Owl and Bat Cupcakes

Halloween is such a fun holiday.  I'm not so into the scary, creepy and gross side of things.  But I do love to dress up, taking the Littles out Trick or Treating and of course the fun party at my sister's afterwards.  There is always great "spooky" food (think Mac a Boney and Cheese, Ghoulash, Eyeballs- deviled eggs with olives, etc.).  This year I was incharge of dessert. Yum!

My little family all dressed up and ready to get our Trick or Treat on.

I decided to go as a 1950's Housewife, not much of a stretch, huh?!

Our Crew:

My sister the witch, her husband the Inmate, their two devilish daughters and baby Lion.  

My husband the um, OSU tailgater (er, no costume, bummer!) his 1950's housewife and our great protector Thor and his trusty lizard.  

It was super chilly so we had to bundle up.  As a kid I always hated having to cover my costume with a coat.  Still do now!  

When I was put in charge of dessert I knew I had to make these adorable owl cupcakes that have been floating around blogland.  I am not sure who thought of it "first", probably Martha Stewart.... anyways they are so easy, no intimidating ingredients (i.e. fondant) and super duper kid friendly- I mean who doesn't love Oreo's and M&Ms?!!  I also threw together a bat because right now my Jackson is obsessed with super hero's.  I thought he would get a kick out of a few of them mixed in.  And goodness was I right.  When he got home from preschool and eyed the cupcakes he points at the bat and says "Mommy, this is amazing!"  Right then and there I knew I just went up a few notches on the cool ladder....


Sure I made these for Halloween, but they would totally be cute for birthday parties (animal, woodland, super hero, etc.) as well.

Owl and Bat Cupcakes

for the cupcakes: 
1 box devils food cake (or your favorite cake mix)
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
18-24 cupcake liners

Prepare cupcakes according to box directions.  Allow to cool completely before decorating.

for the decorations: 
1 large package of Oreo cookies (You won't need them all, but it takes some practice to cut them.  You'll want extra)
1 bag of M&Ms (You only need the brown and the yellow, the rest is for you to snack on while baking) 1 toothpick
1 tub of your favorite chocolate frosting, homemade or store-bought
1 icing pen (I accidently bought a gel pen, but I kinda like how the details are subtle on the bats)

Smooth the chocolate frosting over the surface of the cupcakes.  Set aside.

To make the Owls:
Separate the Oreo cookies, keeping the white frosting intact.  These will be your eyes.  I found that giving them a gentle twist released them pretty well.  Have a butter knife on hand incase some frosting sticks to the opposite side.  It scraps off pretty neatly.  Then just press it back down where it goes and smooth out the crack with the knife or a finger.  Use your butter knife to very gently scrape the tops of the white frosting to remove the  brown cookie residue getting them as white as possible.  Gently press a brown M&M on the white frosting to make the iris of the eye.  If the frosting cracks a little just smooth it with your finger or the blunt edge of the knife.  If you run out of brown M&M's just use green or blue ones.  That would be cute too!  Set the eyes aside.

Now you want to cut the plain cookie tops in half to make the owls horns.  You can use a sharp knife, or what I found was that kitchen scissors worked nicely.  It is very difficult to cut the cookies in half without having one of the halves shatter.  No worries, you have a whole box right?!  (I used the imperfect ones to make the bat wings since I was trimming them up a bit with my scissors anyways.) Using your kitchen scissors, carefully clean up the edges to get the halves nice and smooth.  This was really easy to do.  I couldn't believe how will the scissors worked for this.

Now go get your cupcakes.  It is time to assemble!  I slightly smoothed out a flat section where the "eyes" were going to go to to give them a bit of support so they would sit somewhat nicely.  I thought they were going to slide off, but they surprisingly stuck rather well.  Now take two "horns".  On a slight angle, stick a point into the cupcake above-behind the eye.  Do this with both halves.  Take a little dollop of frosting and put it on the cupcake behind the horns to give them a little support so they don't fall over.  Take another little dollop of frosting and put it between the eyes below the horns to give a little "hair".  Take a toothpick and use it to make little points in the frosting creating the "hair".  Do the same thing with the toothpick over the surface of the rest of the cupcakes making them look a little fuzzy and cute.

Next take a yellow M&M, turn it up on its side and stick it in the cupcake between the eyes.  This is your beak.

