Using It Up: Strawberry Preserves

Strawberry Jam Muffins
McCall's Cook Book Copyright 1963

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted shortening
about 3/4 cup of strawberry preserves or jam (or whatever flavor you prefer)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the lemon zest to the dry ingredients. Mix together the milk, egg and oil or shortening. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Stir with fork until just moistened. Batter will be lumpy.

Place 1 tablespoon of batter in each muffin cup. Top with 1 teaspoon of strawberry preserves. Top preserves with batter, filling cups about two-thirds full. Top each muffin with about a teaspoon of Streusel. Bake for about 20-25 minutes (mine were done in about 15 minutes but my oven is wonky). Makes 12 muffins.

Streusel:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Mix flour and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
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As you can see, I'm trying to use things up. I cleaned out my cupboards recently and that's always an eye opener. I hate that I waste so much food. It is my goal to use up as much of the stuff that I have on hand. I have a few jars of preserves and jams in the refrigerator, and some in the cupboard. I'm not sure where these strawberry preserves came from - a nice jar of Dickinson's brand preserves. It doesn't look like there was enough missing from the jar to have used them in a recipe.

This cookbook gives a recipe for Perfect Muffins and then they suggest several variations. This was one of the variations but I added the streusel topping since I like a topping on my muffins and from now on, I'm going to take the liberty of adding one because life is too short to make muffins without a topping.

This just might be the Perfect Muffin. Both the texture and flavor were excellent. I almost omitted the lemon zest but I'm glad I added it. The trace of lemon flavor was great with the strawberry. This recipe is definitely a keeper. I could have eaten all 12 muffins. Thank God for my coworkers. And even though I'm sure these are good without the streusel, I thought it was a great touch. Whoever thought of that should really help themselves to another muffin.

I picked this cookbook up in Goodwill for $1.97. It looks like a great all-purpose cookbook. After this excellent recipe, I am anxious to try more recipes from this book.