Hobbit Day! A Feast for Hobbits

September 22 is Hobbit Day!  Apparently it is the celebration of Bilbo's 111 ith birthday.

There are 6 Hobbit meals a day, 7 (according to the movies, if you include 2nd breakfast).

So, for my Hobbits here's what I prepared, with some Apple Cider to wash it all down with, Beer or Wine for the adults.  We ended up doing this over 2 days otherwise we would not have been able to eat all this food!

Breakfast:

Bacon and Eggs

Second Breakfast:

Marmalade Toast

Elevensies:

Guiness Brown Bread with Kerrygold Butter

Lunch:

Baguette with Cheese

Bangers (Sausages)

Sauteed Cabbage and Onions in Bacon fat with Salt and Pepper

Roasted Po-Ta-Toes in Bacon Fat, Salt and Pepper

Tea Time:

Victorian Seed Cake (not so good) or Zucchini Spice Muffin

Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Dinner:

Mushroom Stew (Technically this time it was Shitake and Pork Ramen with Napa Cabbage, Bamboo, and an Egg, not exactly Hobbit fare, but it was leftover and needed to be eaten, no Hobbit would turn down mushrooms.)

Supper:

Zucchini Spice Muffins

Next Time:

Lemon Poppy seed Cake next time, or Blackberry Tarts, or Scones, or Hand Pies or all of them!

Grandma Gracie's Sloppy Joes

1 lb of ground beef 80/20
1 large onion, diced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4-1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4-1/2 cup Sweet Pepper Relish

In a cast Iron skillet, brown the ground beef in the olive oil.  Add the onions and cook till done.  You can drain the fat at this point or not.  Add Ketchup and Sweet Pepper Relish.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

Grandma Gracie always served hers on buttered toast from homemade white bread.

Kale Soup

2 Tablespoons of Olive oil, Chicken fat, or Butter
1 large yellow or white onion, diced
1 large sweet potato or 3 large Carrots, peeled and diced
1 bunch of kale, washed, cleaned, stems stripped, and chopped
1 quart of Chicken broth
1 can (15 oz.) or 1 1/2 cups cooked Cannellini or Great Northern Beans, drained
Salt to taste

4 pieces of fish, poached, and drained

2 Tablespoons green Curry paste, (optional)

Saute the vegetables in the fat, one-at-a-time in order listed for a few minutes each, then add the chicken broth, beans.  Simmer till vegetables are cooked.

In a separate pan, poach the fish.

In our house some of us like fish and some don't, and some of us like curry and some don't, so I let people put their own bowls together.

Easy Lemon Curd

1/2 cup of Butter
1 cup of Sugar
3 Tablespoons of Lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon of Lemon Zest
1 Egg, well beaten
1/4 cup of water

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, over medium heat, stir constantly until bubbling.  Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

"Ham" Salad Sandwich Spread or Just Plain Ol' Bologna Sandwiches

This "Ham" salad was on the table every Christmas Eve at my Paternal Grandma's house.  Slapped between two slices of Heiner's white bread and cut diagonally.  Me thinks my Aunt Jane had a hand in this as well.

After making this again, I determined it's just not for me.  I prefer to eat my bologna in slices, I don't mind applying the miracle whip directly to the bread.  I also like this sandwich with a slice of American cheese.  No pickle relish necessary.  Below is a recipe for homemade Miracle Whip, because I just about never eat it, I never have it on hand, and it does go bad.

BOLOGNA SANDWICH SPREAD

2 T. sweet pickle relish
1 lb. bologna, blitzed in a food processor
Miracle Whip, enough to make it spreadable

HOMEMADE MIRACLE WHIP FROM MAYONNAISE

2 1/2 Tablespoons of White Distilled Vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons of White Sugar
1 teaspoon of Corn Starch

Combine thoroughly and Microwave till just boiling.  Let cool in freezer for a few minutes.  Add:

1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/8 teaspoon of Mustard Powder (if you have it)
Dashes of Paprika
3/4 cup of Mayonnaise

Mix well.  Cover, and store in the refrigerator, probably not more than a few weeks.

Lime Jello Salad

This salad was on my Aunt Jane's table at Thanksgiving.  While my family always had the official dinner with my Mom's Mom, going to my Dad's Sister's for evening leftovers is one of my favorite childhood holiday memories. We even got to help decorate her Christmas Tree with Icicles (forbidden in my house) all while listening to Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.

