Artichoke Dip Muffins #MuffinMonday

Rich muffins made with mayonnaise, Parmesan and artichokes, with just a small hit of heat from the jalapeño, these make great party food or a snack for the savory muffin lover in your life.

I am a fan of mayonnaise in all its forms, homemade and good quality store-bought, slathered on sandwiches, mixed through yolks for deviled eggs, heaped in potato salad. But I had never heard of mayonnaise cake. I must lead a very sheltered life. Last week in a Facebook group, the discussion was all about cakes made with mayo instead of eggs and oil/butter. And my first reaction was a resounding, “Eewww!” But I kept it to myself because of the risk of being pilloried; everyone else seemed really enthusiastic in the exchange of great chocolate and vanilla cake recipes using mayonnaise. Gag reflex in check, I even found a few versions online myself. I make homemade mayonnaise so I do know it’s just eggs and oil, I do. But still, a sweet cake with mayo? I guess I’m just not ready to go there yet.

But that discussion has been on my mind all week and it occurred to me that a savory cake, on the other hand, sounded like a capital idea. And what better to test that theory than with a savory muffin made with the same ingredients as my favorite artichoke dip, to wit, mayonnaise, artichoke, Parmesan and green chilies. With no eggs and no oil, just mayonnaise to fulfill both of those roles, I’m calling this one an unqualified success!

And since this is my blog and I can do what I want, I’d like to give a shout out to Eszther in the Shelf Drilling office in Dubai. Apparently she is a fan when my husband brings muffins in to the office and the savory ones are her favorites. And she reads my blog so I'm automatically a fan of hers. This one’s for you, Eszther! Hope you got one today.

Ingredients
1 can (14oz or 400g) artichoke hearts, drained weight 8 1/2oz or 240g
1 fresh jalapeño
1 cup or 150g finely grated Parmesan (This is one of the few times I recommend using the canister cheese rather than grating your own.)
2 cups or 250g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup or 120ml mayonnaise
1 cup or 240ml milk

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and grease your 12-cup muffin pan liberally with canola, butter or non-stick spray.

Drain your artichoke hearts completely, even giving them a bit of a squeeze in your hands to make sure all of the juice is out. Cut them into small pieces. Halve your jalapeño and remove the seeds if you want to tone down the heat, otherwise leave them in. Mince the jalapeño.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, Parmesan and baking powder and stir well.

In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, artichokes and jalapeños.

Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold them together until just mixed. Your batter is going to be quite stiff, almost a dough, but don’t let that bother you. Trust. They still turn out light and fluffy, as a muffin should.

Divide the batter/dough evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake in your preheated oven about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for a few minutes and then remove the muffins from the pan to cool completely.

These would be also be great as mini muffins for a cocktail party or to accompany any lunch or dinner spread.

See? Very fluffy on the inside!

Enjoy!

Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts

Bubbly cheesy artichoke dip makes a wonderful filling for a puff pastry tart. Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts are the perfect, easy appetizer for your Christmas party.

Artichoke dip is a staple at our house for Christmas Eve, when we eat only appetizers and drink Champagne. The tradition started many, many years ago when my older sister would come to visit and somehow we all got busy and many gifts remained unwrapped the night before Christmas. So preparing a big dinner was out of the question but nibbles would be perfect.

Early in the evening we sit around the heavily laden coffee table, sip Champagne and eat our appetizers while staking out a good position to wrap gifts with a little bit of privacy. Behind the bar is always a popular spot, which allows someone to be in front of the bar. Another person might be behind the couch and yet another behind the living room chair or over in the open plan dining room, when we have one. We can hear each other, if we talk loudly, but most importantly, everyone can hear the Christmas music. And everyone can take an extra little plate with them as well, for sustenance.

Artichoke Dip Puff Pastry Tarts

I have no idea where the classic artichoke dip recipe came from, although for us, it was always Tanya’s artichoke dip since my sister brought it with her originally. In the years since, I’ve also heard it referred to as Lizann’s dip, after another friend who introduced it to the school parents in Malaysia. I’d love to know who created it in the first place and thank them. Some years we add crabmeat, other years cooked shrimp or crispy bacon before baking the dip to bubbling richness. We usually serve it with crackers or sliced baguette. This year, making it for a completely different event, I had a brainstorm. And artichoke dip puff pastry tarts were born!

Ingredients
For the dip aka filling:
1 cup or 240g mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip or salad cream – they are too sweet.)
1 1/2 cups or about 190g finely grated Parmesan
1 can (14oz or 400g) artichoke hearts, drained weight 8 1/2oz or 240g
1 small hot red chili, optional but highly recommended (I think the original recipe called for a small can of mild green chilies.)

For the tart crust:
3 sheets already rolled puff pastry (about 8in x 8in or 20cm x 20cm each)

Method
Preheat your oven to 410°F or 210°C and cut the puff pastry into 12 reasonably even squares.

