Tax time means aggregating tons of data and crunching numbers in mean old computer programs that are NOT friendly to writers. Spring can be a hard time of year–unless you’re a duck or an accountant–and I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing I could be doing something besides battling the elements and dealing with spreadsheets!

There’s practically nothing I enjoy more than whipping up something delicious in the kitchen. Every July, I purchase a 5 lb. box of blueberries on sale and put up 1-cup portions in the freezer to use for baking all year. This past weekend I bid adieu to the last of my frozen blueberries in pursuit of one more batch of blueberry muffins. I’m a little ahead of schedule, as I usually like to have frozen blueberries on hand all year, and I refuse to pay $3-$5 for a little plastic container of roughly 16 berries.

The recipe below is based on one from the King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion, which is not only a great cookbook, it’s an excellent resource for all kinds of ingredient information and baking techniques. Instead of mixing up cinnamon sugar each time I bake these, I mix it up ahead of time and keep it in the cupboard to sprinkle over other things, like toast. If I have other ripe fruit, sometimes I’ll substitute it for part of the blueberries. This time, I sliced an apple that was a little past its snack date and stuck a wedge into each muffin top before baking. The result was delicious!

Classic Blueberry Muffins

1 stick of butter (8 oz.)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups frozen blueberries, drained (if using fresh, mash half of them before adding)
cinnamon sugar (use fresh Vietnamese cinnamon for extra flavor!)

Set oven to 375°
Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; spray each well with PAM.
Put stick of butter into large mixing bowl and microwave it on high for 1 minute. Add to bowl the sugar and salt; beat well, then beat in eggs one at a time. Add the milk and vanilla and stir until well mixed. Add the flour and baking powder on top, muddling the two together before beating into the wet mixture. Mix well. Stir in drained blueberries. Fill muffin cups until full and sprinkle each generously with cinnamon sugar. Bake 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before removing from pan. Store leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy!

This year I was tired of making traditional pumpkin pie, and I really didn’t feel like rolling out pie crust. So I searched around on the Internet and found this recipe on eHow, which I have adapted here. I made it first for the Sharp family Thanksgiving, and then for my nephew, Jonathan Schneider, a cadet at the US Air Force Academy, who is home for the holidays. It sounds difficult, but it’s actually very easy to make, and it’s so delicious, you may never want plain ol’ punkin pie again!

Set oven to 325°F. Set aside a 10-inch springform pan.

Graham cracker crust

• 2 packages (2/3 box) of graham crackers, crushed fine (place crackers into an old bread bag and crush with hands, then rolling pin)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter

Combine thoroughly the crumbs, sugar and butter. All the crumbs should be incorporated into the butter; add a little more melted butter if there are still loose crumbs. Press mixture evenly into the bottom and one inch up the sides of the springform pan. Set the pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling ingredients.

Cheesecake filling layer

• 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs

In large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese with extract and sugar until completely smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition. Remove approximately 1 1/2 cups of the cheesecake mixture and spread evenly into the bottom of the graham cracker crust. Set remaining cheesecake batter aside.

Pumpkin pie layer

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (1 15-oz can of pumpkin with 1 cup puree removed)
• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk (approximately 1/2 of a 24-oz can)
• 1 extra large egg
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. salt

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk above ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.

Pumpkin cheesecake layer

• Remaining cheesecake batter
• Remaining pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

Combine above ingredients well using electric mixer, scraping beaters and sides of bowl. Spread mixture evenly over plain cheesecake layer in pie crust using a rubber spatula to push the batter to the sides of the pan.

Next, gently ladle the pumpkin pie mixture over the pumpkin cheesecake mixture. Start around the perimeter and work inward with a rubber spatula, being careful not to incorporate the pie and cheesecake layers.

Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes, until the center is completely set.  Allow the cheesecake to cool completely, then cover the surface with waxed paper and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Note: You will not need any whipped cream with this dessert. You may need a fresh pot of strong coffee, and a decent waiting period after the main meal to fully enjoy it. Leftovers keep very well for several days.

