Blueberry Muffins

I have a personal gripe with most muffin recipes.  By design, muffins are supposed to be an easy quick bread.  They are often referred to as the "1-bowl" recipe.  And yet, so many muffin recipes require a stand mixer of all things.  Whenever a muffin recipe has directions that begin with "cream the butter..." or "combine the wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer..." I tend to look the other way.  It's not that those recipes aren't any good, it's the fact that muffins are supposed to be a quick, simple, throw together food that makes a great grab-and-go breakfast, not a delicate sit-down cake.  Unfortunately, the "muffins" you find in coffee shops these days are - more often than not - heavy, overly sweet confections better found in a cheap bakery.  Not that I'm complaining, or anything.

So when a dear friend of mine gave me a container of blueberries the other day (because she had bought too many...darn!), I was immediately drawn to whipping up a batch of muffins.  The problem is, I just didn't want a complicated, heavy, or overly sweet recipe.  I wanted something light and delicate without being, well, cakey.  And I wanted it to be simple.  One, two bowls, tops.  And I wanted to mix it with a spoon.  Not that I don't love my Kitchen-Aid, because I do, I just wanted to giver her a rest...she works very hard as it is.

So there I went on a quest for simple, hand-stirred blueberry muffins.  You would be surprised at how many recipes I read through before finding one that held promise.  You won't be surprised that the promising recipe came from America's Test Kitchen.  Goodness, I love those guys.  I wasn't a fan of the high fat content in their muffin (much as I'm sure it would taste delicious!), but I was sincerely intrigued by their mixing method (all by hand, of course).  And oh, they were wonderful.  So of course, the next time you have blueberries...or raspberries (yum!) be sure to check these out.

Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Baking Illustrated

Note: the original recipe claims to get 12 muffins, but I got 18 with regular-sized muffin tins filled 3/4 of the way with batter.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350 degrees F.  Grease a standard muffin tin or fill with muffin paper liners.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.  Whisk the egg in a medium bowl until well-combined and light colored, about 20 seconds.  Add sugar to egg mixture and whisk vigorously until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in three additions, whisking to combine after each addition.  Add yogurt in two additions, whisking just to combine.  Add dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula.  Do not over-mix.  Add berries all at once, and fold into final mixture until evenly distributed.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 of the way with batter.  Bake until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let muffins cool on wire rack before eating.  Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature, however, they taste the best on the first day.

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

Yup, you read that right.  And, no, there is no food coloring involved.  I don't know how many of you are tea drinkers, but I love tea.  There is something so calming and wonderful about pouring boiling water over tea leaves or herbs and brewing the perfect cup of tea.  And there is something equally lovely about drinking it.  In the last year or so, I have become absolutely captivated by loose-leaf teas, mixing and matching a variety of herbs and tea leaves to create wonderful flavor combinations.

So when I first stumbled across a green tea cake recipe, I was definitely intrigued.  The problem is, I'm just not that much of a cake person.  It always looks pretty.  I'm just not that into the idea of a huge slice of cake on a random Wednesday.  And I never feel quite justified in making a cake for anything other than a birthday or party.  And even then, I am usually more inclined to make a tart, a pie, or some other completely off the wall dessert before I think of making a cake.  Let's just say it's not that high on my dessert-making list.  I can, however, get behind cookies.  Anytime, anywhere.  The versatility of a cookie is endless.  And there is something utterly delightful about the idea of a plate of cookies and cups of tea shared between friends.  I can definitely do that on a random Wednesday.

So I started hunting for other Matcha recipes.  It is now time for me to rather meekly admit (if you haven't already gathered) that I am very ingredient-driven in my cooking.  I either think of or come across some particular ingredient or other, and then spend an inordinate amount of time researching potential recipes in which to showcase that ingredient, thus subjecting my poor spouse to weeks of "apple tart, apple cake, apple challah, apple chutney...".  You get the drift.

