Strawberry Honey Muffins

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Strawberry Honey Muffins

When it’s strawberry season in Michigan, the restaurants start to have strawberry specials, some orchards have you-pick, and it’s a true sign to the start of summer.

Strawberry

My little family went to a strawberry patch and picked a few strawberries. It was so fun and is something that we are definitely going to do again before the season is out.

Strawberry

My daughter had a field (ha) day picking the strawberries. We told her not to eat them and she still was sneaking them. There was no denying that she was eating them as she had the evidence all over her face and hands.  It was almost like a cartoon…”one for you, one for me… one for you… two for me.”

Strawberries

Michigan Ingredient

Michigan Ingredients: Strawberries, Sugar, Honey

I’ve recently started combing honey and strawberries together. Strawberries alone are amazing, but if you want to take your strawberry snacking to the next level, add some honey. It’s Michigan in a bowl people! YUM!!!

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Chop your strawberries. It was very hard to not eat all the strawberries while I was chopping them because usually I chop and eat at the same time.

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Place your strawberries in a bowl and drizzle your honey over them. Try not to eat all of them and set them aside.

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Combine your dry ingredients and create a well for your liquids.

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Imagine a picture of melting butter and cooling it. Pour the butter into the well.  Combine your milk and egg and pour into the well as well.  Stir until just combined. DO NOT OVER STIR!!

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Add your strawberry and honey mixture. I would recommend using a rubber spatula and getting all the honey out of the bowl. It is so worth it.

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Fill your muffin tins that are lined with your favorite muffin liners.  If you have empty cavities, fill them with water to ensure even baking. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins pass the toothpick test.

Strawberry Honey Muffins

Strawberry Honey Muffins
 
Author:
Recipe type: Breads
Serves: 10-12
Prep time:
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup of Fresh Strawberries, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of Honey
  • 1¾ cups of Flour
  • ⅓ cup of Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon of Salt
  • ¾ cup of Milk
  • ⅓ cup Butter (melted)
  • 1 Egg
Instructions
  1. Combine your strawberries and 3 tablespoons of honey in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Combine the remaining dry ingredients into a large bowl. Create a well in which the liquid ingredients will be poured into.
  3. Melt your butter and once cooled, pour into the well of the dry ingredients. Combine the milk and egg into a small bowl. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined (Do not over-stir).
  4. Add your strawberries and honey and stir until just combined.
  5. Preheat your oven at 425 degrees while your pour your muffin batter into a muffin pan. *
  6. Bake for 20-25 until the toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
Note: If you have empty cavities, fill them with water for even baking.

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Butter

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Main pic

I know this is more like a autumn/fall recipe; however, when it starts to get warmer out, sometimes people lose their appetite and/or are more rushed in the morning due to trying to work out in the morning before work. Trust me when I say I know what that is like. Now that it is getting warmer and the sunrise is getting earlier and earlier, I find myself doing more in the morning and not leaving myself enough time to create a “gourmet meal.” I mean come on, who creates a delicious breakfast every. single. morning? I’m lucky when I  even get cereal.

THIS is the answer to your toast prayers. It seems that the new fad for toast is avocado toast, which if that is your thing, that’s awesome; but for me, avocado is not something I crave first thing in the morning. This Cinnamon Honey Walnut Butter will give you a hint of sweet with the added bonus of protein power and Omega-3s.

Walnuts are delicious in their own right, but making them into a nut butter is even better. You can use it on toast, use it in place of boring peanut butter for your apples, take spoonfuls, etc. I could not leave this stuff alone, and everyone who came in contact with me this last weekend, had to deal with me asking them to try it.

Michigan Item

 

Michigan Ingredients: Honey and Cinnamon (not pictured as I am an airhead)

It seems that I have been using honey more and more lately.

To make this wonderful recipe, you do need to have a food processor. I can’t imagine not having one because I have used it to make ice cream, nut butters, baby food, etc. It is truly an appliance I don’t think I can live without (but don’t tell my KitchenAid this).

Three simple ingredients, Walnuts, Cinnamon, and Honey. The honey adds a bit of sweetness and the cinnamon is just because I am madly in love with cinnamon (ask any of my family and they can tell you that).

First, you put your walnuts in the food processor and turn it on “high.”