Tuck each piece into a muffin pan cup, folding in the edges to make them fit so the squares don’t touch between the muffin cups. Remember, they are going to puff up.

Chop the artichoke hearts roughly and the chili very finely and mix all the filling ingredients together thoroughly.

Spoon the filling into the prepared puff pastry crusts.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is golden and bubbling and the puff pastry is golden and puffy.

Allow the tarts to cool for about 10 minutes and then run a knife around the outside of the tarts to loosen them and then remove them to a serving plate.

Serve warm if possible but they are delicious even at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

• Ginger Bears by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Artichoke Dip Tarts by Food Lust People Love
• Bebinca – Layered Goan Cake by Masala Herb
• Bourbon Barrels by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chocolate Chip Collapsidies by Try Anything Once Culinary
• Chocolate Dipped Baked Potato Chips by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti by Noshing With The Nolands
• Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce by See Aimee Cook
• Gingerbread Linzer Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
• Layered Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Midori Melon Cupcakes by Ninja Baking
• Peanut Brittle by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
• Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes by The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
• Santa’s Favorite Holiday Bark by The Weekend Gourmet
• Toasted Almond Shortbread by The Messy Baker
• Wine Poached Pear and Almond Rugelach by The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Pin it!

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Salmon with Homemade Caper Onion Mayonnaise

Making homemade mayonnaise is a dying art but one I would love to see revived.  It reminds me of my grandmother’s cheerful kitchen, painted the same friendly shade as lemon zest and her café-curtained window with bright, warm sunshine beaming in.  The yellow yolks whipped into creaminess bring back the nostalgic taste of her warm potato salad.  Proceed slowly, and you will be amply rewarded. 

I don’t recall if my maternal grandmother ever had store-bought mayonnaise in her dark brown doublewide Admiral refrigerator.  It’s possible she did.  But I can tell you that when Sunday rolled around and she was making potato salad, she was also going to be making homemade mayo to put in it.  My mother is the same.  She says that when she was growing up, she avoided the kitchen when she saw the potatoes and eggs go on to boil, because otherwise she would be roped into making the mayonnaise and she lived in fear of the darn stuff splitting.  Now she can’t get enough of homemade mayonnaise and makes it willingly.   I imagine years of being press-ganged into service have made her an expert.  When it came time to make a sauce for this week’s Sunday Supper theme of Sauce It Up, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.  My own concoction of onion and capers added to my grandmother’s homemade mayonnaise.  So I consulted the family expert.   And this is what she sent me.   Thanks, Mom!  (My comments in green.) 

Ingredients
For Mother’s (by which, she means my grandmother's) homemade mayonnaise:
(Yields about 1 1/2 cups or 350ml)
2 egg yolks (raw)
2 egg yolks (hard-boiled)
1 cup or about 240ml vegetable oil or more as needed (I used canola.)
Black or white pepper  (I used about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt flakes and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.)

For the caper onion mayonnaise:
1 recipe Mother’s homemade mayo
1/2 medium purple onion (about 1 1/4oz or 35g)
2 tablespoons capers in brine with a little of the brine
More salt and pepper to taste – you can let it sit for a while after adding in the capers and then add more, if necessary.  Remember that capers in brine are salty.

For the salmon:
One filet per person (about 6-7 oz or 170-200g each)
Sea salt flakes
Black pepper
Olive oil

Method
Mash the yolks real well with a fork.

Using an electric mixer, add a little oil at a time to egg mixture and beat well.  Be very careful, mayo can curdle if you add too much oil at one time.   Continue mixing and adding oil gradually.   (I used a whisk and added about a tablespoon or two at a time, whisking thoroughly in between.  It took a while but I was watching The Great British Bake Off so I didn’t care!) 

Just the four egg yolks.

Adding the first of the oil.

After the third or fourth addition of oil.

Add a few drops of water to mayo as it thickens.  Sometimes I will use lemon juice or vinegar instead of the water.  As it thickens, you may have to add more than one time.  (Since I knew I was going to add the grated onion and capers at the end, I skipped this step.  If you are making plain mayo, you may need to drizzle in a bit of water if it gets too thick.) 

Continue the process until you have the desired amount of mayonnaise.  (I stopped after adding the whole cup of canola, which gave me almost a cup and a half of mayo.) 

The last of the oil going in. 

Season with sea salt and black pepper.

You have now mastered my grandmother’s homemade mayonnaise.  Well done!  (If by some chance you did pour in the oil too fast and it split, rescue it with the instructions here.   They work and, sadly, I know that from past personal experience.)

Now to make the caper onion mayonnaise, simply grate your onion very finely and make sure to collect the juice as you grate it.  I actually left the onion whole and grated half off, which is easier than trying to grate a cut onion.

Add the grated onion and the juice to the mayonnaise.