Ta-da!  You just made an owl!

To make the Bats:
There are two options for the bat wings.  1)You can smooth out your cut Oreo cookie halves to make nice clean edges and sharp points like you did for the owl's horns.  2)Or you can carefully cut little points in the flat side to create the points on the bat wings.  If you don't cut the points, that is fine, just draw them in with the icing/gel pen.  If you want to go with option 1, using your kitchen scissors make small "v" shaped cuts on the flat edge of the cookie half.  I found it pretty easy to do.

Once cut, using the gel pen draw the shape of the bat wing on the decorative side of the cookie.  Carefully on an angle stick the corner of the bat wing just off center into the middle of the cupcake.  Do this again with the other side.

On the brown M&Ms, gently draw two small dots to make the eyes.  Place the "head" in between the bat wings.

And there you go- you just made a bat!

I linked up on Sweets For a Saturday #43. Come find some other delicious sweet things :)

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds- Two Ways, Savory and Sweet

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are one of my favorite snacks this time of year.  One taste makes all the work of separating seeds from the pulp completely worth it.  I have tried lots of recipes over the years, but this is probably my favorite.  A bit salty, a bit garlicky, and with just a hint of heat from the Worcestershire sauce and seriously so, so good.  They are awesome just by the handful, but also taste yummy sprinkled on soups and salads or anywhere you would like a bit of a crunch.

I have also added a nice Cinnamon Sugar version.  You soak the seeds in apple cider, bringing out the sweetness of the pumpkin flavor.  By tossing it with a buttery, cinnamon sugar topping, the heat from the oven makes the sugars caramelize, giving them an almost candy coating.  I love salty and sweet snacks together, so if you have enough seeds to make both flavors do it and serve them side by side.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (I like using corse salt)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper (about 20 grinds from the pepper mill)

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Seperate the seeds from the pulp of the pumpkin.  Don't worry about getting all of the pumpkin strands off, it adds extra flavor to the roasted seeds.  I just love when I get a seed with pumpkin still attached- yum!  You just want the seeds clean enough so you can easily toss them.  Once rinsed, lightly dry and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, Worcestershire Sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and garlic powder and whisk until well blended.  Add the pumpkin seeds and toss, throughly coating in the butter mixture.  Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, checking them often and tossing occasionally, until butter topping has dried and the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and dry-out the rest of the way on the cookie sheet on top of the stove.  Store in an airtight container.

Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cider Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Pour the apple cider in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add the pumpkin seeds and boil on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and pour them in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the melted butter or olive oil into the bowl, along with the salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix well to coat and spread pumpkin seed in a single layer onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, checking them often and tossing occasionally, until butter topping has dried and the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool and dry-out the rest of the way on the cookie sheet on top of the stove.  Enjoy!

Store in an air-tight container.

Egg Muffins

So I am tired of the last few pregnancy pounds hanging onto my body for dear life.  Enough is enough already! I lost so much of the weight so quickly and it was awesome.  But now I am hovering at a plateau for the last few months and it is time to shake it!  I need something to boost up my metabolism and get everything moving so we have decided to start up South Beach Diet.  Not really all that thrilled about "dieting" but I have done low-carb a few times before and it really works quickly.  The nice thing with South Beach is that you don't need to stay altogether low carb past the first two weeks.  *phew*  I know many people that have had a lot of success with the diet, including my parents, so I am excited to see some positive changes in myself as well.  Wish me luck and I will share some of our favorites recipes along the way too.

There is an awesome blog, Kalyn's Kitchen, that is primarily all South Beach Friendly recipes.  You don't need to be on the diet to be able to appreciate her recipes.  Seriously, everyone could pretty much benefit by reduced carbs and increasing vegetables, whole grains and lean meats!  

After sleeping for 6-10 hours a night your body needs a serious recharge.  You need to break the fast that your body was doing while your were snoring away.  Hence the name breakfast.  These Egg Muffins are a wonderful start to your day.  Once you make a full batch you then have a quick breakfast for the rest of the week.  They have no flour, making pretty much carb free but also gluten free and high in protein.  Oh, and did I mention yummy?!

