Ma Niche : Ree Drummondas

This month, Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Anuja from Simple Baking. chose Ree Drummondas, the Pioneer Woman as the star chef for the event Cook Like a Star. Initially I wasn't very excited about it. the thing is Food Network telecasts her cooking shows at odd hours... meaning the show timings are not at all convenient for me. in fact all i remembered of her show was the fact that I "had to" switch off the TV exactly when Ree Drummondas came on the screen. I had forgotten the reason and had somehow assumed that I probably hadn't liked the little bit I had ever seen of it.. so I wasn't planning on Cooking like a Star this month. but then i thought of trying out just the simplest of the recipes.. only to find out that her recipes just like her website is adorable-addictive. ever since I have been visiting her website regularly for her recipes and other stories.. she always keeps it real and yet entertaining enough for you to want to go back for another scoop.

while i have tried a few other recipes by the Pioneer Woman in the last couple of weeks, i do not have many pretty pictures to show. they just didn't turn out right. however husband has been asking me to cook some of them again.. so most likely there will be many more Pioneer Woman recipes on the blog soon. now the first of her recipes that i tried... the Blueberry Corn Muffins.

since it is currently the blueberry season, i am sure everyone around is baking their favorite version of these corn muffins.. just in case your recipe isn't the one that PW shared, reconsider it... for hers is really good. the thing that sets it apart from the other recipes that I have seen and tried is the fact that she uses dried blueberries instead of fresh ones. Oh don't cringe at the idea of dried blueberries. they are really good. i oven dried a cup of blueberries using this recipe and was duly rewarded. now its your turn. trust me. these muffins are worth that extra step and oven drying the blueberries isn't that complicated. simply toss a cup of blueberries with a teaspoon of honey and bake them on a sheet of parchment paper at 225 degrees F for about 2 hours or until shriveled but still supple. while PW does not mention the honey coated version of dried blueberries, I think it is a nice addition to the recipe since the honey coating helps the blueberries stay afloat instead of sinking into the batter...

okay now PW's recipe for the Blueberry Corn Mini-Muffins...

Blueberry Corn Mini-Muffins (makes 24) Recipe Source : The Pioneer Woman
ingredients 1 cup yellow corn meal 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 tbsp baking powder 2 tbsp sugar 1 cup buttermilk (1 used the combination: 1 tbsp + 1 cup minus 1 tbsp of milk ) 1/2 cup milk 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 egg 1/4 cup shortening, melted (i used unsalted butter) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup oven dried blueberries(see discussion above for oven dried blueberries)* PW suggests using 8oz of dried blueberries by weight. - the method* preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a mini-muffin pan. in a bowl, combine corn meal, flour, salt and baking powder. in a separate bowl add buttermilk, milk, baking soda and egg and beat the sugar into it. now stir in the dry ingredient mixture into it. then stirring constantly add the melted butter into the batter. add the vanilla extract and with a light hand stir in the dried blueberries into the batter. pour the batter into the prepared mini-muffin pan, trying to make sure that the blueberries get distributed evenly. transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, until the muffins turn golden brown. then enjoy with Vanilla flavored butter as PW does or slather some jam and serve...you'll enjoy it either way..

Blueberry Corn Mini-Muffins (makes 24)

Recipe Source : The Pioneer Woman

ingredients

1 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk (1 used the combination: 1 tbsp + 1 cup minus 1 tbsp of milk )
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening, melted (i used unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup oven dried blueberries(see discussion above for oven dried blueberries)*

*PW suggests using 8oz of dried blueberries by weight.

the method

preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a mini-muffin pan.
in a bowl, combine corn meal, flour, salt and baking powder.
in a separate bowl add buttermilk, milk, baking soda and egg and beat the sugar into it. now stir in the dry ingredient mixture into it.
then stirring constantly add the melted butter into the batter.
add the vanilla extract and with a light hand stir in the dried blueberries into the batter.
pour the batter into the prepared mini-muffin pan, trying to make sure that the blueberries get distributed evenly.
transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, until the muffins turn golden brown.
then enjoy with Vanilla flavored butter as PW does or slather some jam and serve...you'll enjoy it either way..

by the way, if you are wondering about my choice of props for the photographs...

well thats what happens in a house where you are out numbered by beings of the opposite gender.. sometimes the only fancy props available are shiny toy cars and action figures ;-)

Have a good day !

I am linking this post to the event Cook like a Star, organised by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo from Eat your heart out and Mich from Piece of Cake.