Marvin has been with me for several months now, having been born in January, not because I was dying to try sour dough, but because a friend had asked me if I knew how to make sour dough bread, and learning it needed a starter, I was intrigued. Intrigued enough that my starter has been around, happily, and baked with many times, whereas the friend who wanted it to begin with... well her starter, a cast off of Marvin, made it into her fridge and has likely died a cold death there.
Marvin has made me muffins. He has made pancakes for my children. He has made several loaves of bread, though I still have not quite figured out how to make a boule with him. His bread has made us sandwiches and croutons, as well as bread pudding.
Cinnamon buns, slathered with icing, hinted with flavors of orange, were everyone's favorite. Soft and gooey. Yum.
Time goes on, and despite the neglect to which I've shown him lately (feeding every other day instead of every day, ack!) he lives on. Thrives.
This week was a busy week for Marvin. While he bubbled after a feeding, a muffin "cake*" cooled right from the oven. Dough for cinnamon raisin bread rose in another bowl. And he looked on at products of his work and smiled.
*Muffin "Cake"
I was lazy. I like the muffins that come from Marvin, but do not like scrubbing out that silly muffin pan of mine! Instead, I made a double power starter, 1 cup of starter, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of water, and mixed it up like muffins, but then baked it in a 9x13 pan instead. This particular cake had chopped fresh strawberries, as well as chopped bananas. Baking time is about 45 minutes, instead of the usual 20 for 6 muffins.
Muffin flavors I've tried:
blueberry, fresh and frozen (like frozen better)
with and without orange and lemon zest
strawberry, fresh
mixed frozen berry
apple cinnamon
banana (mushed)
banana and strawberry (both sliced)
banana and blueberry (my favorite, the bananas mushed instead of chopped, with fresh blueberries)
chocolate chip
cheddar and green onion
cheddar and herb (for these, omit the sugar)
I'm sure there are more, I just can't remember them all right now!
The many faces of Marvin
Guess what I had with my breakfast smoothie this morning!
Yes, that lovely, warm, blueberry filled muffin was made with my sour dough starter! (My not yet named starter, though I am between honoring Mary by naming it after her, or calling it Marvin, just cause that's what keeps coming up in my head.)
Thanks again to Mary, my good pal, who once again provided me with instructions and recipe on how to use my baby starter. Sure, I had to start them last night before I went to bed, but that took no time at all, just scoop out some starter, give it a little flour and water love, mix it, cover it (I used a dishtowel), and let it get to work!
I admit, my power starter this morning was definitely more like what I expected my entire starter to be like, thick, sticky and full of bubbles. It took a minute or two of elbow grease to mix all the dry ingredients into my muffins, and then again to add in the blueberries, but the muffins baked up big and golden, crunchy on top, though I'm sure the sprinkling of sugar didn't hurt. And as good as it was warm with my morning fruit in a glass, it was even better later in the day as an after work snack!
This weekend will see sour dough pancakes, or maybe even waffles, served to my boys for breakfast!
Now I just need to know - Mary, can I scoop out from my starter at any point during it's day to prep these muffins, now that I am on a 1x a day, morning, feeding for it?
Mini "Refund" Muffins
Food bloggers are sometimes such a funny group. It is amazing how one little recipe can make the rounds, and how things travel. Just look at the Daring Bakers - up to 30 members, all quickly becoming fast friends, with more people asking to join on a regular basis!
Some recipes just bear repeating, and some stories need to be spread near and far. These muffins are a perfect example of both!
Known once as Snickerdoodle muffins, they were originally posted by Daring Baker Peabody on her blog Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. A stiff muffin batter that is rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked to a warming, comforting treat. She enjoyed them, so she posted about them to share with whomever wanted to try them. Many people did - one of the original comments was that these were the "best muffins ever!"
I guess there is just no accounting for taste, however. Seems one reader made them and didn't like them. Okay, I guess. I don't like everything, most people don't. And everyone has recipes that don't work out, no matter how well we follow the directions. When that happens to me, I just don't make the recipe again (unless I'm positive I screwed up, then I try again.) Life goes on.
But to submit a bill for the cost of the ingredients to the blogger who's recipe you didn't like?
Sad thing - I am not kidding! Someone seriously submitted a bill to Peabody! Does this mean I can submit a bill to every author of every recipe I ever made that I didn't like?
OMG! I would be loaded! Especially if I can bill for the emotional turmoil!
Dear Martha,
I recently tried your recipe for xxxxxxxxxxxx and it was awful! Your instructions were of no help as they were completely and totally impossible to follow! I wasted hours trying to make my xxxxx, the primary compotent for this recipe! Please find enclosed a bill for not only the ingredients, but also the time spend and for the emotional damage your recipe caused me. Sincerely,
All things edible.
Like I said, there is no accounting for taste. The last tray of my mini muffins, now known in blog land as "Refund Muffins" thanks to another Daring Baker, Breadchick and her blog The Sour Dough, has just come out of the oven. My children could not wait until the last batch was done to try them - the entire house smells warm and comforting, with cinnamon and nutmeg scenting the air! So far from their little taste test I've heard, "Yummy!" "These are the best ever!" "MmmmcanmmmmImmmhavemmmmmore?" "I just can't stand it, not being allowed to have another one!" (That last comment was followed by an 8 year old stomping out of the room in a pout, until I told him he could have some in his lunch at school, then he stopped stomping.)
So I guess it is time for me to write my own letter:
Dear (Mr.) Peabody,
Please find enclosed the bill for the ingredients used in making your Snickerdoodle muffins. I made them, a total of 60 mini muffins, and they were.....
Oh wait! I can't send her a bill - we loved them! They were so good!
Peabody - I give to you the most honest testament any baker can give to another:
Snickerdoodle Muffins
from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, at room temperature
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 and ¼ cup sour cream (I ran short of light sour cream so used plain yogurt for the balance)
2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling
Makes 12 -14 regular muffins, or 60 mini muffins
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Prepare muffin tins with cupcake papers and lightly grease with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tarter and set aside. Using a stand mixer on medium low speed or by hand, cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and mix until each egg is fully combined with the sugar, butter, vanilla mixture. If you are using a stand mixer, turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally to get all the ingredients combined thoroughly. Do not over mix though. The dough will be firm but not clumpy.
Using an ice cream scoop or soup spoon, scoop out muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar.
Once the muffin dough-ball is completely covered in cinnamon sugar, place dough-ball in prepared muffin tin.
Bake them for approx. 12-14 minutes for mini muffins, or 20-22 minutes for normal muffins, or until they are golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from tins to allow the cinnamon sugar crust to firm up. Serve warm.
