Whole Grain Blackberry Muffins

Back when I lived in Texas year-round, I started to alter my daily habits beginning about early April. My bed comforter would be rolled up (or kicked) to the end of my mattress. Jeans were the last thing I'd pull out to wear in the morning. Cold showers and four rapidly slurped ice waters were necessities after a run. Wearing my hair down, ever? - Forget about it. By late June I'd practically be living in my swimsuit, and all I would want to eat everyday would be snow cones (that is until I discovered frozen watermelon). By August I would have been burned by the metal latch on a car seatbelt too many times to count, and unless I were completely immersed in water or completely immersed in melting ice cream, I wouldn't venture outside between the hours of 2pm and 6pm. 

Not living in Texas year-round, however, I find that my most missed experiences are frequently summer heat-related. I want to sweat a little, burn my feet on the concrete, watch the fuzzy heat waves rise up in the distance. Maybe it's because I don't have to pay to do laundry here, but I don't mind having to do an extra wash because I somehow sweated through two (or three) shirts today.

And so this visit home has taken my family to a tiny town north of here in the three-digit weather at 5pm, no less, to pick blackberries. Duck Creek Family Farms began a couple of years ago as a small side operation for a single family. The popularity of the concept - visitors come, grab a few buckets off the bed of a trailer, and pick ripened berries directly off the bush - has grown, and the family has maximized their acreage, planting blackberry bushes right up the edge of their house. The weekend before we went picking, eighty-seven cars lined up in the small front yard for a chance to take home bags of those sweet summer fruits. 

My family brought back three big buckets. We've since polished off about one bucket, mainly from sneaking into the fridge every ten or so minutes to grab a handful, but I also managed to save a cup and a half to make these muffins. These are almost vegan, and vegan substitutions here are easy. This is also a tiny recipe because I made mini muffins so if you want more, double it!

Whole Grain Blackberry Muffins

Makes approximately 30 mini muffins and 12 standard-size muffins.

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour (You can use regular all-purpose flour or any combination of the two as well).

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg (or a vegan substitute)

1/2 cup milk (or soymilk, rice milk, etc.)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tbsp. oil

1 1/2 cup blackberries

1/4 rolled oats, optional

Method

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your muffins tins, or else prepare them with paper muffins cups.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Add the egg, milk, applesauce, and oil, and mix well. Set aside. In a small bowl, use the backside of a spoon to crush 1/2 cup of blackberries. Stir this into the muffin batter. Then toss in the remaining blackberries and the oats, and mix the batter well. 

Pour the batter into the muffin tins until the tins are about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes for mini muffins, and 20-25 minutes for standard-size muffins. After they bake, remove the muffins from the oven, and allow them to cool for about 10 minutes. If you did not use paper muffin cups, run a knife around the sides of the individual tins in order to loosen the muffins before you remove them. This is important because you don't want the muffins to pull apart around the chunky blackberries. Serve with . . . leftover meringue frosting from your tres leches cake!

Marinated Cucumbers and Onions

Every time I visit my family, my mom always asks what I would like to eat. At this point a dozen comfort foods instantly pop into my mind, ranging from the most simple (mashed banana pancakes, served with powdered sugar and syrup) to the more extravagant. This year I asked for every single one of those summer fruits that I'm too cheap to buy on my own tab. I've requested all sorts of things, phyllo dough and quinoa and sweet summer corn and, ok I'll admit it, loads of peanut butter and dark chocolate. Also fresh tomatoes, dates, tofu, and please some homemade enchiladas. You name it, I've asked for it.


Except I never ask for her to stock up on cucumbers or onions. Despite my overlooking it though, this simple salad always gets made when I come for a visit. In fact, I can hardly remember a trip to Texas that didn't include a few days when cucumbers and onions were on my lunch plate. This salad is even easier than pie - most of the ingredients you'll probably have on hand, and it takes no more than five minutes to have the whole thing in the fridge marinating. But don't be deceived, it's tastier than any oil-soaked lettuce concoction I can come up with. One word of warning, though, bring on the mouthwash - this is a strong 'un.

Marinated Cucumbers and Onions
from my mother

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly into rings or slivers
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tbsp. flavored vinegar, such as red wine, balsamic, or tarragon, optional
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt to taste
pepper to taste, optional (I usually leave this out)

Method

In a shallow, flat dish, combine the sliced cucumber and onion. In a separate bowl, mix together the vinegars and oil. Pour over the vegetables so that all of the pieces are well-coated and marinating in the excess liquid. You may need to add extra vinegar in order to completely soak the vegetables. Lightly sprinkle wth salt and pepper if desired. Cover the dish, and let the salad marinate for at least three hours in the refridgerator. This recipe is even better the day after it is prepared. Serve cold.

Tres Leches Cake

I just described myself as a heath nut, but I realize that posting this recipes of all recipes destroys any credibility. However, the cake is so worth it - and I just made it today!

I had tres leches cake - "three milks cake" in English - most memorably just under a year and a half ago while celebrating my birthday in Santiago, Chile. I loved the milky flavor, but I found that the cake batter itself had too much sugar, making the texture gritty. Upon returning to the US, I finally found a recipe that effectively blends the sugar with half a dozen eggs, creating a fluffy batter, and I made it for a family celebration. It's now not only a staple at all Latin American fiestas, but since last July, it's also a staple at all of my uncle's birthday parties. Luckily, I was home this year to whip it up. I recommend serving it Chilean style, that is, served right after a crusty piece of bread topped with avocado, fresh cheese, and tomatoes and followed by sweetened hot tea.


Tres Leches Cake*
from Emeril Lagasse on Food Network

Ingredients

Cake Batter
6 large eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla, preferably Mexican

Milk Sauce
1 14-oz. can evaporated milk
1 14-oz. can condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream

Meringue Frosting
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg whites
summer fruit, for garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking dish.** Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs whites on a high speed until they form soft peaks. With the mixer still running, gradually add the two cups of sugar, and continue to beat the eggs on a high speed until they form stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder, and add it to the eggs while alternating with the half cup of milk. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown and soft but springy to the touch.

Meanwhile, whisk together the three milks to create the sauce.

After the cake has been removed from the oven, allow it to cool for approximately ten minutes. It should still quite warm to the touch. Then, using a thin knife, pierce the surface of the cake all over, forming a porous top. The holes should cut all the way through the cake. Pour the milk mixture all over the cake, allowing it to soak into the bread. Let the cake sit until it is at room temperature, and then chill it thoroughly in the refridgerator, preferably overnight.

Up to three hours before you serve the cake, prepare the meringue. Beat the eggs whites on a high speed until they form soft peaks. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continually until it reaches 235 to 250 degrees. Then remove it from the heat. Add this syrup to the eggs in a slow stream while beating the eggs on a high speed. Do not stop beating the eggs while you are adding the hot syrup. Continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks and becomes glossy.

In order to construct the cake, remove it from the refridgerator afer it has been completely chilled, and frost it with the meringue. The meringue should be spread just after it is made. Immediately before serving the cake, garnish it decorately with any summer fruit you have on hand. I used mango and blueberries. Make sure to pat the fruit dry before topping the cake in order to prevent it from bleeding into the meringue.

*Unfortunately, I have forgotten to take photos every single time I've made this cake. This photo is from my birthday in Chile. The baker apparently torched the meringue.
**Feel free to use other baking dishes, but do not use a deep dish because the milk sauce will not soak entirely into the cake.