My definition of “slow food” for purposes of this blog is that it’s food you make yourself. As opposed to fast food you schlep up to the drive-thru for, or prepared food you purchase in restaurants or the grocery store.

Like vegetarianism, there are different types and philosophies of slow food (think vegetarian vs. vegan). Strict adherents of the slow food movement insist on procuring food locally or regionally, or even growing it themselves. It’s all part of an emerging effort to reduce the carbon footprint and toxic nature of processed food. Over the past half-century, fast and processed food has become the social norm in the United States and (increasingly) abroad, and we’re paying for it in so many ways — particularly with obesity and related diseases.

While I admire Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser and other proponents of the slow food movement, I think implementing many of its tenets would be impractical for most people. Growing one’s own food, and especially growing food organically, takes planning and skills that have to be learned and developed. Not everyone has property suitable for growing food. The sheer amount of time it takes to garden, weed, water, compost, etc., is probably the biggest problem. It’s a LOT of work.

Organic food is more expensive, and it alters your shopping habits. Gardener’s markets are nice, but not always convenient, and not always organic. Again, more work to figure out what you’re buying, where it comes from and how it was produced.

Besides, if you think about it, eating locally means no oranges, bananas, tuna or salmon, or produce in winter such as strawberries, blueberries, lettuce and so on… all foods we are told to eat for good health. One must make a whole lot of sacrifices to become a true adherent of the slow food movement.

I’ve always cooked and baked things from scratch and tried to use the purest ingredients. For example, I won’t use margarine, Cool Whip, imitation vanilla flavoring or other “fake foods,” and I try to buy organic when I can afford it. But certain processed foods are also staples on my shelf, such as unbleached white flour. We do the best we can within our particular realities.

 Lemon Bars
 The following recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s “Cooky Book,” my first cookbook,
 published in 1963 and given to me by my parents for Christmas when I was 10 years old. To me, 
 Lemon Bars are emblematic of the difference between slow food and processed food.

Lemon Bars are exceedingly simple to make, and require only a handful of ingredients. Yet, many people are duped into thinking they need a packaged mix to make lemon bars! The Krusteaz brand, for example, contains 19-20 different ingredients! And you still have to provide the eggs! We don’t need all those extra chemicals and artificial colorings for a recipe that’s easy-to-make and delicious. And best of all, you likely already have these ingredients on your shelf.

Set oven to 350°F.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

In an 8-inch glass baking dish, melt butter in microwave for 1 minute. Add flour and confectioner’s sugar and mix well until a dough forms. Press evenly into pan and prick with a fork. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat eggs with a whisk and add sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon juice. Set aside. When crust is done, remove it from the oven, whisk the lemon mixture again and pour it on top. Bake and additional 20 minutes until filling is set and lightly browned (do not overbake). Cool and cut into 16 squares.

Note: One funny thing that happened with this recipe is that once I mistakenly used baking soda in place of baking powder. The result was bars… still sort of edible but not exactly lemony. The soda and lemon apparently canceled each other out!

Posting this recipe per request from our get-together last evening. This dessert is a quick and delicious way to have apple “pie” without all the mess of rolling out pie crust. And, it’s sure to win fans at any gathering!

Set oven to 350°F and spray thoroughly a 9-inch baking pan with PAM.

4 Granny Smith, Braeburn or other baking apples, sliced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. China cinnamon
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup flour

In bowl, toss apples with lemon juice; mix cinnamon with 1 tsp. sugar and add to apples and toss until coated. Put coated apples in baking dish and top with nuts. In a separate bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar, then add egg, mix well and stir in flour. Spread dough mixture lightly over apples. Bake 45 min. until top is golden and apples are tender. Serve warm with real whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Whip up this easy and delicious quick bread, then slice it an inch thick with an electric knife and store it in an old bread bag in the fridge. It keeps forever and is especially good toasted, cooled, and topped with fresh butter.

Set oven to 350°F and spray thoroughly a 9-inch loaf pan with PAM.

Ingredients (no substitutes):

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat egg and incorporate brown sugar until light. Blend in melted butter. Add buttermilk alternately with flour mixture until well mixed. Stir in nuts. Bake 1 hour or until tests done.