazing any time of day.  I love having a muffin as a snack.  I also love sharing breakfast goodies with others.  These were sent to work with my husband along with some Snickerdoodle Muffins and all I got back was an empty platter.  I also tried to make these healthier by adding some whole wheat flour and substituting some of the oil with applesauce.  If whole wheat isn't your thing feel free to use all white flour. 

Black and Blue Muffins
1 1/2 cups allpurpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/8 cup oil
1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup blackberries

Topping:
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray muffin pans with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a bowl.
3. Make a well in the middle and add wet ingredients to the middle. Stir with a fork until just combined. Batter will be lumpy.
4. Stir in berries.
5. In a separate bowl use a pastry cutter or fork to cut butter  into flour and sugar until it forms pea size balls. 
6. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle topping on top of muffins.
7. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Mixed Berry Breakfast Cake

Pin It My husband likes to take baked goodies to work.  I love making baked goodies so it works out perfectly.  This is probably one of the best coffeecake recipes I have ever tried.  It was so good I made it twice in one weekend because I was sad I gave the first one away.  It is fluffy, moist, berry perfection.  It is absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee.  It's the perfect way to start your morning.

Shared at Weekend Potluck and Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

Mixed Berry Breakfast Cake
Recipe adapted from Eat Drink Pretty
1 stick butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package nonfat cream cheese
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
2-3 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries, unthawed ( I used blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Beat in sugar and eggs until fluffy.  Add vanilla extract.
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
5. Slowly add dry mixture to wet, alternating with milk, until just mixed.
6. Stir in berries.
7. Smooth batter into a greased 9x13 pan.
8. Mix cinnamon and sugar.  Sprinkle on top of batter.
9. Bake 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool before cutting.

Black and Blue Breakfast Cake

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I love breakfast foods.  I would eat them for every meal if it was acceptable.  I absolutely love Starbucks, but have to limit myself due to a lack of unlimited funds.  Thier blueberry muffins are my favorite treat.  I stumbled upon this recipe in the St. Louis Post Dispatch a while ago and it claimed that it tastes just like Starbucks coffee cake.  I do have to say it is the closest I have found.  I tweaked it a bit and now this is one of my favorite breakfasts.  You can make a whole pan for about the price of one muffin at Starbucks, which makes it taste even better :)

Black and Blue Breakfast Cake
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp yogurt (plain or vanilla - I used Boston cream pie because I had it on hand)
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup blackberries, cut into pieces
2/3 cup blueberries

Topping
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp groung nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until well blended.  Add vanilla, lemon zest and yogurt and mix.
3. Sift flour, baking poowder and salt together.  Add four mixture and milk alternately to the batter, ending with the flour mixture.  Mix well.
4. Spread batter in a greased 8 inch square pan.
5. Sprinkle berries on top of batter.
6. Mix topping ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork until it forms crumbs.  SPrinkle on top of berries.
7. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Optional-make a glaze of powdered sugar and milk to drizzle on top.

Sunset Dinner for Two

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A winery near my house hosts Sunset Dinners.  When my husband and I were first dating we went to one and had an amazing meal.  A few months later I surprised him by recreating the meal at home.  He was quite impressed (and to be honest I impressed myself).  This is one of those meals that looks fancy, but is quite simple.  One the menu tonight: Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Wine Sauce, Oven Roasted Potatoes, and Sauteed Green Beans.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Wine Sauce
1 pound pork tenderloin
2 T minced garlic
salt and pepper
white wine (any variety that you like to drink)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Place tenderloin in the center of the dish.
3. Liberally sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic over the top of the pork.
4. Pour white wine in dish until it covers the bottom.
5. Bake in oven for approximately 1 hour or until cooked through (time will vary depending on size of tenderloin)

Blackberry Wine Sauce
 1/4 cup blackberry jam (seedless works best)
3 T wine (same kind used for roasting pork)

1. Add jam and wine to a small sauce pan over medium heat
2. Whisk vigorously until jam breaks up and there are no large globs.
3. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.
4. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken.
5. Serve immediately over pork.
**The original recipe called for blackberry wine which makes a sweeter sauce.  Any wine can be substituted.**

Oven Roasted Potatoes
1 pound Teeny Tiny Potatoes (or Fingerling Potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces)
olive oil cooking spray
2 T seasoning of your choice
    *I like Mrs. Dash Original, Italian Seasoning, or Rosemary and Garlic.*

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Generously spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Add potatoes and spray with cooking spray.
3. Toss with seasonings.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through,  or until potatoes are tender and golden.

***I have found that cooking spray is easier to work with than olive oil because it evenly distributes.  You could use olive oil in a mister if you have one, or just straight olive oil if you prefer.***

Sauteed Green Beans
1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 T finely chopped garlic
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 T butter
salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet add green beans and enough water to coat the bottom of  the pan.
2. Bring water to a boil and cook beans for 5 minutes (they will still be crunchy)
3. Drain water and add butter, garlic, onions, beans and red pepper flakes to the pan. 
4. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until garlic and onions are tender.