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Egg Muffins
recipe slightly adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

12 Eggs
1/2 cup low fat 2% cottage cheese
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chili's
3 green onions, chopped
1-2 cups grated low-fat cheese (I used sharp cheddar, but any of your favorites will work great!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. (Using veggies will reduce the fat content)
Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage

Preheat oven to 375 F. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size. If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray.

In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, if using, vegetables, if using, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be about 2/3 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Break eggs into large measuring bowl with pour spout.  Add the cottage cheese, salt and pepper, and beat well. Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full. I like to stir slightly with a fork. Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Muffins will keep at least a week in the refrigerator without freezing. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 2 minutes to reheat.

Homemade "Sandwich Thin" Buns

There is nothing like the smell of homemade bread to cozy up a house. Probably 80% of the bread we eat in our home is what I have baked.  Unless I didn't realize we were out of bread in time for lunches, the only bread I buy is hamburger buns, and most often they are Sandwich Thins.  Orowheat and Arnold both have good ones.  I can't help it- I love these things!!!  They are usually around a 100 calories for an entire bun, plus they are full of fiber and whole wheat goodness.  Since they are so thin, these buns don't have the heaviness that whole wheat sandwich bread can have.

I knew there had to be a recipe out there to make these things myself, eliminating the need to buy bread all together.  This recipe from food.com is wonderful!  The Sandwich Thin buns taste just like the store bought kind- actually better if you ask us.  They have a little more substance to them but are still only 108 calories per bun!  The recipe takes a little time because you need to wait for the dough to rise.  But the hands-on time is very minimal and super, super simple.  When I first started making them I would just free-form the buns into the right shape.  But just the other day I found a Muffin Top pan at the store and had to pick it up.  This makes pretty, perfectly round buns.  But there is still something rustic and lovely with the freeform kind.   I am so excited about these things- this has probably become my favorite recipe of the year!

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Homemade "Sandwich Thin" Buns
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 cups whole wheat flour (I like to use white whole wheat flour, it has a milder flavor and texture but just the same benefits of regular whole wheat flour.)
1/2 cup wheat bran
2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons canola oil
rolled oats for sprinkling on top

Don't be afraid of yeast! Seriously, baking bread is so easy! First you need to "proof" the yeast. Pour the warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer then add the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and allow to stand for 10 minutes. This is going to be your "sponge" for the dough. (If you don't have a stand mixer, that is perfectly fine!  Just use a regular bowl and do the kneading with your hands.  A mixer isn't necessary, just makes things a little easier and faster.)

Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

After ten minutes are up, add the canola oil and egg to the bowl of the stand mixer. Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on low and mix.  Add in 1 1/2 cups of the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Cover and let rest 1 hour.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and knead for 5 minutes. At tis time your flour may be way too sticky to do anything with. Add a little bit of whole wheat flour at a time up to one additional cup until you get a consistency that is able to be handled.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

Divide dough into 16 equal portions. It is recommended to weighed the entire ball of dough to figure out the weight of each bun, but since I do not yet own a food scale, I just eyeball it.  Good enough for me!

Roll each portion of dough in your hands to form a ball, and then flatten it between your palms.
Place it on the baking sheet and press down, working the dough into a thin 5-inch round.

dough resting before going into the oven

Brush the tops with water and then sprinkle with rolled oats. Lightly press down to help them stick. Adding the oats isn't necessary, but it does make them look pretty. Sometimes I add the oats, sometimes I am just lazy and skip them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Allow the buns to rest for 30 minutes on the baking sheets so they can double in bulk.  After this time you can choose to "dock" the buns.  This means poking small holes into the dough.  They actually have a special tool for this called creatively enough, a Dough Docker.  But a fork or the small end of a chop stick works just as well.  What docking does is prevents air bubbles from forming, keeping them nice and thin.  I have forgotten to dock them at times and never had any issues with bubbles.  But I must say, docking does make them look prettier! After resting, bake for 10-12 minutes.  Do NOT over bake.  You want the sandwich thins to be soft and light and only very lightly golden brown.  10 1/2 minutes of baking time is perfect for my oven.  Just be sure to keep an eye on them.

Let cool completely before slicing with a bread knife.

see how the buns are just very lightly brown- this is perfect!  

