Mysteries Unfold

Hmmm. "Curiouser and curiouser!" cried Alice.

Well Alice, 'ol girl, my life may not be as odd as your adventures in Wonderland, but strange things are happening that could either go in the "weird" or "wonderful" category ... or both.

For one thing, the weather here has become unbelievably gorgeous, which in itself is surprising, because only two weeks ago it snowed in my small Connecticut town. Just the other day, our apartment heater was chugging away, and I was wearing socks around the house to keep my tootsies toasty. So these last few days of "Indian summer" (as we used to say in Canada) are a beautiful interlude in an otherwise bleak weather pattern.

Secondly, I'm multi-tasking. No, the world isn't coming to an end, funnily enough! For those of you who really know me, realize that I used to be the ultimate uni-tasker, but now there's more than one pot bubbling on my stove. Debby of A Feast For The Eyes and I have been cooking up a delicious little project on the side that we hope to unveil to all of you in the next few days. It revolves around Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. Ah Ree, what can I say about thee? You are super-mom, super-cook, super-photographer, super-funny, and super-lucky to land yourself a handsome specimen of a cowboy as your husband! But the fact that you can laugh at yourself at all times is what hooked me on to your blog since the last two years. Ree shows no fear of butter or cheese or carbs (atta girl!), but she also embraces healthy greens, so her recipes have something for everyone. If you aren't a fan yet, you will be after you try her cutie-patootie Individual Berry Cobblers.

I didn't have raspberries, so used these plump, juicy blackberries - darlin' little jewels!

PW's Individual Berry Cobblers (original recipe on P-Dub's site here with step-by-step photos)
Makes 10-12

Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen (and thawed) berries
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prep a regular 12-serving muffin pan; coat it with non-stick cooking spray.

2. If using larger berries, like strawberries or blackberries, cut them in half and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour with sugar, then whisk in the milk. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla.

4. Using a 1/4 cup measure, pour batter into greased muffin tins. Top off with your choice of berries. (no need to press down) Sprinkle each serving with 1/8 tsp sugar.

Something else that was weird. Ree's original recipe was for 24 of these babies, so when I halved it, I figured I'd get 12 servings out of it - but lookie here, only 10! How did that happen?! I feel like I've let down my high-school math teacher somehow.

5. Bake for 30-40 mins (keep an eye on it, because you don't want them to turn too dark around the edges) until golden brown. Invert onto a cooling rack (use a butter knife to loosen the edges, and these babies will pop right out) and serve warm with ice-cream or whipped cream. But they're so cute - no one will judge you if you pop a couple into your mouth as is.

Another conundrum. Ree said that the berries would sink to the bottom of the batter - but mine didn't at all! Are raspberries more sinkable than blackberries?!

Verdict: No matter what, these adorable mini-cobblers are ultra-delicious. Crispy around the edges and pillowy soft in the center, bursting with fresh berry juices, these babies are keepers. Even as I'm typing this, I'm trying to figure out a scenario where having these for breakfast, with ice-cream, would be acceptable! And let's not forget how easy this recipe is! My goodness. No mixer needed, and barely any baking skills required. Hence, minimal effort with maximum payback - me likey.

Bet you can't have just one.

And finally, here's something you've never seen on my blog before. A giveaway! And not just any giveaway, dear readers. Soon you will all have the chance to win a hardcover copy of Ree's brand-spanking-new cookbook! It was released on Oct 27th, and you can be a proud owner of it. I've only heard good things about this from other foodies, so I can't wait to share this with you. Keep checking back here to see how you can get your hands on this, for freeeeeeeeeee!

Four kids, and deliciously calorific food, but she still looks great - what more do I need to get inspired?!