When I was first married, my husband and I had three other recently married couples in our ward that we regularly got together with for Sunday dinners, a game or cards, and other events. We still hold tender feelings for those first friends, even though we’ve all gone our separate ways. One of those families actually has EIGHT kids now! Another lives not too far away in Tooele. Our dear friends Kaycee F. and her husband are currently in Germany. I’d always be in a panic so far away from family, and I’m constantly impressed with how this young mother organizes her military family to maintain traditions and a sense of home no matter where they are in the world. I’ve encouraged her multiple times to start a public blog to share all her wonderful tips, advice and recipes, and I’m hopeful that one day she will take my advice. Because she is seriously amazing! That’s why today I invited her to do our Scrumptious Sunday post.
** The following guest post and recipe is brought to you by Kaycee F.**
I remember being about 15 years old and receiving a gift from my mom — a Williams-Sonoma cooking CD-ROM. While you may be wondering if a 15-year-old would actually enjoy this gift, she knew how much I loved cooking and baking, and boy, did she know how to choose the perfect gift for me! Clicking through recipe after recipe, contemplating the combination of ingredients and learning one new cooking tip after another was thrilling for my teenage self. I loved trying new recipes, always in search of that perfect one.
Time has passed and I have no idea what became of that CD. I did manage to write down one or two of the recipes, and I added them to my collection. Over time, I became busy with high school graduation, college graduation, marriage, and a job. As a new wife, I eagerly tried the recipes in my collection. My husband and I both loved a Blueberry Muffin recipe that was handwritten and copied from – you guessed it – my Williams-Sonoma cooking CD.
I experimented with those muffins a few times, trying to make the recipe a little more healthful and add variety, and I eventually ended up with an absolutely fabulous recipe — Whole Wheat Raspberry Muffins. I enjoyed this altered recipe so much that I took them in to share at work. After my boss helped himself to a muffin and went into his office to enjoy it, only a minute or two passed before he was back at my desk declaring that this was The Best Muffin he’d ever tasted!
So, it’s safe to say that I am now about to share with you The Best Muffin Recipe YOU’VE ever tasted! I’ve recently experimented with reducing the sugar and adding a smashed banana, and the results are mouth-watering. I have not tried reducing the butter because, to be honest, I’m a butter-lover. Nobody mess with the butter!
And if you want the good old, Williams-Sonoma original Blueberry Muffin recipe {it’s really fabulous as well}, simply use white flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and blueberries instead of raspberries.
If you really enjoy this recipe and intend to make it often, here is a time-saving tip: Combine all dry ingredients together in a Ziploc bag. When you are ready to make the muffins, just add the remaining wet ingredients, and bake! Make 2 or 3 (or 10) Ziploc baggies full of the dry ingredients to last you even longer!
If you’d like to experiment with different add-ins, try a Blueberry Apple Muffin, as pictured. Just dice the apples into small pieces. It’s a really versatile recipe — your imagination is the only limit!
I give you…….
The Best Whole Wheat Raspberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients
2 c. whole-wheat flour
1/3 c. sugar + 1 smashed banana
2 ½ t. baking powder
¼ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. milk
½ c. unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 c. raspberries {fresh are best; if frozen, stir in while frozen}
Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F. Butter or grease 12 muffin tins. Stir together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Gently stir in raspberries. Spoon the batter into tins. Bake 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove.
Thanks so much, Kaycee! These look delicious, and I can’t wait to try them! YUM!
