We have gathered quite the backlog of images and recipes that I have been meaning to post...Shall we start clearing it out?

Peach Yogurt Muffins
Several months ago, my better half discovered that she had a Zeller's and a Home Outfitter's gift card leftover from her participating in baking competitions at her former office. Checking for an expiry date, we discovered the cards can be combined and used at Zeller's, Home Outfitter's or the Bay.

As such, we headed off to pick up a new muffin pan from Home Outfitter's at the Centrum mall in Kanata. We ended up picking up a KitchenAid silicone muffin tray with a metal rack.

To test it, we made "breakfast muffins" using our tried, tested, and true recipe that was adapted from Alton Brown's yogurt muffin recipe. This time, however, we omitted blueberries and tossed in Balkan-style peach-flavoured yogurt with peach pieces.

The results were fantastic. Because the yogurt took on the peach flavor, the muffin tasted of peach throughout.

Muffins in a Brand New Silicone Muffin Tray

Peach Yogurt Breakfast Muffins

Chive and Cheddar Scones
For my 29th birthday (eons ago), my better half bought me baking lessons at Three Bakers and a Bike. There, the youngest of the three baking sisters who own and operate the bakery, Lule, taught us how to make a pie crust and apple pie, whole wheat bread, and cranberry and oatmeal tea scones. She also gave us written recipes, which we all marked up with invaluable tidbits from Lule. I have since made the scone many times, usually as Christmas potluck.

This past Christmas, Jenn and I spent some time modifying the recipe, which we are not at liberty to share, to employ butter, instead of margarine. Wondering if people could tell the difference, I brought two batches of individually wrapped and marked scones with me to work, one using margarine and one, butter. 8/10 of my colleagues preferred the butter scones.

Several weeks ago, with a bumper crop of chives in the balcony herb garden, we made a batch of savory scones for a friend to encourage her to stop smoking.

Cheddar and Chives Scones

We made another batch for my better half's dad for Father's Day.

Another Batch of Cheddar and Chives Scones
This time around, I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top of several scones to create a crust.

Buttermilk Berry Cake
Speaking of Father's Day, here is a "just about perfected" buttermilk berry cake that I attempted for Jenn's mom's Father's Day Dinner (try saying that 3 times fast!).

At first, I followed Smitten Kitchen's Raspberry Buttermilk recipe to the letter, but found that, during the prescribed really quick cooking time at high heat (20-25 minutes at 400°F), not only did the berries cook, but they also sank into the cake.

Batter made and topped with strawberries

Sunken strawberries

To make matters worse, when the center strawberry sank, it also bled, leaving the center a gooey mess.

Gooey mess, ready to be binned

For the record, blueberries fare better, but they also bleed profusely.

Bleeding Blueberries
More than likely, the viscosity of the batter better supports the lower mass of the individual blueberries as the cake bakes.

After borrowing some innovation from Sippitysup's "Manly" Strawberry Cake recipe, picking up a new batch of locally grown strawberries (Savour Ottawa-certified Rochon Garens), and tinkering a little, we turned out the following cake.

Successful Strawberry Cake
Topped with icing sugar, it and a blueberry redo were very well received by Jenn's mom's Father's Day guests.

Topped with Icing Sugar

Sliced

One Serving

Leftover Halves

Recipe for the Berry Cake follows after the jump...

Recipe

What You'll Need:
• 1 cup cake flour + some to dust the cake pan with
• shortening to grease the cake pan
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar + some to sprinkle over the cake with
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp of lemon oil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries

Sifted cake flour actually allowed the cake to be lighter and increase in volume.

Prep:
1. Soften the Butter
2. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan

Method:
1. Pre-heat an oven to 325°F
2. Sift together the 1 cup cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
3. Cream the 1/2 stick of unsalted butter with 2/3 cup of sugar until it lightens in colour
4. Add the egg, mix well
5. Add the butter milk, mix well
6. Add the vanilla or lemon oil, mix well
7. Carefully add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet, mixing enough to just incorporate everything. This is a quick bread that employs wheat flour. It will toughen with over-mixing
8. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
9. If using strawberries, halve them and place them cut side down over the mixture. If using blueberries or raspberries, sprinkle them all over the cake.
10. Sprinkle the exposed batter with sugar
11. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
12. Remove, let cool for 3-5 minutes.
13. De-pan and cool completely over a cake rack
14. Dust with icing sugar
15. Serve

Update:
I purchased my local strawberries from the Rochon Gardens stall at the Parkdale Market

Rochon Gardens

Particulars:
Three Bakers and a Bike
1281a Wellington Street
(613)729-6236

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