LIME JELLO SALAD

1 20 ounce can of crushed Pineapple
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows or 12-15 regular Marshmallows
1 3 ounce package Lime Jell-O
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup of Cool Whip
*1/2 cup chopped Walnuts, Optional

Drain the Pineapple and reserve the Juice.  Add enough water to the juice to make 1 1/2 cups.  Bring juice to a boil, add Marshmallows stirring till dissolved.  Add Jell-O and dissolve completely.  Let mixture cool till it thickens.  Combine with Pineapple, Cottage Cheese, and Cool Whip, (*walnuts if using).  Spread into a flat container 2-3 inches thick.  Chill for 1-2 hours, until set.

Meatloaf!

My family has been enjoying meatloaf sandwiches on dinner rolls with sweet pickles and mustard.

For every Pound of 80/20 or 85/15 ground meat, Combine:

1 cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of finely ground oats if you are Gluten free
1/2-1 large onion, diced
1 egg
1 T. Mustard
3-4 T. Ketchup
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. dried parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients by hand. Transfer to a greased baking dish and form into a loaf. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Add 15 minutes for every 1/2 pound extra over 1 pound.

To make your own bread crumbs, I use the end pieces of a loaf and blitz them in the food processor, then I spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 for 30 minutes.

Ginger Cookies!

Original recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook, mine is from 1969, page 144.  Modified below by a friend of my Grandmother's, and further modified by my Aunt, her daughter.

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), warmed
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Large Granulated Sugar for the tops

Mix thoroughly, cover, chill for 1 hour.  Heat oven to 350, shape dough into rounded balls by the teaspoon.  Dip tops in sugar, place sugar side up on a greased baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Makes 4 dozen.

I have often make them one pan at a time, leaving the remaining dough in the fridge for up to 4 days. That way each batch is fresh since cookies are best before they are 4 days old. My Grandmother and Aunt would freeze them as balls, ready to go.

Goody-Goody, Peanut Butter, Honey, and Banana Mash

Still my favorite way to eat Bananas, this is something my Dad invented when my sister and I were little.  He called it Goody-Goody, and it sure is.  It is a great way to get my kiddo to eat her leftover Bananas, and get some protein.  I'm sure you could use any kind of nut butter, or soy nut butter if you don't do Peanuts.  It's such a treat I consider it a dessert alternative.

1 Banana, mashed
1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon Honey

Mix and eat.  Enjoy!

Homemade Crescent Rolls and Roll-Ups

This is the recipe my Mother has been using for years.  I halved it and tweaked it a little for the purpose of making fewer, and for *hot dog roll-ups.

1.5 cups of Flour
2 teaspoons quick rise Yeast
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons and 2 teaspoons Sugar
1/3 cup of warmed (105 degree F.) Milk or Buttermilk
3 Tablespoons of Butter, melted
1 Egg

Melt the butter and warm the milk in the microwave.  Stir the flour and yeast together and wait about 30 seconds before adding the salt and sugar.  Pour in the milk and butter and stir lightly.  Add the egg, break the yolk, and mix well, knead for 5 minutes.  The dough should be sticky. 

Cover with a wet towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours.

Punch down, roll out on a floured surface as thin as you can, (at this point my Mom brushed the top with more butter, and I would if you are making as rolls).  Cut into 12 pie wedges and starting with the large end roll in.

*If you are making roll-ups, now is when you would sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the whole round, and place 1/2 a pre-cooked (not boiled) hot dog, or slice of ham, at the large end of each wedge before rolling in.

Set the rolls in a greased glass lasagna pan, 9x13, or a greased jelly roll pan.  Let rise for 45 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes (till your desired golden).  Brush with melted butter, or do it the easy way like me and just rub the stick over the hot rolls.  Enjoy!  Makes 12.

Crock Pot Brown Rice On High Heat

I had cooked some heritage chicken legs in the crock pot the other day and was left with some very aromatic drippings and broth.  Since I didn't feel like getting another pot dirty I decided to use the crock.  I heated the leftovers and broth on high until simmering.  I took out the leg and added the rice.  I estimated the broth at about 2 cups and so I used 1 cup of brown rice.

Typically brown rice takes 50 minutes to cook once simmering.  Adding extra time to allow the broth to come back to a simmer, I was banking on somewhere between 1.5-2 hours.  Not the 3.5 most recipes on low heat suggested.  I chose high heat because I want a simmer.  I did not add any additional liquid because I have not known my crock to evaporate liquid very fast.

