Month: June 2012
Blueberry muffins are a delicious way to share breakfast with your family- I have been spending a lot of time helping my sister and her husband out at their house while they get the hang of a new baby schedule! I made these from the King Arthur “Baker’s Companion” bible that we bought Chris ( the pizza/ bread making enthusiast) for Christmas last year. A few notes from my learnings, I would absolutely use buttermilk if you have it in place of the milk, and zest of one whole lemon. I think lemon and blueberries are an incredible flavor combo, but that may have been since I used 1/2 whole wheat flour that these needed a kick in the muffin top! Also, because of the enormous and wonderful amount of blueberries that went into this- heavily Pam, or grease you muffin pans. Otherwise, enjoy these tender, cake like muffins loaded with fresh blueberries. The tops get a fabulous crunch from the sugary cinnamon, mmmm mmm good,
Classic Blueberry Muffins
pg 68 of The King Arthur Baker’s Companion
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour ( I used 1 c. whole wheat and 1 c. all purpose)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
cinnamon + sugar for the top
Preheat oven to 375. Cream together butter, sugar, and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the baking powder. Then add the flour alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. Mash 1/2 cup of blueberries and add them to the batter. Stir in the vanilla at the end, along with the whole blueberries.
Mound the batter into 12 lightly greased or paper lined muffin cups, filling each completely to the top (actually, over the top; the batter is thick enough that it’ll hold its shape). Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove muffins from the oven, and after 5 minutes remove them from the pan to cool completely on a rack, or gently flip them sideways in the pan.
*** A special thanks to our dear friend Heidi for keeping us posting through this busy time in our lives, and for keeping us real, much love **
After a long hot workout, a power packed salad is the way to recharge, refuel and fill up. Searching through the fridge for some extras to toss with mixed greens, we found asparagus spears and homemade pita crisps ( a few left from a separate Bobby Flay recipe we tried out last week), hard-boiled eggs ( great to keep on hand if you buy extra eggs), and cherry tomatoes. This is how to make it magical:
Serves 1
2 cups mixed greens, loose packed
7 cherry tomatoes
6 asparagus spears, trimmed
1- 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
Fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated fresh if you have it
salt and pepper
1/2 pita, cut in to bite size pieces
1 hard-boiled egg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking pan, toss asparagus spears in a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. On a separate baking sheet, toss pita pieces with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus from the oven, give the pita chips a toss but continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until slightly browned. Let pitas cool ( and turn your oven off- this heat! whew) Meanwhile, squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle nutmeg over your cooked asparagus, toss together, then transfer to a cutting board and chip in to 1″ or bite sized pieces. Then in your favorite salad bowl, I recommend one with some sides, add your mixed greens, then add the tomatoes, chopped hard-boiled egg, asparagus pieces, and pita pieces, drizzle with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste.
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