So really, what choice did I have?  The concept of working with such a unique ingredient was fascinating, and besides, I got to play with tea.  I have to admit: I do not like coffee.  I am not particularly fond of caffeine-rich teas, either, unless they are mixed with spices or herbs.  But the idea of a green tea cookie was difficult to resist.  And surprisingly, there are a lot of green tea cookie recipes out there.

I finally settled on the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, which resembled a basic butter cookie with the addition of green tea powder.  Now I'm sure you are probably asking the same question I did: where the heck do you find green tea powder?  Per Deb's suggestion on Smitten, I first went to Whole Foods, and while they did have some, it was very expensive.  I had much better luck in a Japanese import store.  You may also have an easy time if you go to an actual tea shop, where you can purchase loose-leaf teas by the ounce.  However you track your green tea down, please make these and enjoy them on rainy (or sunny) day for me.

Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

Note that shortbread cookies are incredibly versatile.  If you are not particularly interested in green tea, you can eliminate it and flavor your cookies with cinnamon, nutmeg, or any other variety of flavors.

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar (if you want a slightly sweeter cookie, increase sugar by 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons unsweetened matcha green tea powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
turbinado (raw) sugar, for rolling

Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl.  In a large bowl, beat softened butter until smooth.  Add the almond extract, then all of the dry ingredients.  Mix on low speed until the dough is smooth and all of the flour is hydrated.  The dough will begin to form clumps and you will be able to form it into a ball.  Divide dough into two discs and form each into a long cylinder.  Flatten the edges of the cylinder to form a rectangle, about 10 inches long.  Pour about 1/4 cup of turbinado sugar onto a plate or onto a sheet of parchment paper.  Roll each rectangle in the sugar, gently pressing to get the sugar to stick.  Place both rectangles into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Remove dough from the fridge and slice into 1/6 inch slices.  Place cookies onto a cookie sheet, 1/2 inch apart, and bake 15-18 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown on the edges.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

There is nothing quite like walking into a house with the smell of freshly baking bread to greet you.  It envelopes you with this warm, safe, delicious smell that brings to mind images of your mom's flour covered hands and beautifully risen loaves sitting on the counter.  Well, it does for me at least.  When I was a little girl, the waiting was the hardest part.  I would wiggle impatiently.  I would often poke at the dough, willing it to rise faster.  (What can I say?  Baking bread is perhaps one of the more difficult kitchen activities for kids.)  It all seemed like waaaaayyyy too much work for that one loaf to come out, and then it would disappear so quickly.

In more recent years, I have come to love the process as much as the outcome.  I love watching such simple ingredients turn into such a beautiful, rustic product.  There is something cathartic about working the dough, watching it transition from a rough, irregular mass to a smooth, supple ball, and later into a beautifully browned loaf.

Sometime last year, I received the book Good to the Grain, and I am ashamed to say that, while I was excited about it, I didn't really look through it.  I absolutely love using whole grains, I just didn't have time.  After all, there are only so many recipes you can make in a year, and I had already gotten two five other recipe books.  Oops.

Just recently, I picked it up, and was delighted by the variety of grains used and the variety of recipes.  And while I already have a fabulous go-to whole wheat sandwich bread recipe, I am always compelled to at least try a new one.  And I was not disappointed.  This bread has both a wonderful crust and crumb, slices well, and has a wonderful flavor.  It is also incredibly easy, which makes it a great bread for a novice bread baker.  If you are nervous about making bread, this could be a wonderful place to start.

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Good to the Grain

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses (or eliminate molasses and add one additional tablespoon honey)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 cup rolled oats, plus more for sprinkling
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tablespoon sea salt

Add 2 cups of warm water, honey, molasses, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir, allowing yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes, until it begins to bubble.  To autolyse, measure the flour, oats, and butter into the bowl with the yeast mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Attach the bowl and the bread hook to the mixer, add the salt, and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes (alternately, knead by hand until the dough is soft, tacky, and supple, about fifteen minutes).  The dough should slap around the sides without sticking to them.  If the dough is sticking at any time during the mixing, add a teaspoon or two of bread flour until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

For the first rise, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead it a few times.  Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

To shape the dough, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.  Press down on the dough to work out any bubbles, and press the dough onto itself until it begins to spring back.  Pinch the seams together tightly, and place dough into a lightly oiled loaf pan (9x5x3 inches), pressing the dough down so as to fill the pan evenly.  For the second rise, cover the dough in a towel and allow to rise for 1 hour, or until the dough rises half again and puffs up barely or just over the edge of the pan.  While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

When the dough has completed its second rise, brush with water, and sprinkle with oats, if desired.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top crust is hard and sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a baking rack, preferably for a few hours.

