butter tart mini-muffins

I had grand plans for a baking spree today until I realized that I have only 3 eggs in the house. Fortunately, the first thing on my list to make only required two, so these got made. The dad says that they are winners - they definitely get you right in the sweet tooth. Everyone loves butter tarts (especially me), but I am an absolute failure at pie crust. I even managed to fail that part of my Quantity Foods class in university. These taste like tarts, but without the pie crust. Perfect. Even I can’t fail.

There are only 6 ingredients and it takes just minutes to mix up. The batch I made this morning are already gone and the dad is requesting that I make them again. He is planting the garden this weekend without my help, so a trip into town to buy more eggs is the least that I can do. This started with a recipe for Pecan Pie Muffins, but a few changes morphed them into more of a butter tart muffin.

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup butter, melted (but not hot, allow to cool after melting so it doesn’t cook the eggs when you mix them together)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously oil a mini muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and walnut pieces. In a separate bowl beat the eggs then add the vanilla and butter and whisk until smooth.

Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Cups should be about 2/3 full. Depending on the size of your muffin tins, this should make between 18 and 24 mini-muffins. If you are making larger muffins, you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 t0 15 minutes. They should be starting to brown around the edges, but remain a little soft on the inside (not uncooked, but a little softer than normal). Allow to sit in the muffin tin for a couple of minutes before attempting to remove. Cool on wire racks when done.

Linked to Wildcrafting Wednesday

my new favourite meal in minutes – butter chickpeas (or butter chicken)

This is my new favourite meal in minutes. I read about it on Stone Soup - you can find her recipe here. Mine is only slightly different because it would be hard to make this recipe any easier. My kids will eat butter chicken without any complaint – probably because it is such a mild curry. I used to buy the canned simmering sauce to make it but this is even more inexpensive and just as fast and easy since I have the spices around anyway. Instead of using a can of whole tomatoes, as she did in her version, I used passata (strained tomatoes). It’s easy enough to make it spicier by adding more chilli powder or flakes, but I keep it mild so the kids won’t complain.

To get it on the table quickly, I start some basmati rice in the rice cooker right away and let it cook while I assemble the rest. And if, like me, you find you used up the last of the basmati rice, nobody will complain if you make it with regular long grain rice.

It’s a bit of a cheat on the original slow simmered butter chicken, but it works. It’s also very good with some frozen peas or some chopped spinach added in just before the cream. I freeze leftovers to take to work for lunches as well.

Butter Chickpeas (or Chicken)

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp garam marsala
• 1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes (I used 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 1/2 tsp chilli powder)
• 1 can chickpeas (~ 2 cups), drained or 2 cups leftover cooked chicken
• 1 jar strained tomatoes (passata) (400g / 14oz)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons cream

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add spices and cook on medium high heat for about 30 seconds.

2. Add drained chickpeas (or cooked chicken) and cook for another minute or so.

3. Add tomatoes and bring to a fast simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes or until sauce has reduced to desired thickness.

5. Stir in the cream. Taste and season.

Linked to Gastronomical Sovereignty, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday

5 minute fudge, with variations

One last easy Christmas treat recipe from me and then I’m out ’til after the holidays. This is actually a way for me to write this down somewhere permanent so that I don’t have to search through papers every time I want to make this again. I’m not good with paper and finding this recipe each time I want it has become a painful process.

This is an adaptation of a fudge recipe that I saw Rachel Ray make years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. She shaped it into a wreath using a bundt pan or round cake tin, but I’m not that keen on the extra work. I just make several batches of this, cut it up, put it in tins and give it away. I probably don’t give enough of it away. The fact that I currently have saddle bags with carry-on luggage speaks to that.

Basic 5-Minute Fudge

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) currants

Slowly melt chocolate and condensed milk together over medium low heat (no double boiler needed, just stir constantly to avoid burning). Add vanilla, currants and nuts. Scrape into a 9″ square pan (either use a silicone pan or a pan lined with plastic wrap – it’ll come out easier). Chill in fridge until set.

Cut into small pieces to serve – it’s very rich, so a little goes a long way.

Variations for this recipe:

1. Replace the butterscotch chips with peanut butter chips, the walnuts with peanuts and the currants with raisins.

1. Replace nuts and currants with Skor bits.

And for a slightly more adult version of this:

Grand Marnier Fudge

• 1 can condensed milk
• 3 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
• 1/3 cup Grand Marnier
• 1 tsp coconut oil or butter (gives a nice shine to the fudge)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Slowly melt chocolate and condensed milk together over medium low heat. Add Grand Marnier and nuts. Scrape into a 9″ square pan (either use a silicone pan or a pan lined with plastic wrap – it’ll come out easier). Chill in fridge until set.

Cut into small pieces to serve – it’s very rich, so a little goes a long way.

Variations: replace Grand Marnier with Bailey’s Irish Cream or Chambord

Linked to Frugally Sustainable, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday