Where do some of the best recipes come from?
I started paying attention to “back of the box” recipes when I covered the baking contests Hershey’s sponsors at the Pennsylvania Farm Show each year. Hershey’s has a ton of awesome recipes on their website, like the peanut butter paisley brownies I make for special occassions.
Last week, it was my turn to bring the goods for our weekly staff meeting, and I decided to make muffins. When I pulled out the flour to make another recipe I found online, I saw the sour cream blueberry muffin recipe on the side of the bag. I decided to swap Greek yogurt for the sour cream and chocolate chips for the blueberries and … wow. I had half of one when it came out of the oven, then took the rest to work and didn’t have any more.
But then I couldn’t stop thinking about them, and it was the weekend, and …
I tend to beat the bejeezus out of any sort of dough or batter, but you can’t do that with muffins. I combined the ingredients until everything was just wet.
And then this emerged from the oven.
When I made them for us, I reduced the sugar to 2/3 cup. I like muffins to taste like muffins, not naked cupcakes.
Hello Kitty cupcake wrappers are optional.
Printable recipe
A few weeks ago, I picked up a few old cookbooks at an estate sale — one was compiled by members of a church in 1985, and the other is the 1973 edition of “What’s Cooking, Doc?” which was put together the Florida Medical Association’s women’s auxiliary — and there are so many old-fashioned Southern recipes in them, and none of them are complicated. A former editor recently sent me that newspaper’s holiday recipe insert, and there are some great ideas in it, too.
I wouldn’t make most of the dishes for us for a regular weeknight meal, but you can’t beat these simple old recipes if you’re entertaining, cooking for a potluck, etc.
What’s your favorite back-of-the-box recipe?
3 comments
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December 10, 2010 at 11:02 am
MelissaNibbles
These sound great. I like using Greek yogurt too.
My fave back of the box recipe is for the simple Toll House cookie. Easy and delicious every time.
The old cookbook sounds interesting and fun!
December 14, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Dawn Hutchins
Girl those are GORGEOUS. I love the use of the Greek yogurt and I agree about cutting back on the sugar.
December 14, 2010 at 6:26 pm
adventuresofpretendcook
Those muffins look delicious! I haven’t tried many recipes on the back of the box, but I will start paying attention thanks to this post. 🙂