This weekend could have affectionately been referred to as Cuss-Fest 2007. For not one but BOTH of my teams decided to piss me off and lose. I have officially decided that quiche is the wrong food and ditched that. Now, I’m not surprised my Flames lost. They are after all playing the Detroit Red Wings, who, as much as I hate to admit, are pretty darn good. I hate the Red Wings(more than any team in the NHL…I even have a Detroit sucks jersey and a t-shirt that reads If Detroit’s so great…go back!) for a list of many reasons. But the biggest reasons why I hate Detroit is the bandwagon fans. I can’t stand bandwagon fans!!!! And there are a lot of them. If you are reading this saying oh, I’m not a bandwagon fan and I love the Red Wings…then quick, without looking it up on the Internet, name me 7 players off the Detroit team(exactly…shut up, you are a bandwagon fan). The true fans are the tortured ones like my poor friend Ivonne, who suffers the curse of being a Leafs fan which is the equivalent of being a Red Sox’s or Cubs fan. The Flames have been horrible on the road all season and this playoff round does not seem to be the exception to that rule. Hopefully as they return to the Red Mile and the building that brings them such luck(the Saddledome for you non-hockey people) they can pull it together and show a little dignity.
My Sabres on the other hand have NO excuse…we’re playing the Islanders….the fricking Islanders. We got cocky and listened to all those people who said we would sweep the NY boys…well sweep we will not…but win, I am still confident we will do that.
Enough hockey. Sunday was book club again. We had brunch this time around and I chose to make muffins from the cookbook of a local favorite bakery here in the Seattle area, Macrina Bakery. The cookbook is one of my favorites and if you like to bake…it is a must. Not necessarily for the beginning baker but if you have a little bread flour under your belt, you will love the things this book produces. Now, these muffins could be made by anyone. A myriad of flavors makes up this muffin…but mostly I taste the pineapple and walnuts. There is carrot and apple but I really feel that is more for adding moisture to the muffins. I will have to say that these are almost healthy…well, healthy for me. They have coconut in them, which I love, but many do not and in retrospect I should have left it out since many book club girls are anti-coconut….live and learn.
I am off to punch down some brioche dough as I needed to bake bread to calm me down…my hockey season is over until mid-May, so baking bread is the only outlet I have right now for hitting something!
Morning Glory Muffins
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/3 cup walnut halves
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium carrot, grated
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
3/4 cup chopped pineapple
3 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
6 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1 TBSP freshly squeeze lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350F.
Brush insides of muffin tin with canola oil.
Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let sit for 10 minute while raisins plump, then strain and squeeze out excess liquid with your hands. Set aside. Place walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then chop coarsely and set aside.
Sift four, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix gently with a wooden spoon and set aside. In a separate medium bowl, combine raisins, walnuts, carrot, apple, pineapple, eggs, canola oil, melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract and coconut; mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the dry ingredients and continue stirring just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. It’s important not to over mix.
Scoop batter into oiled muffin tin, filling the cups to the top. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes(15-20 for mini). Let cool for 20 minutes, then slide a fork sown the sides of each muffin and gently lift it from the pan.
Source: Adapted from the Macrina Bakery and Cafe Cookbook by Leslie Mackie with Andrew Cleary, 2003
Tanna says
Oh, Peabody I love your Puppy begging for a Morning Glory. I used to make some Morning Glory Muffins when my boys were growing up that are so good. Those muffins and the icing on German Chocolate Icing are the only things I routinely allow the use of coconut in, there’s just no substitute.
Ellie says
I’m so sorry that your teams let you down, but those muffins look like the right kinda treat to perk you up! I was reading through the ingredient list and loving everything in it! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Lydia says
Punching down down is such a good antidote to a bad hockey season! My husband’s beloved Canadiens are long gone now, so life in our household is returning to peace and calm. And brioche — but he is the baker, not me!
Kevin says
Hi Peabody…these look amazing!
How many muffins did you get from the recipe?? Thanks!
Patricia Scarpin says
Wow, glory indeed! They look yummy and the ingredients sound healthy and delicious!
gilly says
Hi Pea – gorgeous muffins – pineapple, apples, raisins… oh my!
