Blackberry Corn Muffins

When I was a kid there were a few things that I felt I could cook perfectly. I could make a great sweet and sour meatball, chocolate chip cookie and Cup of Noodles. That's it. That was my repertoire. It wasn't until I'd been married a few years that I started branching out a bit, and trying other things. I had to get through college before I ever found time to cook, and since then I just can't seem to get enough. My daughter Emma is a chip off the old block. She loves to cook and try new things.

A few weeks ago J and I were at a conventions and favorite cousin Jessica and her new husband Kade came to baby sit the kids. Emma loved us being gone. Every night she would call and ask how to make something different for dinner. It was never a simple little something. It was things like Shrimp Scampi, and Zuppa Tuscan. Can you imagine a 13 year old cooking like that. She does great too. Sunday she decided to make muffins to go along with Sunday dinner. Blackberry Corn Muffins. Yum!! (Can I just tell you the beef tenderloin roast was the best ever but I didn't get a single pic. We were just too hungry. Next time I make it I promise to post it because it was the best Sunday dinner I think I've ever made.) These muffins are so good and so pretty. I have Ziploc gallon bags full of our berry crop from last summer in the freezer and they work absolutely wonderfully. Blackberry is our favorite, but dang, raspberry or blueberry would be good as well. I like using frozen berries since it's just simple to do. Stir them in really fast and scoop the muffins immediately and there isn't any berry bleeding. That's a good thing. Perfect yellow corn muffin with beautiful, big, fat, juicy berries poking out. A good slab of butter and a generous stream of honey is the best route to go for eating these lovelies. They are fantastic reheated in the microwave the next morning for breakfast too.

The recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. "Fresh Everyday" by Sara Foster. It is a great cookbook full of really pretty, seasonally fresh, and just down right yummy stuff. She's got some great soups, and salads, and other great things, but the Blackberry Corn Muffins is permanently earmarked. Actually the book just falls open to this page. That's how you know a recipe is good. Thanks Sara Foster. One day I'm going to visit your market and we can make muffins together. And thanks to Emma too. Some boy is going to be extremely lucky to get this girl one day. I'm not letting her go anytime soon though. She's a complete neat freak and that is priceless at my house:) I'll keep her as long as I can. She's priceless. Love ya Em!

Blackberry Corn Muffins

From Fresh Everyday by Sara Foster

1 1/2 c. corn meal

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs beaten slightly

3/4 c. buttermilk

3/4 canola oil

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blackberries

Preheat oven to 375' F. Line 12 muffin tins with liners and spray pan with Pam. Stir all the dry ingredients together until combined. In a separate bowl add all the wet ingredients and mix them thoroughly. Pour the wet into the dry and mix until just combined. There's nothing wrong with a few flour chunks. Gently fold in the blackberries. Scoop batter between the muffin cups. They are pretty full. Bake muffins for 25-30 mins. or until they spring back when touched in the center. Allow to cool for about 5 mins. in the pan and then enjoy with lots of butter and honey.