Cherry Muffins

We went camping this past weekend. We cooked supper over the camp fire and swam in a lake. We even took the kids kayaking. Most of us slept in a tent with sleeping bags. My husband gave up in the middle night and slept in the truck. He said it was more comfortable. Don't worry about the children since my sister and I were the children's pillow. We both woke up a little sore. To make breakfast easy, I made cherry muffins. They were easy to transport and the kids liked them. Since cherries are in season, I thought this would perfect for our trip.

Cherry Muffins
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar plus additional for the top
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, gently toss the cherries with 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the milk and butter to the flour mixture. Stir until just incorporated.
6. Add the two eggs and mix until just incorporated.
7. Gently fold in the cherries.
8. Evenly fill the 12 muffin tins about 3/4 full.
9. Sprinkle a little sugar over the tops of the batter. 
10. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago...........................I made Blueberry Pie Bars.

Did you already know.............
-The first known kayaks were built over 2,000 years ago by North American Indians and Eskimos.
-If kayaking in navigating waters, the U.S. Coast Guard requires life preservers and noise making devices like a whistle.
-There are tandem kayaks. (It doesn't guarantee both kayakers will paddle.)

Cherry Cheese Danish

Oh, I love fresh cherries. I especially love when they are in season and are reasonably priced. We have been eating them like maybe tomorrow they won't be available anymore. Well, I figured I could depart from eating a couple of them just until I used them in a dish of some kind. I figured a breakfast danish would be perfect. I will admit sometimes I feel bad that I'm not one of those mothers that make their children a great breakfast before school. A lot of times we are running down the street to catch the bus while eating breakfast. My oldest daughter is good and will sometimes make up some eggs for her younger siblings. So, I decided to make this recipe for breakfast on a school day. They were really happy but we did miss the bus. I didn't mind since I think the danish was worth the little extra time to savory it. My oldest daughter told me it was wonderful. 

Cherry Cheese Danish
1/2 cup sliced almonds
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
4 Tbsp flour
6 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/8 tsp almond extract)
1/3 to 1/2 cup cherries, pitted and chopped
2 (9 inch) sheets of puff pastry, thawed
1 egg for egg wash
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. On a small baking sheet, arrange the almonds in a single layer and toast the almonds for about 7 minutes. Allow to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, egg yolk, flour, sugar and vanilla extract. 
4. Fold in the chopped cherries.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
6. Roll out the puff pastry sheets. Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 sections.
7. In the center of each puff pastry, spoon about 1 Tbsp of filling.
8. Fold the puff pastry diagonally in half. Seal well.
9. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg.
10. Brush the top of each puff pastry with the whisked egg.
11. Top each puff pastry with the toasted almonds slices.
12. Bake the danishes for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
13. Allow the danishes to cool for about 10 minutes.
14. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. 

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris. 
Tip: If your cherries are very juicy, use less cherries or your filling will be a little more wet. It will still taste great.

One year ago.........................I made Homemade Mascarpone.

Did you already know...........
-The Sweet Cherry originated from Asia.
-In 1600s, English colonist brought sweet cherries to America.
-Michigan is the leading
-The Bing Cherry is a sweet cherry.