Keeping the freezer stocked....

I like to keep a variety of muffins in the freezer so we can grab them and go whenever we need a quick snack. Muffins keep very well frozen and defrost fairly quickly by themselves, but if you warm them for a few seconds in the microwave, it is almost liked they were just baked.

I'm always looking out for or thinking about new or different ingredients for use in muffins and with today's recipe, Maple Sugar White Cornmeal muffins, we use a couple that I've not used in a muffin before. Maple Sugar is made from pure maple syrup, but is granulated like regular sugar. It has quite a unique and intense depth of flavor, but if you don't want to try and find it, you could always substitue brown sugar. I do think it is worth it as you can use it in cereals, teas, coffee or other baked goods. The muffins rose quite high and have a light, but hearty texture with a crunchy crown. The crunch on top comes from white cornmeal and maple sugar sprinkled on top before baking. I made them with no extra addins to see how the basic flavor would be, but I think they would be great with different chips, nuts, fruit or maybe even some crystallized ginger.

Back with another casserole type dish for dinner tonight, Mediterranean Spaghetti. Inside the layers of pasta is a meat sauce that is cooked down until thick with a couple surprise spices - cinnamon and nutmeg! It does not taste like cinnamon, but it brings another dimension of flavor. A creamy thick white sauce flavored with rich and salty feta is layered on top of the meat sauce to add a bit of moisture. On top of the final coat of sauce is a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan that gives a crisp golden brown crust. The dish is hearty, filling and very satisfying with enough leftovers for a great lunch.

Recipes
Maple Sugar White Cornmeal Muffins
Mediterranean Spaghetti