Rainy Day Muffins

As I awoke this morning I was lured into consciousness by the radio weather announcer warning of heavy rain, strong winds, and flash flooding.  What better day to bake?
This recipe is for a quick bread loaf, but since I still have a potato gratin dish leftover in my fridge contained in my bread pan, I decided muffins were in order.

Cranberry Orange Bread

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup orange juice

grated rind of one orange

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp hot water

1 cup raw whole cranberries

Combine dry ingredients, flour through  sugar, in a large mixing bowl, set aside.  Mix beaten egg with orange juice, rind, butter and hot water.  Fold flour mixture into egg mixture until blended.  Do not beat.  Gently fold in cranberries.  Spoon into a greased loaf pan (or muffin tin.)  Bake 325F for 60min. 

(Or 35-40 for muffins)  Test with toothpick.  Cool on rack 15 min. before removing from pan.

I love the subtle orange flavor of these, and they are so good warm with some butter.

The perfect rainy day pick-me-up.

Hedgerow

There is a magical place created at the end of every summer on the path to my local Starbucks.  This 7' high hedgerow blooms in fantastic blue, pink, and white.  Every year I take dozens of photographs with my 35mm and digital cameras, I find it hard to stop.  These are a few from my iphone, manipulated through the picture show app.

Favorite Cookie

Hello out there.  Tonight I made my favorite Lemon Sugar Cookies.  Usually I wait to make these little gems until the holidays, but I was organizing recipes the other day, I came across this one and thought, "Why the hell not?"  Especially with boyfriend out for the night, as he is trying this thing where he limits his carb intake (silly.)  I also thought it would be nice to share this recipe as well as any recipe that I try while writing this blog.  This one is near and dear to my heart.
Warning: if you try this, YOU WILL BE HOOKED.  They are chewy and lemony, and soooo good dipped in tea, or by themselves for that matter.

and P.S.  Don't be afraid to be generous with the lemon zest.  I like a little more than what the recipe suggests.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F

3 cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Sift into a bowl, set aside.

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest

Put in a bowl, mix with electric mixer a few seconds, then add

2 sticks of unsalted butter

Mix until fluffy, then add

2 eggs, one at a time

and 1 tbsp lemon juice

Reduce speed of mixer, gradually add flour mixture, mix until combined.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper, scoop the dough into about 2" balls, place them 2" apart on sheets.  Flatten them slightly.  Sprinkle the tops with additional granulated sugar.

Bake until golden, about 15 min.  Let them cool about 1 min before removing them with a spatula.

20-25 cookies :)