Archive for the 'Breakfast' Category

Blueberry Muffins- The BEST, REALLY!

Published March 7, 2010 Breakfast , Desserts , Recipes Leave a Comment
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There are probably as many blueberry muffin recipes as there are….. people in this world to eat them! Everyone has their favorite, except me. That was until recently when I stumbled across a recipe for basic blueberry muffins in the King Arthur Flour baking cookbook.

Muffins have always been a challenge for me. Whenever I attempted them I would feel my heart start quickening, my palms would start sweating and I felt generally nervous. Odd I know, a simple little muffin, probably the first recipe taught in any junior high school home economics class. Maybe it was because my teacher, the one that first introduced me to the world of muffins made such a point about how the ingredients were mixed. The dry ingredients waiting in a bowl for “THE WELL”, that little hole that was dug out in the flour mixture to pour the wet ingredients into. Then there was the mixing, too much tough muffin, too little, flour chunks…..ugggg.

So over the years my muffins never turned out. Sometimes they were flat, other times they would rise up and over the tin. Seriously, it was some kind of war between me and the mix. No matter how I tried to prepare myself for the mix I never got it right, too much, too little.

So when I happened upon this recipe something caught my eye. It was a muffin revelation. Not once was I warned about over mixing. In fact the recipe called for  mixing, serious mix master mixing! I was in love! Finally a muffin that I could beat the hell out of and it would still be edible. This muffin is more than just edible, it is the best tasting blueberry muffin I have ever had. Sometimes I mix raspberries in instead, or cherries, chunks of bananas and chopped up walnuts. No matter what I do to it the muffins ALWAYS turn out perfectly.

(hint: I have found that if I freeze the berries for a short time I can mix them into the batter without squishing them. Works great!!)

Classic Blueberry Muffins

8 T. Butter (1 stick)

1 c. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 large eggs

2t. baking powder

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (I always use King Arthur)

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. fresh blueberries (or frozen)

2 t. sugar for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 375′F. Lightly grease or line with paper muffin cups a 12 muffin pan.

In a medium mixing bowl cream together until light the butter, sugar and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, beating (oh yea) well after each addition. Add the baking powder, then add the flour alternately with the milk, beating well after (oh yea yea) after each addition. Add the frozen blueberries to the batter then the vanilla.

Mound the batter into the muffin tim, filling each completely (even over the top the batter is so thick). Sprinkle with sugar if you would like and bake the muffins in the oven for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes then remove muffins from pan.

Honey-Preserved Clementines

Published January 24, 2010 Breakfast , Desserts , Recipes 5 Comments
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For some reason when I see clementines in the grocery store, that little song always creeps in my head, over and over again it plays in my mind until I finally shake it at the checkout line. “Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine…..”.  Those were the only lines I really knew,  until recently something prompted me to look up the ballad. Well, wish I hadn’t. Turns out the song was written about a bereaved lover singing about his darling, the daughter of a miner during the California Gold Rush. Clementine drowns in the river because her lover doesn’t save her,  he can’t swim. He consoles himself by kissing her little sister.

How I missed her! How I missed her,
How I missed my Clementine,
But I kissed her little sister,
I forgot my Clementine

Very comforting….. never will look at that little song the same way.

I came across this recipe for preserving clementines in Fine Cooking in December. What an intriguing way to keep these  fruits around. Clementines are a variety of mandarin oranges. They are almost always seedless and very easy to peel. Traditionally it is thought that they originated as an accidental hybrid, found by Father Clement Rodier at a garden at his orphanage in Misserghin, Algeria. Others claim their birth to be in China. Nowadays they are usually grown in Spain or Morocco,  California also has a short season between mid-November through January. 

Clementines contain antioxidants (limogene) which are molecules capable of slowing or preventing oxidation of other molecules within our bodies. When we eat food, oxidation takes place which turns the food into useful energy. A by-product of oxidation is the formation of free radical molecules. When these are released, they start chemical chain reactions that damage cells. Some free radicals are necessary for life such as killing bacteria, while others are thought to cause damage to our bodies. Many cancers are thought to be  the result of reactions between free radicals and DNA ( the genetic instructions that direct the development and functioning of all living creatures). Aging can also be attributed to free radical damage.

Antioxidants stop some of the chain reactions, thus helping stop some of the cell destruction within our bodies and thus possibly helping stop some cancers and premature aging.

These clementines are preserved in a syrup made from honey, sugar and spices. The syrup cures the fruit by drawing out the water and stopping the growth of harmful bacteria. The entire fruit is preserved and over time everything becomes edible, including the rind. These are really delicious stirred into plain yogurt, on top of vanilla ice cream, added to a slow cooking beef stew or even combining into frosting for your favorite chocolate cake.

Honey-preserved Clementine

Honey-Preserved Clementines

1 c. honey

1 c. sugar

5 whole cloves

2 green cardamom pods

1 4 inch cinnamon stick

1 1/2 lb. firm clementines (5-7), cut horizontally into 3/4 inch thick slices

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring 1 c. water and the honey, sugar, clovers, cardamom, and cinnamon stick to a boil over high heat.