But then...I decided to add the meat from the leftover leg, and an extra cup of broth from my reserves. I ended up with tender but not mushy rice that had an amazing flavor, and just slightly too much broth, sloppy but not soupy.

The best part is that I didn't worry about it burning, simmering too rapidly, or boiling over.  And it wasn't under-done like it often turns out when I cook it (according to the directions) on the stove.  Plus since I have a gas stove/range, I don't like to leave it unattended.

1 cup of brown rice
2 cups + 1 cup of broth

Starting the broth on high till simmering, add the rice, plan on 2 hours.

Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

From The Betty Crocker Cookbook, copyright 1969.  I have never made a bad cake from this cookbook.  It is a cake and quick bread lovers' delight.

This was a go-to dessert of my Moms when I was a child.  So it not only is comfortingly spicy for fall, but reminiscent of my childhood.

I know as far as culinary expertise goes this is not a complex or complicated cake, but that's what makes it so wonderful.  Feel free to add in chopped crystallized ginger, fresh ginger root, and whatever makes you happy.  Unless you add more liquid, I don't think you can screw up this cake.

Gingerbread:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, or *Gluten free baking mix*
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 325 F.  Grease and flour a round cake pan or 9x9 square pan, or glass baking dish.  Cream the sugar, butter, molasses, hot water.  Beat in the eggs.  Add the flour, soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt, gently stir together before beating till just smooth.  Scrape down sides as needed.  Pour into pan, bake for 50 minutes.  Serve warm with Lemon Sauce

Lemon Sauce:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 egg well beaten
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring to bubbling, stirring constantly.  Serve warm on the ginger cake.

Gluten Free Scones, An English Cream Tea

An English Cream Tea is an afternoon tea service that only includes scones with clotted cream and jam with the tea.  These may have been the single best gluten free baked good I have ever made.  I triumphantly made and ate them for a movie day involving the BBC 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.

Gluten Free Scones

1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend, no bean flour

1 cup Gluten Free Oat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter

1 large egg

1/2 cup yogurt

Soften the butter (not melting) in the microwave, or let soften overnight on the counter. Cut into the butter (this is where a food processor is helpful) the flours, baking powder, salt.  Add sugar, egg, and yogurt and mix till just combined.  Drop out onto a greased glass baking dish by the 1/4 cup full.  Let rest while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake in the higher middle rack position for 15-20 minutes, till golden on top.  Let rest 5 minutes.  Whatever you don't eat, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

They are sweet and buttery enough to eat on their own, and absolutely decadent with extra butter and raspberry or strawberry jam.  I had wanted to make clotted cream to serve with, but didn't get around to it.

Yield: 10 scones, factor 2 per person

Pound Cake

Recipe link below, so good it's addictive.

I had decided long ago to make pound cake, and Challah, for the market, because they required a lot of eggs, which was the first thing our farm ever produced.  In the Market rules, your baked goods must have an agricultural product, and you-a home processor permit (free, in KY).  Secondly, you must have an egg producer certificate or license, which we did, to use your own chickens' eggs in baked goods for sale, or sell to commercial establishments.  The license means you are following production and handling rules, i.e. washing and refrigeration.  I've known other bakers who couldn't use their chickens' eggs at all in their baked goods for this reason.  Oddly enough you can still sell up to 60 dozen a week, direct sales, without a license.

So, since we aren't marketing, and won't be again for awhile, if ever, here is the recipe I used, which I modified for ease and finished product perfection, Paula Deen's pound cake recipe. 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups plus more for pan all purpose flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 lb (2 sticks) plus more for pan butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I also had come up with a variety of seasonal favorites.  One of the most popular was Lemon.  Just add zest, would work for Lime, and Orange as well.

Black Bean Brownies or Flourless Brownies

2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1/2 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
3/4-1 cup cane sugar
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
  
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in your 8 inch baking dish in the microwave.  Swirl it around the dish to "grease."  Place the black beans, melted butter, eggs, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar in the bowl of a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.  Gently stir in the chocolate chips before pouring mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake the brownies for 40 minutes, or until just set in the center. Cool before cutting into 16 squares.  Cover and refrigerate once cool.