Mint, Zucchini, and Rice Frittata with Feta

Most everyone I know has a go-to frittata or quiche recipe.  They use this recipe whenever they need a quick dinner or a nice, easy brunch with friends.  Frittatas manage to be incredibly simple while tasting delicious and looking classy.  They can be dressed up or dressed down, and they are the perfect platform for whatever leftovers you might have and need to use up.

Because of this, I rarely consult a recipe for a frittata, let alone buy specific ingredients to go in one.  But I saw this recipe and it really intrigued me.   I had never seen mint used so abundantly in a savory dish, and I was curious how the flavors would go together.  It turns out that they work incredibly well.

I was also intrigued by the unique textural qualities of this dish, and of course had lots of fun making zucchini ribbons with my vegetable slicer.  Let's face it - most of us are still kids at heart, and any opportunity to "play" in the kitchen is worth it.  Ok, well maybe that's just me, but nevertheless, I love using regular, somewhat boring vegetables and turning them into fun, wonky shapes.

I know, I know you don't want to go to the store to buy specific ingredients to go in a frittata, either.  But frankly, you should.  Just this once.  Every other time, I promise it can be an eclectic mix of unidentifiable leftovers, but this time, just try it.  I promise you'll be delightfully surprised.

After all, this particular frittata is light and delicate, yet satisfying in that "wow, I actually ate something that is good for me and tastes good, too" kind of way.  And it's a great go to item for that brunch you forgot about, or even a light dinner when you need something fast.  Oh, and did I mention that you get to show off your awesome vegetable peeling skills?

Mint, Zucchini, and Rice Frittata with Feta

Adapted from Sunday Suppers

1 cup cooked brown basmati rice

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3-4 small zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise (I use a vegetable peeler to create zucchini ribbons)

1 medium leek, sliced into thin medallions

1/2 bunch chopped mint

6 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon sea salt*

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup feta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a cast iron skillet saute zucchini and leeks in butter and oil until soft. Mix in the rice and mint.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper.  Pour over rice mixture. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Add crumbled feta on top.

Transfer into oven, bake 12-15 minutes, until firm to the touch and lightly browned on top.

*Reduce amount of sea salt if you are using a particularly salty Feta.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

 I love olive oil.  And while I know it rules in savory cooking, olive oil is often overlooked when the topic of sweet things arises.  But frankly, its fruity, deep flavor lends itself well to desserts, adding a complexity and sincerity to them that is lacking in other fat sources.  In fact, I often make an effort to seek out particularly strong olive oil with the goal of showcasing the flavor.

Delightfully, olive oil pairs beautifully with the bright acid of citrus fruits.  It seems to pair well with all of them.  So, if you were to search for an olive oil cake, you would find that most of them include some citrus, whether lemon, orange, or grapefruit.

Now, if you haven't ever tried an olive oil cake, I certainly hope you try this one.  They are unique and delicious, and go wonderfully with a nice cup of tea on a February afternoon.  This particular cake highlights Cara Cara oranges and Meyer lemons, both of which are overflowing at the Farmer's Markets right now.  

Unfortunately, I have to admit that not all olive oil cakes are made equal.  I have seen several recipes that call for an extremely large volume of olive oil and a huge amount of sugar.  I really enjoy this recipe because the cake is moist without being oily and sweet without cloying.

