Thursday, July 9, 2009

Grancy's Cocoa Muffins

cocoa muffins 003 I stopped in at Murphree's Fruits and Vegetables yesterday to load up on fresh produce. I came home with field peas, butter beans, yellow squash, silver queen corn, strawberries and Sand Mountain vine ripened tomatoes. The Sand Mountain tomatoes are Alabama's answer to the Arkansas Bradley County tomatoes that I grew up on.

Grancy and Poosie 50th anniversary All of that fresh stuff just called for a batch of my grandmother's cocoa muffins. Grancy made lots of cocoa muffins, particularly during the summer when she could get fresh purple hull peas and butter beans. Poosie, my grandfather, loved to sop up the pea and bean juices with a cocoa muffin, fresh from the oven, and he always accompanied his meals with a gigantic glass of iced tea, sweet of course and with a big slice of lemon. Here's a picture of Grancy and Poosie on their 5oth Anniversary.

cocoa muffins 002 So I went digging into my file for the cocoa muffin recipe that Grancy wrote out for me sometime after LBeau and I married. Your basic cocoa muffin ingredients are sugar, butter, eggs, flour, cocoa, baking powder, milk and vanilla. I doubt that Grancy ever really used a recipe. She made these for so long that she just knew how to measure by feel.

New Cherish Sample - Page 018 

Recipe Notes:

  • "Cry. butter" is creamery butter.
  • I did not sift the flour with the cocoa. I stirred the flour, cocoa and baking powder together and added it to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
  • I increased the milk to 3/4 cup.
  • I sprayed my muffin tin with a little PAM.
  • 25 minutes is too long. They were done in 20 minutes.

cocoa muffins 004

These looked so delicious that I had to have one with a little butter and a cup of coffee right after they came out of the oven. But I'll be sharing the rest tonight with LBeau when I serve him all of that fresh produce.

Foodie_Friday_Logo_2 Now run on over to Designs by Gollum to see what everyone else is cooking up on this Foodie Friday.

23 comments:

Robin said...

Such great memories! This post definitely made me smile tonight! Those muffins look so good...I will have to make these soon!

{{HUGS}}

Robin :o)

Unknown said...

What beautiful memories, where would we be without our memories. Memories last a life time, it's one time no one can take from you and best of all you can share them with others. Thanks for sharing - Geri

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Kathy, I love family recipes, and I appreciate you sharing this with us. These muffins look delicious!
Thanks so much... I just LOVE cocoa!

Happy Foodie Friday...

XO,

Sheila :-)

Foley said...

I love the old family recipes that I have written in the actual handwriting of my Mom, Dad and Grandma...
The muffins sound wonderful!!

Joyce said...

These sound yummy...if I ever get my dishes I'm going to try them.

I love the photo and the handwritten recipe.

Have a nice weekend!

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

This looks wonderful! Oh me -- I'll never be able to lose any weight! Too many temptations out there -- thanks for the share!

Sarah Frost said...

Kathy---I went to our Farmers Market yesterday and got basically the same things! I was planning on making cornbread muffins to eat with our vegies but now will have to try these muffins! Don't you just love to remember those special things about your grandparents? Thanks for sharing!

From the Old InkWell said...

Oh how special to have a handwritten recipe from your loved ones!

Candy said...

Love the old hand written recipe card. Wish my Granny had some. She has a clip and save collection. I found a neat project with old recipe cards but haven't come across any yet. May I use you Grancy's. I am also going to make this yummies when my guys get back from summer camp.

Geronimo is about 20 miles from San Marcos just is about 30-45 minutes south of Austin. Just goggle to see a map and they can decide if it is close enough or too far.

Let me know about the recipe card.
Thanks,Candy

Marie Reed said...

How wonderful that you have the actual card she wrote the recipe on! They sound easy to make and delicious! that's the best kind of recipe:)

Tonja said...

The recipe sounds divine...but to me the real treasure is the recipe card...handwritten and stained...I would frame it and hang it in my kitchen!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Kathy, you've made me curious. I have never heard of cocoa muffins before this. I'm going to try these this weekend for Sunday brunch. I love old recipes, especially those that have become family favorites. Thanks for sharing the recipe and your memories with us. Blessings...Mary

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I am going to make these. They sound delicious. Thank you.

Beth at Aunties said...

Thanks for sharing a cherished family recipe. Loved her handwriting and all the your memories:)


beth`♥

Christi @ A Southern Life said...

I always love food with a story. This is so special. I love the hand-written recipe on a stained card. Shows it has really been used. I can find my favorite recipes in cookbooks by flipping through and looking for the stained pages!

Such a special story and the muffins sound delicious (so does all that fresh produce!).

Christi

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Thanks for your visit Kathy -- You asked about the Blackberry wine on my post -- I was able to get some from the grocery stores here or Walmart -- since it was going in a cake I got one I know is particularly sweet - Arbor Mist.

xinex said...

Hi Kathy! Those choc. muffins looks really good. So nice that you have recipes in your grandma's handwriting. That's a treasure...Christine

momma said...

how yummy and wonderful! i have some of my grandmother's recipes. to me, they are special because they are in her handwriting :)

Unknown said...

I love that you have been able to keep so many family artifacts. The cocoa muffins sound really good, but I was surprised that your grandfather used them to soo the pea juice. Mine always used cornbread or light ( remember that?) bread. Thanks for the post.

Susie Jefferson said...

I love handwritten recipes! These look very good indeed.

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Don't you just love that you have the recipe in her handwriting? There is just something about a person's handwriting that makes me feel closer to that person. These look delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe. laurie

Joy Tilton said...

This is priceless and you have given me a great idea for a blog...thank you!

Amanda Daniel Reynolds said...

What a TREASURE you have! I am a lover of family history and I love this! I've never thought of using my coco muffin to sop up pea and bean juice....yuck!! We do love to eat it with lots of butter on top! I always add extra sugar, coco, and vanilla!! I would love to go back in time and to be able to have known Grancy and Poosie! Such a special family with lots of history behind it. I hope that one day my children will appreciate all this family history and legacy left behind!!