 I could not recommend these on day 1.  They were oddly dry and spongy, in addition to not being sweet enough because I goofed on the amount of sugar.  Also, as I expected, all the chocolate chips had sunk to the bottom.  A remedy would be to use the tiny chips, or melt the chips with the butter to achieve a truly chocolaty flavor, because, let's be honest, cocoa powder doesn't cut it.

By day 2, and even more by day 3, they were fudgy, not dry, and had taken on a more chocolaty flavor.  Not bad at 160 calories per brownie, 175 if you use the full cup of sugar.

Moroccan Lentils and Rice

This is a recipe I created years ago while eating low calorie. Lentils are high in fiber and protein, and long grain-brown and wild rice are also high in fiber. While there is no green vegetable to this all-in-one, you could easily add Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, or my favorite to spice it up-Mustard Greens. Raisins are a good source of iron. Garbanzo beans would also be good in this dish.

2 Tbs. Olive oil
1 Tbs. Butter (optional if Vegan)
1 large onion diced
2 medium Sweet Potatoes cubed
2 teaspoons of ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground Cayenne Pepper
4 cups of water
1 cup dried green lentils
1 cup Lundberg brand Wild Rice Blend
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup Raisins

Saute the onion in the oil and butter, over medium high heat, for a few minutes, add the Sweet Potato and saute a few minutes longer. Add the spices and toast for 1/2 to 1 minute before adding the water. Add the Lentils, Rice, and salt and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer with the lid on, and simmer for 50 minutes stirring occasionally and lowering the heat as needed to prevent sticking.  Add the Raisins when you have 10 minutes left on the cook time.

Hot sauce is great on this dish, my favorite is Mama Africa's Zulu Sauce: Peri Peri.

Seasonal Quiche

I love eggs! There's a long standing joke in my household that the reason I started dating my husband was because he had chickens. There is nothing better to an egg lover than never having to pay for good eggs again. What are good eggs you ask? Good eggs come from a small farm, from truly free range Hens that get plenty of sunshine, and live real chicken lives. Our own Hens enjoy scratching and bathing in the dirt, eating bugs and grass, roaming about all day, and roosting in the trees at night. Once you get spoiled on good eggs you won't believe how you ever swallowed the caged, artificially lighted, grain fed, antibiotic pumped and supplemented, factory house eggs. My stomach turns not only at the taste, but at the sad existence of those birds.

Good eggs are not only better tasting, but are healthier for you. They contain lots of B vitamins, natural omega fatty acids, and lean protein. For heart health fanatics a must know tip is that the cholesterol you eat is not the same as the cholesterol in your blood. So eat those vitamin rich yolks all you want.

Quiche is a great way to use eggs. It's a good meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Some claim the history behind pies are that the Amish carried this tradition in order to have something quick to grab and eat while heading out into the fields to work. My only regret is that for what you get it uses relatively few eggs. But like pizza in the summer, Quiche is a great way to use what you have on hand seasonally.

Start by making the crust, see "Easy as Pie-Crust" recipe. For Quiche you will be using one crust, the recipe makes two. Either save the other crust, make two Quiche or use the second crust to make something else (see future post Mixed Berry Pie).  Or go crust-less if you are gluten free.

Filling:
4 eggs beaten
2 cups milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
or
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk, if you have a small pie plate
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

Add to this any combination of 2 cups (cooled) sauteed vegetables and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, see below for a few ideas.

Mustard Greens and Cheddar (my favorite)
Caramelized onions and White Cheddar
Leek and Goat Cheese
Spinach, garlic and Feta
Kale, Red onion and Swiss

Make sure the vegetables have cooled from cooking, and you have pulsed till nearly pureed in your food processor before adding the eggs and milk, and stirring in cheese. Pour into pie shell and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes, till top is gold and bubbly. Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 6.

"Sick-Girl" Brownies or The Best Brownies Ever

The only time I allow myself to make brownies is when I am sick.  This happens very rarely, once a year maybe.  For some reason, nothing makes me feel better than eating a pan of brownies, watching Clash of the Titans, and wallowing in my lethargy.  Since I don't typically devour the pan in one sitting, but rather over the course of a few days, it's not as bad as it sounds.

The sad bit is that I don't have a tried and true Brownie recipe.  I like them chocolaty, sweet, crispy on the outside, soft and chewy in the middle.  Using what I had in my kitchen, I miraculously made a delicious batch once.  Luckily, I managed to write the hodge-podge recipe down.  Below is a variation on that recipe.  And, because brownies have such little flour, a gluten free version is easy to make.