Add in the capers with a little of their juice.  Stir well, cover with cling film and, if you aren’t eating right away, store in the refrigerator.

And on to the salmon.

Season the salmon on both sides with a light sprinkle of sea salt flakes and black pepper.

Pan-fry it skin side up in a small drizzle of olive oil for a few minutes or until you can see the color of cooked pink come half way up the sides.

Turn the salmon filets over and cook for another few minutes or until the salmon is just cooked though and the skin is crispy.

Taste the caper onion mayo and add more salt and pepper if necessary, stirring well.  Add a liberal dollop to the top of each salmon filet and serve.

Enjoy!

For lagniappe, as we say in south Louisiana – here’s just a little something extra:
If you are only serving two with salmon, you are going to have plenty of caper onion mayo left over.  Stir some through a drained can of tuna and serve on toast.  Delicious!  I don’t know that my grandmother would approve but I think it would also be pretty good in potato salad.  The caper onion mayo will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

Join today’s host and all-around good guy, DB from Crazy Foodie Stunts, and the rest of the Sunday Supper group as we Sauce It Up!

Savory Sauces

• Creamy Dairyfree Mushroom Sauce from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Guava BBQ Sauce from Basic N Delicious
• Homemade Steak Sauce from Juanita's Cocina
• Homemade Tartar Sauce from The Foodie Army Wife
• Homemade Teriyaki Sauce from Curious Cuisiniere
• Jalapeño Cranberry Sauce from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Port Wine and Fig Sauce from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Red Wine Sauce | Molho de Vinho Tinto from Family Foodie
• Tomato Kasundi from What Smells So Good?

Pasta Sauces and Pastas with Sauce

• Amatriciana Sauce from The Weekend Gourmet
• Angel Hair Pasta with Neapolitan Sauce from Cookin' Mimi
• Basil Pesto from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Black Walnut Kale Pesto with Zucchini Spaghetti from Sue's Nutrition Buzz
• Chardonnay Seafood Sauce (with Linguine) from Country Girl in the Village
• Homemade Guiltless Alfredo Sauce from Momma's Meals
• Italian-Style Tomato Sauce from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Lamb Ragout from Maroc Mama
• Lentil Marinara Pasta Sauce from Alida's Kitchen
• Roasted Vegetable Pasta Sauce from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Sicilian Marinara Sauce from Growing Up Gabel

Entreés with Sauces 

• Chicken Tikka Masala from I Run For Wine
• Chicken with Mushroom Demi-Glace from Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Garlic Mushrooms In Red Wine Sauce from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Jack Daniel's Honey Barbecue Baked Wings from Chocolate Moosey
• Mrs. A's Skillet Lemon Chicken from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Philly Strip Steaks with Provolone Sauce and Caramelized Onions from The Texan New Yorker
• Pork Tenderloin with Plum Sauce from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Salmon with Homemade Caper Onion Mayonnaise from Food Lust People Love
• Sweet & Sour Garlic Chicken Wings from Big Bear's Wife

Sweet Sauces 

• Apple Cider Caramel Sauce from The Messy Baker
• Banana Pudding Sauce from Killer Bunnies, Inc.
• Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Sauce from Daily Dish Recipes
• Port Wine Cranberry Sauce from Webicurean
• Pumpkin Applesauce from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Pumpkin Caramel Sauce from Noshing With The Nolands
• Raspberry Red Wine Sauce from Treats & Trinkets
• Slow Cooker Applesauce from Citronlimette

Desserts with Sauces 

• Baked Espresso Berry Pudding from The Urban Mrs
• Bananas Foster from MidLife Road Trip
• Caramel Apple Sheet Cake from Pies and Plots
• Pear Tatin with Rum Caramel Sauce from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Salted Bourbon Caramel Sauce (over Chocolate Rosemary Cake) from Gotta Get Baked
• Sticky Toffee Pudding w/ Toffee Sauce from girlichef

Poached Salmon with Creamy Caper Onion Sauce

Whenever I get home from a holiday, I reminisce by looking through my photos and remembering all the people I’ve met or visited with and all the places I’ve been.  I also reminisce about the meals I have eaten.  I’m going back through my summer photos of food because there are so many dinners and salads and desserts that got made, photographed and eaten with relish, but never got posted.  I am not even home yet and I am already feeling nostalgic for wild salmon, which I have yet to find in Cairo.

Wild salmon is much drier than its farm-raised brethren so poaching is an excellent method of cooking it.   Add on a creamy caper onion sauce and you can’t go wrong.   I cooked this, along with a cherry tomato tart, for my in-laws and it was very well received.  My father-in-law has been ill and had not been eating very well for a couple of weeks when I served this and he cleaned his plate!  We were all very excited.  Seriously.  To the point that we took a photo of his empty plate.  Looking back now, that seems weird, but it felt right at the time.  Any small victory!