LOL – here’s what I love about this community… I woke up this morning to the radio – and waited to hear how YOUR teams were doing…
…and subsequently envisioned balled-up socks flying!
peabody says
Tanna- she more than begged, what you don’t see in that picture is her snatching it out of my hand!
Lydia- I am secretly glad the Habs didn’t make it…not that I dislike them but I made a bet with my francophone friend that they wouldn’t even make it to the playoffs…so I am up $10.
Kevin- good question…12 regular size but I got about 30 mini muffins!
Gilly- the socks were flying everywhere this weekend…and the cuss words were flowing. Funny thing is my dog of course thinks it is a game and chases after the flying socks.
Cheryl says
More of hockey talk? Stop it. My husband is going to leave me for you soon.
Beautiful muffins and they look amazing even though you probably beat the crap out them getting out your frustrations.
tracy says
Not a bandwagon fan…but I’m a proud Detroiter and your T-shirts seem a little harsh. Maybe you need to eat more morning glory muffins!
Linda, The Village Vegetable says
OMG that photo with your doggy in the backround it simply priceless!
Claudia says
The muffins lool delish, but I have to tell you that I LOVE the photo with the hopeful puppy!
Elle says
Ah, another baked goods loving dog. Mine sits at the entrance to the kitchen any time I bake, just hoping for something to fall off the cooling rack or for a bowl to lick.
These are fun muffins and sound a lot like some I used to make with my nephews. They keep if the kids and dogs let them.
peabody says
Cheryl- there will be a lot of hockey talk in the next few weeks
Tracy- glad you are not a bandwagon fan…but my t-shirts are not harsh for a true Red Wing hater. Go into Joe Louis and read some of the t-shirts your fans have. I know I’ve been brave enough to go there…wearing my Detroit Sucks jersey, lucky for me they lost that night
Linda- she is a begging machine
Claudia- thanks…I will let my puppy know, though she might be getting a bit of an ego by now 🙂
Ellie- yes, my puppy is on red alert when I am baking and even funnier is she whines when the oven timer goes off because she knows something good is coming out!
gattina says
I will add my drooling face next to your doggie!
Jill says
I love coconut! I’m sorry I missed them!!
sarah living to feel good says
I hate the Red Wings too!! With a PASSION! I’m actually not a Ducks fan either, but I’m not gonna pass on a free playoff game, and no I didn’t wave my orange towel with the fans when they scored. I’m rooting for the Rangers.
Thanks for the comment, and just so you know..I don’t compare myself to people. For some reason that girl at the game made me think twice. It was really just a wake up call to my goal. And I don’t get upset when the scale says a higher number than I would like. I think because I have the confidence in knowing I can and will do this, that is why it doesn’t bother me 99% of the time.
Sorry your team lost.
Lisa says
I’ve been craving pineapple lately.. all muffins usually look pretty darn good to me, but your muffins with the pineapple sound extremely good right now. =)
Now Gracie.. be careful of what you are doing.. no jumping around too much, take notice of the things around you so you won’t bump into them.. easy down those steps, missie! You’d be amazed at what kind of damage a waving sock can do! hehehe
xoxox
breadchick says
Ok, I am a Michigander and a life long Red Wings fan (I even stuck with them through the early 80s…remember the early 80s when they couldn’t find the ice at the Joe?) BUT the Flames have a really special place in my heart as what I consider one the best sound systems I ever designed for a hockey arena resides in the Red Mile (and I got over my fear of catwalk climbing there too!) I love your morning glory muffins but think they need the cream cheese frosting we all used for the Red Velvet cakes to make them perfect!! OH OH another recipe of yours to make!!!
Ivonne says
Great minds, Peabody, great minds!
First of all, thanks for the sympathy. Secondly, while your Flames look like they’ll need some help to make it through, your Sabres are HOT!!!
Personally, I have several teams that I hate but the one that I would absolutely not accept winning the cup is the Senators. Leafs fans would be tormented to no end.
Whenever I get down, I like to remember when the Leafs beat the Red Wings in the 1993 playoffs in Game 7. Always a happy memory!
Finally, I just bought the Macrina cookbook but have yet to try anything so I’m thrilled to hear that you love it!