Each bun has 108 Calories; 1g Fat; 5g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol.

here is a side view so you can see the thickness of the buns after baking

I shared my recipe at
 
adapted from food.com

Warm Layered Mexican Dip

Any fun plans for Father's Day this weekend?  We will be picnicking with the family, of course!  Me and the boys are looking forward to letting daddy and the grandpa's know how loved they are.  Raising two young men myself just solidifies my grateful heart for being raised by an amazing father.  And watching my own husband be the example of a good man makes my heart break wide open every single day.  I am a lucky girl- so, so blessed!  

This dip is a yummy choice to take along to any picnic's you may be attending this summer.  it is a definite crowd pleaser- who doesn't love a good mexican dip?!  And trust me, this is a great one!

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Warm Layered Mexican Dip
1 can refried beans
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 pouch taco seasoning
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ear of corn, cooked and kernels removed (or 1/2 can whole kernel corn, drained)
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of cheddar and mozzarella)
fresh cilantro for garnish

In a small bowl, combine the creamed cheese and taco seasoning well with a fork.  Warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds and set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, combine the black beans, corn and salsa.

Spread the refried beans evenly on the bottom of a round pie plate or an 8x8.  Top with the taco-cream cheese mixture and next layer the corn, black bean and salsa mixture.  Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over top of layered dip.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.  Garnish with cilantro and serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

I linked up my recipe here:

 

Steak Fajitas

Do you remember that amazing steak marinade I told you about?  It is a great stepping stone, and just with a squeeze of lime and a substitution of Southwest Seasoning Salt (I love Tastefully Simple's!) and you have a wonderful Mexican flavor that is perfect for Steak Fajitas!  These are a simple dish- no fuss really.  And with the fresh spinach and greek yogurt you are giving yourself some great health benefits!  Of course you can totally use any lettuce you have on hand and sour cream for the greek yogurt.  But trust me, this is de-lish!

Steak Fajitas

1 lb thin cut tri-tip (flank steak and skirt steak also work great for this dish)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped into halves or forths, depending on size)
a handful of spinach, roughly chopped
cheddar cheese, shredded
greek yogurt (or sour cream), for serving
favorite taco sauce or salsa, for serving
flour tortillas

for the Fantastic Steak Marinade
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Southwest Seasoning Salt (Tastefully Simple's version Simply Southwest Seasoning and Rub is perfect) and freshly ground black pepper (if you don't have southwest seasoning salt, sea salt will work just fine.)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
juice of half a lime

Mix Together the garlic, grill seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, Southwest Seasoning Salt, lime juice and pepper. Whisk in the EVOO. Pour into a 9x13-inch glass dish or a sealable plastic bag. Add the steak and coat it evenly in marinade. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Grill Steak for 2-4 minutes a side, depending on thickness of your meat.  Remove from grill and allow to rest under tented foil for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips, diagonally against the grain.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, saute sliced onions in one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil until tender and caramelized.

Top each tortilla with steak, caramelized onions, spinach, cheese, tomatoes, greek yogurt and sauce/salsa.  Wrap and enjoy!

The next afternoon, I had the leftovers for lunch.  I couldn't decide on having a fajita like the night before- or using some bagged shredded coleslaw mix (this stuff is awesome to keep onhand!) and teriyaki sauce, and making a version of my Teriyaki Pork Wraps.  So I made both!  Soooooo good!

Teriyaki Pork Wraps with Sweet-Hot Cucumbers and Sesame Bean Sprouts

The other night, I was originally planning on making a pork stir-fry over rice to serve for dinner.  But I just wasn't feeling it.  Not in the mood for rice, but still really wanted a nice Asian dish that was a little different then what I normally make in the house.  A-Ha!  I {heart} Asian lettuce wraps.  They are so fresh, crisp and full of fantastic flavor.  Unfortunately I purchased mescaline greens this week instead of the bib or romaine hearts I generally buy.  So lettuce wraps were out of the question.  But I did have some nice soft flour tortillas.  They worked beautifully!  These wraps were so good I had them for lunch the next day and I seriously think I need to make them again this week.

The recipes for the Sweet-Hot Cucumbers and the Sesame Bean Sprouts are each ones that I had jotted down ages ago and have no idea where they came from- except that they are delicious!  They balance out the saltiness of the teriyaki perfectly.

