Peace and Love in the Kitchen

Adapted from fivenspice at Food52.com

Makes one dozen of the best muffins you’ve ever eaten

Bake sales raise money.  It’s a grass roots way to contribute to a cause.  Whether you are trying to raise money for your school, your community, or the victims of a disaster, every little bit helps.  In small ways, we can do big things.  Even if we cannot solve the problem, our participation gives hope.

Yesterday morning on my walk with the dogs, I found my neighbors out in full force.  It was hot, horribly humid, and drizzling, so I knew right away what must be going on.  On the corner, there was a lemonade stand manned by a group of teenagers and their parents.  Cars stopped to buy, but mostly, people walked up and stayed to talk.  A couple of blocks away, there was a dog wash.  Every shape and size of dog was being shampooed, rinsed, and towel-dried by mothers, fathers, and children.  These events were sponsored by the friends of The Berry Family.

On July 2, 2011, The Berry Family was driving home to Houston from a vacation in Colorado. On a dark West Texas highway near Fort Stockton, an SUV driving West to Phoenix hit the Berry family van head on. Three people were killed including the Berry parents, Robin and Joshua Berry. Their two sons, Peter and Aaron, are paralyzed from the waist down.  Their daughter, Willa, has a broken ankle and a broken arm. The car that hit them had a family in it as well.  The mother died.  It was a horrible accident.

To read the complete story including current updates on The Berry Children, go to: The Jewish Herald-Voice.  If you would like to make a donation, go to The Joshua and Robin Berry Children’s Trust page on Facebook.

I did not know the Berrys.  I live in the fourth largest city in the United States, but in many ways, it is a small town.  I have friends that knew them – some through their synagogue; some through sports; and some through their neighborhood. These people have rallied their support, and it is incredible. Even though I am unknown to the Berry’s, I receive emails with updates and notices about fundraisers.  The message is that everyone can do something to help.

Lemonade stands, bake sales, and even a dog wash raising money for The Berry Children have popped up all over the city.

Always, there are good things that come from the bad. Sometimes, you have to look for them. Sometimes, the good comes in the form of hope.

Helping one another is part of being human. We do it everyday in small and big ways.  People helping people takes many forms. We are considerate to others. We give blood.  We build houses for the homeless and volunteer our time.  We pray for the needs of others; we tell a friend we are thinking of them; and we give what we can to causes that touch us.  In this way, we aknowlege that there are things beyond our control and the only thing we can do is support one another.  We are offering hope, and it runs both ways. When we give it, we also receive it.

Note:  The Berry Family Tragedy is certainly not the first or the last.  In my community, as I am certain it is in your own, tragic life-altering events happen all the time.  The following is a list of several local families and friends of those families that have turned their grief into hope for others.

Spencer Kinley: Hard Hats for Spencer

Nick Finnegan: Nick Finnegan Counseling Center

Laurence Bosworth Neuhaus, Jr.: Bos Place

Tommy, Susie, Thomas, and Vivi Jacomini: The Jacomini Family LIbrary, and The Thomas P. Jacomini, Jr. Family Scholarship

Matthew Resnick: The Matthew Resnick Scholarship

Cooking is a way to express love.  It is both nourishing and nurturing.  If you have a reason or a cause to bake muffins, this is the ultimate batter.  The keys to its goodness are held in the browned butter, the room temperature ingredients, and the tart combination of buttermilk and creme fraiche.  The original recipe is by fiveandspice at Food52.com where it is made with raspberries.  I think that not only is it the ultimate raspberry muffin, but that it would make the ultimate any-type muffin. You can use other berries or fruit if you like.  One Food52er used chopped peaches.

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 3/4 cup all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1/2 cup creme fraiche AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1 large egg, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1 large egg, yolk, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (don’t defrost if frozen)

Demerara sugar for sprinkling on tops

1.  SET OUT BUTTERMILK, CREME FRAICHE, AND EGGS – This part is a must.  Bring these ingredients to room temperature before you begin.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 and prep a muffin tin with muffin liners or baking spray.

2.  BROWN BUTTER:  In a small saucepan, melt butter over MEDIUM heat.  When it has melted, stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scrapping the bottom of the pan as you go, until the butter looks and smells nutty, 6-8 minutes.

3.  COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS:  In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4.  COMBINE WET INGREDIENTS:  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, buttermilk, and creme fraiche.  Whisk in the egg and yolk until smooth.  Whisk in the browned butter and vanilla.

5.  FOLD THE DRY INTO THE WET:  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet.  You want to treat the batter gently so your muffin will be tender.  FOLD the dry into the wet.  Before it is completely combined, add the raspberries and fold just until everything is combined.

6.  BAKE:  Divide batter among the wells in the muffin tin.  Sprinkle tops with a little Demerara sugar.  Bake until tops are golden, 25-30 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, and then turn them out onto a wire cooling rack.  Eat a few while still warm with butter.  Cool the rest completely.

Peace and love from my kitchen to yours,

Waverly

Tags:

• berries
• Muffins
• The Berry Family

4 comments

http://www.peaceandloveinthekitchen.com/2011/07/the-ultimate-muffin-baking-for-a-cause

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