Fix, Freeze, Feast - Kati Neville [59]
My children love anything with pumpkin. So when our warehouse club began carrying canned pumpkin at prices far lower than at our grocery store, I knew it was time to get to work. When developing this recipe, I was aiming for a delicious muffin with extra fiber and calcium for my kids. The recipe does include butter, but the vitamin A, whole wheat flour, and added calcium make these muffins better than most commercial alternatives. —KN
PUMPKIN MUFFINS
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 3 DOZEN MUFFINS
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
cup dry milk powder (do not use instant)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cake spice (such as Penzeys, or try our handmade version on page 136)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
6 eggs, beaten
cup milk
2 tablespoons double-strength vanilla extract
4 one-gallon freezer bags, labeled
1. Mix all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, milk powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cake spice, and baking soda in a large bowl.
2. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, mix pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, beating in half at a time until just combined. The batter will be stiff.
3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
4. Grease three 12-cup regular muffin tins. (If you don’t have enough muffin tins, bake the muffins in batches.) Fill each cup two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
5. Allow muffins to cool for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle. Transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Divide cooled muffins evenly among the freezer bags.
6. Seal and freeze.
TO ENJOY
1. Thaw desired number of muffins in the refrigerator.
2. Reheat in the microwave, in intervals of 10 to 15 seconds, until centers are warm.
DOUBLE VANILLA
You can find “double-fold” or “double-strength” pure vanilla at most grocery stores or from a variety of online retailers. If you can’t find something to your liking, consider making your own vanilla extract. Add 2 or 3 vanilla beans to a quart of vodka, brandy, or rum, store in a cool, dark place, and you can begin curing your own extract.
This recipe is designed so you can go from zero to smoothie in no time flat. —LT
STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIES
MAKES 8 BATCHES, ABOUT 3 CUPS EACH
6 POUNDS FROZEN STRAWBERRIES
1 (32-ounce) container strawberry yogurt
1 pint orange juice concentrate
8 one-quart freezer bags, labeled
1. Divide strawberries evenly among the freezer bags. Into each bag, measure one ½ cup yogurt and ¼ cup orange juice concentrate.
2. Seal and freeze.
TO ENJOY
Thaw one bag in the refrigerator just enough to remove mix from bag. Put smoothie in a blender and add 1 cup cold water. Blend until smooth.
STAY COOL
If the smoothie thaws completely, simply blend with 1 cup ice.
Smoothies are great for a quick breakfast or a pick-me-up later in the day. Because the tropical fruit mix is naturally sweet, this recipe calls for plain yogurt. —LT
TROPICAL FRUIT SMOOTHIES
MAKES 8 BATCHES, ABOUT 3 CUPS EACH
6 POUNDS FROZEN TROPICAL FRUIT MIX
1 (32-ounce) container plain yogurt
1 pint orange juice concentrate
8 one-quart freezer bags, labeled
1. Divide fruit evenly among the freezer bags. Into each bag, measure ½ cup yogurt and ¼ cup orange juice concentrate.
2. Seal and freeze.
TO ENJOY
Thaw one bag in the refrigerator just enough to remove mix from bag. Put smoothie in a blender and add 1 cup cold water. Blend until smooth.
Making healthful school lunches and after-school snacks can be a daily challenge. Kids, like adults, need variety in their diets, even if they complain about it. I try to make this mix more appealing by using high-quality white chocolate chips. In their August 2005 issue, Cooks Illustrated gave top tasting honors to the Guittard brand of white chocolate chips. Kids enjoy this mix straight from the bag and as a topping for tropical ice cream