Teriyaki Pork Wraps
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 green pepper, cut into long thin strips
1 onion, cut in half and sliced into strips
2 boneless pork chops, sliced into very thin strips
4 scallions (green onion), sliced into 1" pieces
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce, reserve additional for dipping (the absolute best is Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded cabbage
Sweet-Hot Pickled Cucumbers *recipes follows
Sesame Soy Bean Sprouts *recipe follows
sesame seeds for garnish
4-6 flour tortillas

For the Pork Filling

In bowl, toss thinly cut pork with teriyaki sauce, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes- overnight.

In hot non-stick skillet add 1 Tablespoon canola oil, sautee green peppers and onions over medium heat until tender-crisp. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. In the same pan, add the additional 1 Tablespoon oil, cook and stir marinated pork over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add sliced scallions and sautee for an additional 1 minute.  Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.

Warm stack of tortillas by sandwiching them between two damp paper towels and microwave for 40 seconds.

These cucumbers are a bit sweet but also have a nice kick from the black pepper.  They are so very addicting.  LOVE them!

Sweet-Hot Pickled Cucumbers
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 English Cucumber OR 1 large cucumber, seeded and peeled

Combine the vinegar, sugar, water and salt in a small pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until it boils and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Cut cucumber lengthwise into quarters and again into 1/8″ strips. Place in a serving bowl and pour marinade over cucumbers, stirring to blend. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Next, lets move onto these yummy bean sprouts

Sesame Bean Sprouts
1½ cups bean sprouts
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the bean sprouts along with the other ingredients. Cook over a medium-high heat until the bean sprouts are tender. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To Assemble Wraps
I like to have all the different components in their own individual bowls on the table. This way everyone can make their own to their liking. This is my personal favorite layering method for maximum crunch/flavor factor.

On a warm tortilla, layer pepper/onion mixture, shredded cabbage and carrots, pork/ scallions mixture, Sweet-Hot Cucumbers (I like lots of these babies!) , Sesame Soy Bean Sprouts, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds for garnish and drizzle with a touch of extra Teriyaki Sauce. Be careful with the Teriyaki Sauce, it can be quite salty and you don't want to over-do it.  Roll up and devour!

Layer, wrap and enjoy!

Honey-Blueberry Muffins

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Honey- Blueberry Muffins
makes 12-14 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup blueberries

Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease or line with paper muffin cups 1 muffin pan.

In a large bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, honey, and butter until smooth.  Combine the two mixtures, blending until the dry ingredients are just moistened.  Stir in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one about 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5-7 minutes.  Serve warm, or invert onto the rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

I did this recipe slightly different then how it called for.  Today I was a little scattered.  Jackson wanted to be my helper, which I love.  But I tend to need to read directions more then once when I bake with him because it is easy to get distracted.  Scott was also working from home hanging out in the kitchen and I wasn't in my usual groove, if you know what I mean.  I started mixing everything before I realized I didn't have two full cups of all-purpose flour.  I didn't really want whole wheat today, so I thought I would try out my cake flour for the other cup. I also added one full cup of blueberries instead of the 1/2 a cup and sprinkled the top with raw sugar for a little crunch.  I popped them in the oven and while I was waiting for them to bake I decided to have a cup of tea. Well what on earth did I find in my microwave when I opened it to heat my water- the melted butter!!  Oh no!   I didn't have any fat or applesauce to balance things out so I had no idea what on earth was going to happen to these things!  They could turn out hard as a rock or just awful tasting.  Or just maybe they would be okay.... so of course I peeked at them, and they were rising beautifully- nice high domes. And when I gently poked them, they gave just like a muffin should.  Well since I had the melted butter I didn't want it all to go to waste, so I brushed the tops of each muffin and put them back in the oven to finish baking.  Hmmm... we shall see at taste test time.

Well guess what?!  They are delicious!  Maybe it was the cake flour?  I have no idea.  But they were super moist and spongy.  The extra blueberries made them awesome- a blueberry in almost each bite.  And the raw sugar gave a perfect little crunch.  So without knowing it, I just saved us a whole mess of fat and calories.  Don't you love when mistakes turn out to not be mistakes after all?  So here is the recipe I accidently came up with.  I will totally make them like this again in the future.  I may even try using all cake flour next time....

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup honey

1 cup blueberries

raw sugar, sprinkle on before going in the oven

a bit of melted butter for brushing on the tops, halfway through baking time

proceed with the original directions.