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Buitter

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Buitter

Once it looks like above….. Keep going. Depending on the strength of your food processor, it will take will take roughly 5-7 minutes.

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Buitter

When it looks like this, it is safe to add your cinnamon and honey. Once you add them, it will look/seem like it is not going to work, but it will. It just takes time; you can’t rush perfection.

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Buitter

The natural oils in the walnuts will release (and the honey helps as well) and it will look like the picture above when it is done. I would say for my food processor (which is almost 10 years old), from start to finish, it took roughly 15 minutes. Your food processor will be a bit warm; but it will be just fine.

***Update: Please note that after sitting for a while (i.e. the next day) the oils will separate, so just give the nut butter a stir and you are good to go! 🙂

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Buitter

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Butter
 
Author:
Recipe type: Condiment
Serves: 1 cup
Cook time:
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This nut butter is delicious on toast, perfect for apples, and is amazing by the spoonful 🙂
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of Walnut Halves
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons of Honey
Instructions
  1. Place your walnuts in your food processor and set on high. You can scrape the sides if need be every now and then.
  2. Once the walnuts look kind of like a dough, add your cinnamon and honey. Turn food processor on high again until the nut butter looks like an applesauce/natural peanut butter. Makes 1 cup.
Notes
Please note that after sitting for a while (i.e. the next day) the oils will separate, so just give the nut butter a stir and you are good to go! 🙂

 

Heavenly Honey Oat Bread

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Heavenly Honey Oat Bread

Something about making bread just relaxes me. I don’t know if it is the punch the dough down, kneading it by hand, or just the entire process. It’s one of those things that one typically doesn’t want to rush because you want it to come out perfectly.

This is the type of bread that has multiple a few steps in which take no time at all to prep, it’s just the waiting for cooling and proofing (rise time).

One thing that makes this bread so great is the sweetness the honey gives the bread. Of course, it’s not an overwhelming sweet, as this is not a sweet bread (however, if you have a sweet tooth late at night and do not want complete guilt, toast up a piece and drizzle with honey). This is a bread that is amazing as toast, is great for sandwiches and is amazing to dip in soups. This is the type of bread that I probably could survive on by eating just bread and butter all day for each meal (#polishgirlatheart).

Michigan Item

Michigan Ingredient: Honey

ANYWAYS… back to the honey. I use Michigan made honey as to me it tastes better, more fresh. It could just be the nostalgia of it, but I’ve bought honey that is not made in Michigan and it’s one of those things where you can taste the chemicals inhabiting your body. Not to over exaggerate or anything..

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Heavenly Honey Oat Bread
 
Author:
Recipe type: Breads
Prep time:
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Such a hearty and delish bread that you can eat for breakfast or dip in your favorite soup.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of Old Fashioned Oats
  • 2 cups of Boiling Water
  • 1 Package of Active Yeast
  • ¼ cup of Warm Water
  • ⅓ cup of Michigan Honey (or whatever honey you have on hand)
  • 1 tablespoon of Butter (melted and cooled) or Oil
  • 2 teaspoons of Salt
  • 1 Egg Beaten (optional)
  • 5½ cups of All-Purpose Flour
  • Milk
  • Additional Oats
Instructions
  1. Place Old Fashioned Oats into a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over them. Let the Oats stand for 15 minutes or until luke warm. (Sometimes I will add cinnamon and a touch of sugar at this stage.)
  2. Sprinkle yeast over ¼ cup of warm water in a small bowl. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.
  3. Add honey, butter/oil, salt and yeast mixture to the oat mixture. For extra rich dough, add the beaten egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the flour (Make sure dough can be handled, but still a bit sticky).
  4. Knead for 2 minutes. Cover and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Knead 12 to 15 strokes till dough is elastic, but still sticky, adding flour as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour. **
  6. Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface (Don't let flour take away the sticky).
  7. Divide dough in half and shape into 2 loaves.
  8. You can use either two loaf pans or a large baking sheet. Let the dough rise again for 30 minutes.
  9. Brush with milk and sprinkle with additional oats.
  10. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Notes
**Note: To help with the rise, take a coffee cup full of water and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with a paper towel that has been wrung out and place the bowl in the microwave. This helps create a nice little "proofing" station so you do not have to worry about your dough not rising.