Monday, November 9, 2009

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?!

21 comments:

Foodiewife said...

Ooooooooooooh! Somehow I missed this recipe, and you definitely did P-Dub proud on these. The cat's almost out of the bag, and I can't wait to reveal our fun project. It's going to be a blast working with you, because you made me laugh as I read your post. I'm convinced to try these on a lazy Saturday morning. I have a stockpile of local olallieberries that would be perfect for these.

Cathy said...

I've heard from friends the weather back east is gorgeous suddenly!! We're actually having a pretty mild go of it too (for the prairies). And yay for multi-tasking!! I can do that with my eyes closed! Makes the day easier.

Sushma Mallya said...

cup cakes looks so yummy with blueberries in it...never tried with it so far,but surely would love to try it seeing the pic of it..looks so lovely

Nizsha said...

Can I have some please?You write so well with a touch of humor and effortlessy :) I enjoy reading your blog

Cheers

Donna-FFW said...

Love PW!! Cant wait to see what you guys have in store, I wanna play along. The muffins look fantastic!

Faith said...

We've been having our Indian summer here in upstate New York as well! I hope it's not too good to last (I just know snow is looming in the near future!). These indiviudal cobblers are definitely adorable...and delicious!

Maria said...

I met Ree in Utah, she is the best. Check out my blog for photos, etc. I love the mini desserts!

Doppelganger said...

Welcome to the club of multitaskers, my friend! I hope you enjoy your stay here but don't become a multitasking junkie (I can tell you from experience, it's not always fun!). I've been wanting to make a cobbler of some sort for a while and these just seem too easy and adorable for me to pass up on. I'm thinking that you don't need a particular scenario to eat these for breakfast because hey, they have berries! Those things are healthy! Besides, your berry cobbler breakfast beats my M&M breakfast anyday!

nandini said...

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!...I live the little berries in the muffin tray shot!.

Unknown said...

These look so nice! I hope you saved one for me :)

lorenabr said...

They look fab!!! The berries are very cute in the muffins:) You have a great blog :)

Kerstin said...

What cute little cobblers, they look fantastic!

Jennifer said...

Those are gorgeous! I am a fellow Pdubb fan, pre-ordered her cookbook and it should be here any day now!

Anonymous said...

These are just adorable and so delicious with blackberries, yum!

Duchess of Tea said...

Hello darling, I am checking in to see how you are feeling...as my aunt used to say, "has your nasty cold departed?" Darling, these look so delicious, I wish I could reach into my screen and grab one.

Love & Hugs
Duchess

Zurin said...

That looks SO pretty! ESP the pic with the raw batter is sooo so pretty and eye catching! :))) the cobblers to So yum. Love ur photos.

Joanne said...

I was loving the Indian summer weather as well, but now we are back to plain old winter I fear. Bring on the down jackets!

These mini cobblers are super adorable! And I'm sure super delicious! I need to make some of Ree's recipes sometime, I have heard such good things about them.

And I am incredibly excited for your giveaway. I will stay tuned...

Erica said...

Those are cute and delicious!!!!That looks like a great book.

Mari said...

Those look fantastic! I am envious of your friends that get to try all these things that you make lol

Unknown said...

Looks soo gud and tempting!

3 hungry tummies said...

lovely looking cakes, I must make some when my black berries are ready to to pick in summer :)