Savory muffins broaden the palate

A few weeks ago I took corn dog muffins to a youth group at church for the children to eat along with chili. It was good, but they thought I had lost my mind making muffins that tasted like corn dogs. It was successful with most people. So when I opened a cookbook today and saw spicy pepperoni biscuits, I just had to include it here today for you to try. The recipe says to serve with piping hot mugs of cheese soup. Yummy!

Spicy Pepperoni Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoni

3/4 cup milk

Combine first 5 ingredients; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pepperoni. Add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead three or four times only. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut dough with a 2- or 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter and place biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Refrigerate any leftovers. Yields 12.

Savory Sausage-Swiss Muffins

1/2 pound mild or spicy ground pork sausage

1 3/4 cup biscuit and baking mix

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

3/4 teaspoon ground sage, or adjust to your personal taste

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles. Drain well. Combine sausage, biscuit mix and next three ingredients in a bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine egg and milk; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Yields 12.

Rosemary and Honey Biscuits

1 cup self-rising flour

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/3 cup cold butter, cut up

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

Combine flour and rosemary; cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Beat cream cheese and honey at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon dough into ungreased miniature (1 3/4-inch) muffin pans, filling full. Bake at 400 degrees for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. If you do not have miniature muffin pans, drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets; bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve warm. Yields 20 biscuits.

Streusel Cranberry-Orange Muffins

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup cranberry-orange relish

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine egg and next five ingredients; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Combine pecans, 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon, if desired; sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans immediately. Yields 12.

With interesting and fun breads, you need interesting and fun butter to go on them. Some unusual butters, or you might even say gourmet butters, change any plain bread, muffin or roll into something really special. Be sure to use only good quality unsalted butter for these recipes. If you refrigerate these before use, allow them to soften to room temperature before serving, at least 15 minutes. And while using the food processor makes these recipes easy to prepare, a hand mixer will work just fine.

Roasted Olive Butter

Be sure not to process this too finely in the food processor as you will want bits of the olives to show through and add texture.

1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives

1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, about 8 olives

2 tablespoons commercial Greek salad dressing

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Combine both olives and salad dressing and stir until olives are well coated. Place olives in an 8-inch square pan or a small cast iron skillet. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until olives are slightly charred. Cool; coarsely chop olives. Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add olive mixture and butter. Process just until blended, stopping once to scrape down sides. Spoon butter into a small crock or other container. Cover and chill up to one week. Serve with mashed potatoes, hot cooked pasta, crostini, pita wedges or crackers.

Country Ham and Sage Butter

This butter is good on both sweet or savory foods.

4 ounces thinly sliced country ham

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Cook ham in a skillet over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towel. Coarsely chop ham to measure about 1/2 cup. Process ham, butter, sage and syrup until blended, stopping once to scrape down sides. Spoon butter into a small crock or serving bowl. Cover and chill up to two days. Serve with grits, corn bread, green beans, biscuits or scones.

Tangy Cranberry Butter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup cranberry-orange relish

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Add butter to food processor bowl. Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add relish, sugar and allspice; pulse three or four times or until blended. Spoon butter into a small serving dish. Cover and chill. Serve with roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, scones, muffins, hot rolls or waffles.

Praline-Pecan Butter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pralines, about 2 patties

2 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee-flavored liqueur, optional

Place butter in food processor bowl and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Add pralines and, if desired, the Kahlua; pulse three or four times or until combined. Spoon into a serving bowl or form into a log. Serve with sweet potatoes, biscuits, scones or quick breads.

Key Lime Butter

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

3 tablespoons key lime juice

3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

Add butter to food processor bowl and process butter until smooth, scraping down sides. Add sugar, key lime juice and milk; pulse three or four times or until blended. Stir in rind. Spoon into serving bowl. Cover and chill. For a tangy early morning wake up, try on muffins, scones, pancakes or biscuits.

To form any of these butters into a log, place the butter into a long sheet of waxed paper. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 30 minutes. Start rolling back and forth into a long log about 12 inches long. Twist the ends of the waxed paper and chill until firm. Slice butter into pats to serve.

I hope you don't find these too odd and you give them a try for yourself. They are delicious and add so much to plain bread products, vegetables and side dishes.

Have a wonderful week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.