Gently slip the clementine slices into the liquid without stirring (if any of the slices are mostly rind, place them rind down). Return the pot to boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover, and set aside overnight, at least 8 and up to 12 hours.

Spoon and gently pack the slices into a 1-quart canning jar. Bring the syrup in the saucepan back to a boil and keep boiling for 3 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the slices to cover, discard any excess syrup. Cool to room temperature. Seal and refrigerate for at least 1 week before using. The clementines will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Yeast-Raised Glazed Doughnuts

Published January 6, 2010 Breakfast , Desserts , Recipes Leave a Comment
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These are definitely not diet food. Is there anything like a warm, homemade doughnut first thing in the morning to get your day off to a great start? Some are sprinkled with powdered sugar, others dipped in vanilla glaze, and then there are the ones drizzled in chocolate. Oooo La Laaaaa! This recipe comes from King Arthur’s All-Purpose Baking Cookbook. So lucky to live close enough to this wonderful place, their baking shop is filled with wonderful cooking equipment and baked goods, and they hold cooking classes all month long.

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 c. sugar

2 1/4 t. instant yeast

3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur)

1 large egg

1 c. milk

2 T. butter, melted

1/2 t. vanilla extract

6 c. vegetable oil or shortening, for frying

Glaze

1/4 c. milk

2 c. confectioner’s sugar

1/4 t. vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, butter and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture, mix well to combine. Let dough rest for 5 minutes, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes by hand or mixer until you have a soft, smooth dough. Place the dough in buttered bowl, turn it over to grease the top and let rise, covered in a warm place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in bulk. After the rise I refrigerate the dough until the following morning or if your a early morning person you could get up and do all of this in one day.

Deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with a round cutter, or use a pizza wheel and cut into strips to make crullers. Place on lightly greased tray. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap, and let rise again for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

Place oil or shortening in a heavy pan or deep skillet and heat to 350′F. Place the doughnuts in the oil, two or three at a time, and fry until golden brown. Turn over and repeat on second side. This should be no more than one minute per side. Overcooking will make the doughnuts tough. Drain on paper towels.

To make the glaze stir the milk into the confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Add vanilla.

When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle but still nice a warm, dip the tops in the glaze or sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, or better yet drizzle with good quality chocolate!

Baked Eggs

Published December 31, 2009 Breakfast , Recipes 2 Comments
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A great start-Baked Eggs

The holidays are nearing the end along with 2009. For the first time I feel like the year couldn’t end soon enough. I’m not sure why I think 2010 holds more hope then the previous year. 2009 had some pretty hard sad times, but it had more times of great joy and laughter. My family is healthy and for the most part happy, we have a roof that no longer leaks, and I’ve been given much more time to pursue my photography. I began this blog with the 25 days of cookies. I ended up doing 15. Busy holiday times derailed my goal, but I am happy that I accomplished making and photographing the one’s I completed! My goal for this blog for 2010 is to cook and photograph as much as possible. My New Year’s Resolution: to breathe.

I hope you have enjoyed the ride so far. I end the year with a recipe for eggs. Seems fitting, the little egg that can become a glorious Pavlova covered in passion fruit and berries, or a failed , deflated souffle. It is what you make of it, just like this fresh new year ahead of us! Make it a great one, Happy New Year!

Eggs, the most perfect of foods. Great protein, high in vitamins and minerals and one medium size egg is only 78 calories (not counting the butter and other goodies we tend to add to them). Eggs are versatile, they can begin your day as a sunny side up and finish your night as a  spicy chorizo frittata. Having had a  bad rap over the years, if you remember anything in excess is unhealthy, your all set.

For me eggs are a sentimental meal. My mother would make me a soft cooked egg whenever I was under the weather. The yolk was always slightly runny, and she would cut toast into “fingers” for dipping it. Mom would place the egg in a pretty little “egg cup”, and I would sit there in my bed with a little tray on my lap, feeling like a little queen. This was the only time we were allowed to “mop” up our plate, a term my father would use (yell) whenever we were caught soaking up the last morsel of any meal with our bread.

This recipe for baked eggs is very easy, and much less messy then frying. You will need small bowls or ramekins that are oven safe. The recipe is an adaptation from Michel Roux’s cookbook “Eggs”, one of my favorite single food cookbooks.

Preheat oven 325′F

ingredients:

eggs (depending on the number your feeding)

small amount of butter

small sprinkle of salt

small sprinkle of pepper

1 T. cream (for each egg)

Brush or rub the inside of each ramekin with a small amount of butter. Leave the top 1/2 inch of the bowl, below the rim butter-less. Season the dish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Carefully crack the egg into a small dish and tip it gently into the ramekin. Repeat with each egg in individual ramekins.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of cream onto each egg white being careful not to get it on the yolk. Place the ramekins in a baking pan with sides, and carefully pour boiling water around the ramekins, about halfway up the outside the bowls. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how you like your eggs cooked. The egg white should be set, but the yolk should remain runny. Meanwhile toast your bread and butter it. Cut bread into “toast fingers”. Enjoy!

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