3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
3 Tablespoons Cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add any or all of the following to enhance flavor:  1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper, 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon instant or powdered coffee.  There is something about coffee that brings out the chocolate.

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease an 8x8 glass baking dish.  Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a mixing bowl, add oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Beat in eggs.  Stir together dry ingredients and mix into wet.  Scrape into baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool on wire rack.  They are always better the next day.

If you have no chips, just increase cocoa powder to 1/2 cup.  If no powder, increase chips to 2/3 cup.  You can use all white sugar and no brown.  If using just brown, lower amount to 1 cup packed.

Next time I plan on trying to use just cocoa powder and no flour.  And if you want to make them absolutely decadent, frost them with chocolate butter-cream frosting.

Corn Grits, Polenta, Fried Polenta!

Polenta or Corn Grits truly must be one of the best comfort foods on the planet! Warm, creamy, filling, versatile, and easy, not to mention gluten free, polenta is one of my favorite foods. Alone, as a side dish, or a starchy base for something else equally wonderful, why don't I make this more often?

6 cups of water
2 teaspoons, or less, salt
1 3/4 cup corn meal
*3 Tablespoons butter

Bring the water to a boil, add the salt and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Whisk in the corn meal till all dissolved, don't worry about the lumps-they're the best part, right?  Keep at the lowest simmer possible and stir every minute for 15 minutes.  Stir in the butter till melted. Serve immediately or pour into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Serves 5, 200 calories per serving.

*If making Vegan simply omit the butter.

Once chilled, you can slice and skillet fry the polenta.  Serve it sweet with maple syrup, or savory.

Before we get into skillet frying polenta, view my post on stove top ranges and cookware.


Skillet Frying Polenta:
First attempt, starting with Polenta that had rested for only a couple of hours, I used cooking oil in a metal pan.  What I call our meat skillet because it gets hot enough to sear meat and retains heat for even cooking.  Not only did it stick and fall apart, but the oil took away from the creamy flavor of the Polenta.

Second attempt, I waited the traditional 24 hours.  I used our enameled iron skillet (egg skillet) with butter.  It worked really well, and used far less fat to fry.  I did still have trouble with the crispy outer layer scraping off when I tried to flip it.  Perhaps my polenta needs less water?

Next corn meal recipe-Indian Pudding

English Muffins!

We all associate certain foods with memories. Around winter time/the holidays, my favorite foods are white grapefruit, the family frosted sugar cookies, and raisin english muffins. My mom for at least one winter of my life, I think year 11, purchased what felt like an endless supply of raisin english muffins and I decided that was my food of choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I remember curling up on the sofa, it's snowing, I'm enjoying a buttery muffin, and watching the Rankin/Bass production of Rudolph, probably chasing the muffin with a grapefruit. Since going gluten free (Food For Life makes a GF raisin english muffin), I haven't had much of a chance to eat those types of foods. Even when not eating/buying Gluten Free, I refuse to pay nearly a dollar per muffin, so instead I decided to make these at home. I modified the recipe from The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1935.

1 cup of bread flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 scant Tablespoon of instant-rise yeast

Mix together in large mixing bowl or kitchen aid mixer bowl.

1/2 cup scalded milk
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

In a Pyrex 2 cup, scald the milk in the microwave. Add the cup of water, salt and sugar, stir. Combine with flour/yeast mixture, beat well. Let rise to double in bulk, about 30-35 minutes. Add:

3 Tablespoons of Canola (or other mild flavored) oil
1 cup of bread flour
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of raisins (optional)

Let your kitchen aid knead the dough thoroughly, 5-10 minutes, till the raisins start falling out of the dough. Let rise till double, another 30 minutes.

The key to a good rise is to boil a pot of water on the stove while the dough is kneading, transfer the covered dough, and the pot of water to your oven.

Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal and roll out dough till 3/4 inch thick. Cut out rounds with a cutter, or a clean can from your recycling bin.

Heat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Butter well, and fry muffins in pan for 15 minutes, turning several times during cooking. You want to bake them, but not severely brown the muffins. If your muffins are getting too brown, turn them more frequently, turn down the heat, or transfer them to the oven at 375 degrees F. for the remaining cook time. The slower you cook them the fewer the nooks and crannies, but they still taste just as good. Makes 16. I like to then toast mine on the top and smother in salted butter. My mom likes hers with butter cinnamon and sugar.