In fact, this cake stays delightfully moist for days, although I doubt that it will last that long.  You will make it Thursday, and you will be looking for another excuse to make it on Sunday.  It slices beautifully, and would make a great dessert after a luncheon or at a meeting.  It's also just a nice item to sit on your counter for every passerby who wants to grab a snack.  Whatever you make it for, you will enjoy it immensely.  I definitely see this recipe slipping into your regular rotation as if it has always been there, like an old friend.

Citrus Olive Oil Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

The original recipe was for a blood orange olive oil cake.  While delicious, olive oil pairs well with any kind of citrus, so feel free to use an equivalent amount of tangerines, navel oranges, or lemons.

2 cara-cara or navel oranges
1/4 cup juice from 2 Meyer lemons
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.  Grate zest from both oranges and place in bowl with sugar.  Using your fingers, rub sugar and zest together until evenly distributed.

Supreme both oranges: cut off top and bottom of the fruit, and cut pith off fruit by following the curve of the fruit.  Cut orange segments out of the connective membrane and break up segments into 1/4 inch pieces.  Set aside.

Halve Meyer lemons and juice them, until you get a 1/4 cup of juice.  Mix with 1/2 cup plain yogurt.  Add yogurt mixture to sugar mixture and whist until smooth.  Whisk in eggs and olive oil.

In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gently whisk flour mixture into liquid mixture.  Fold in orange segments.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 50-55 minutes, until golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean.  Let cook 5 minutes, invert cake, and let cool completely before serving.

English Muffins

I know it seems like I have fallen off the planet, but I'm here.  I promise.  It's just been an exceptionally busy couple of weeks.  I had the best intentions.  After all, English Muffins and Marmalade go together perfectly.  And then, one day turned into two twelve, and well, here we are.  But we don't have to worry too much.  After all, if you preserved your marmalade, then it is still perfectly good and you can enjoy it on a freshly toasted muffin.

Now I'm sure you're an English Muffin eater.  Of course you are.  After all, who could possible resist all of those delightful nooks and crannies?  But i'm guessing it has probably never occurred to you to make them.  If it has, well then you should probably stop reading this and go finish making your homemade cheeses or olive oil or whatever.  Otherwise, please follow me.  We have some English Muffins to make.

For me, this all started quite innocently.  In fact, I was simply checking out at the local Whole Foods and just happened to stumble across the Holiday Edition of Cook's Illustrated.  I have to admit: I have a very soft spot for these magazines.  I love the recipes, and I love the discussions about why they made changes.  On flipping through, I found it.  A recipe for English Muffins.  And I was thrilled.  And, oops, that magazine just wanted to come home with me so badly.  How can I possibly blame it for jumping into my basket?

As most of you know, I enjoy have an obsessive need to tweak recipes.  One idea tends to trigger another, and it becomes one big jumbled mess of flavors in my head.  In this recipe, though, I really didn't feel the need to tweak much of anything.  It is wonderful as is, and results in delightfully nooks-and-cranny filled muffins.

The only truly weird part about this recipe will be the fact that you cook the raw dough before baking it. Did any of you ever wonder how they get those muffins to be flat and perfectly browned on the outside?  Well, you are about to find out.  I do apologize though.  Because if you decide to try these, I would bet that you will have been ruined for store-bought English Muffins forever.

English Muffins
Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated Holiday Baking 2011

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup milk (while they call for whole milk, 2%/low-fat milk works just fine), room temperature
1/3 cup water, room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons honey
3 1/2 cups (19 1/4 ounces) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
cornmeal
vegetable oil or spray

If using a stand mixer:
Whisk milk, water, butter, and honey together in a large liquid measuring cup.  Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  With mixer on low speed, add liquid mixture and mix for 2 minutes.  Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add flour one teaspoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to the bottom.  Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand to form a smooth ball.  Transfer dough to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

If mixing by hand:
Whisk liquid ingredients together in a bowl.  In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.  Stir liquid mixture into dry mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until dough comes together in a shaggy ball.  Turn dough out onto a counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, 15-25 minutes, adding more flour as needed to develop a smooth, supple dough.  Transfer to a well oiled bowl and cover, allowing to rise until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

To make muffins:
Sprinkle cornmeal over a large baking sheet.  Turn dough onto a clean counter, and, using hands, stretch into an even 12-inch log.  Divide into 12 even pieces and cover.  Shape each piece into a smooth, taught roll and place onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Mist rolls with spray oil and cover loosely, allowing to rise until nearly doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes.

Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Gently press rolls flat, 3/4 inch thick with a metal spatula.  Dust muffin tops with cornmeal and cover.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat for two minutes.  Carefully lay four muffins in pan and cook until bottoms are darkly browned, 3-5 minutes, occasionally pressing gently on muffins to prevent doming.  Flip muffins, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook 2-4 minutes, until both sides are browned.  Transfer muffins immediately to a baking sheet in the oven and bake 10 minutes.  Repeat with remaining muffins.  Let cool on wire rack.  Split muffins with a fork and toast before serving.

Four Fruit Marmalade

So today, I'm here to talk to you about canning.  If you ask most anyone the one thing they are scared to make, the answer is often something like "pie crust" or "pizza dough" or perhaps even "a souffle".  If someone were to ask me that question, my answer would have emphatically been "canning".  It's not that I don't like the idea of canning.  In fact, the thought of canning is right up there with making wild-yeasted breads and handmade soap.  It's something I have always wanted to do.  It's one of those awesome home projects that's just shy of setting up bee hives and producing your own honey.  In a word?  Wonderful.

But with canning, I have always been afraid of, well, killing people.  You know, all that improper preserving and bacteria stuff.  I always felt like the kid staring in the window of the secret club I wasn't a part of.  And then, my Mom bought a home canning kit and it was all over for me.  I had to at least try...didn't I?  Living in California where citrus trees abound, and never knowing what to do with all of that fruit, this seemed like the perfect excuse to open the kit.

So, several days and many of hours of research later, it seemed like canning wasn't that difficult.  And that marmalade, with its high acid content, was actually a pretty food to begin with.  This was the moment -- the one where the little kid faces the monsters in the closet, ladle in hand.    

I have never been very good at staying afraid when it comes to food.  If I get an idea to make something, it's very likely that I will do so within a few days or risk thinking about making it until I do.  So there I was with jars, canning pot, rack, and fruit.  All that was left was to begin.  

So two days and one too many British women canning marmalade on YouTube later, I was done.  And I must say, even though there were a few moments of doubt (mostly surrounding when I had reached the gelling point), it was a lot of fun.  I had officially been let into the secret club.  

There is something very freeing about being on the other side of that window.  I know I still have a lot to learn about preserving, especially when Summer comes around, but it's nice to know that I now have the tools to do it.  So...beekeeping anyone?

Four Fruit Marmalade
Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Makes 6 half-pint jars (Note: the original recipe claims to make 8 half-pint jars, however, I got only 6)

1 1/2 pounds grapefruit
1 pound sweet oranges
8 ounces limes
8 ounces Meyer lemons
5 1/2 cups of sugar
6 cups of water

Day 1:

Remove peel with 1/8 inch of pith and thinly slice.  If you are handy with a knife, you can slice the peel off the fruit, however, a vegetable peeler works very well.  Combine the sliced peel with two cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes until the peel is softened.

In the meantime, juice half of the fruit and add it to a large pot.  Set aside any seeds.  With the remaining fruit, cut off the pith, cut fruit in half, and remove the center and seeds.  Chop pulp into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pot with juice.  Place seeds and pith on cheesecloth and tie together to form a bag.  Put the cheesecloth back, peels and water mixture, and four additional cups of in pot.  Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Day 2:

Add sugar to fruit mixture and boil rapidly, stirring often, until it reaches the gelling point, about one hour (around 220 degrees F).  At the same time, Heat water in a 21-quart canning pot (or other large stock pot) and sterilize jars, screw bands, and lids.

When the marmalade is ready skim off any foam and remove the cheesecloth bag containing the seeds and the pith.  Fill sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  For more detailed canning directions, click here.