Category: Breakfast Eats

Breakfast foods you can have any time!
Maple & Olive Oil Granola

Maple & Olive Oil Granola

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My favorite granola recipe, Jule’s Granola was given to me by a friend also coworker, years ago.  She brought a bag to work one day, and being a granola hater, I passed on trying it. She offered again and added, “This ain’t your Quaker Oats guy in the funny hat-boxed granola”.  To appease her, I grabbed a handful, tossed it in my mouth, and BAM!  So good, crunchy, flavorful, filled with nuts and dried fruit, and sweetened with maple syrup. Nutty, buttery, sweet, chewy, crunchy-in a nutshell, damn delicious.  Instantly, I became a GRANOLA CONVERT.

I just wanted to include this photo of my Granola Queen. It’s a blast from the past: her beautiful wedding in Hawaii.

Go-To Granola

I immediately asked her for the recipe and since then I have cranked out batches of granola for family and friends.  Every Christmas we buy cute canning jars to fill with granola which we then gift.  Each person dutifully returns their jar for more granola next year.

Who Knew?

Very happy with Jule’s Granola recipe I never thought of trying another recipe until now.  The powers of social media strike again.  A notification on my phone titled “Genius Granola has a Cult Following” popped up.  This caught my eye.  I quickly scanned the recipe.  It called for olive oil, various seeds, pecans, coconut chips, maple syrup, and brown sugar.  I compared it to my gold-standard granola.  Hmm,  no dried fruit, definitely more seeds, less oats, more maple syrup and sugar.  The olive oil in place of veggie oil caught my eye.

Recipe Breakdown

Oatmeal- Use Old Fashioned not quick or instant.   I added an extra cup of oatmeal (comments on the original as being too sweet), plus the amount of sweeteners compared to my fav recipe was significantly more.

Olive Oil– I happened to have a bottle of vanilla olive oil, so I used it. Mild, floral, citrusy olive oils

Adds- Add whatever mix-ins you like.  I didn’t have sunflower seeds so I used almonds and sesame seeds so what the heck that’s what I added.  Coconut chips from TJ are preferred but you could use large coconut flakes.

Dried Fruit- I love sweet & tart dried fruits in my granola.  I added a blend of raisins, cranberries, and blueberries.  Leave it out, add some in…your choice. Pistachios and either apricots or dried cherries would be smashing.

Sweeteners- The recipe calls for a combination of maple syrup and light brown sugar.  There were quite a few comments about the granola being too sweet.  So do I decrease the sweeteners (which many did by omitting the brown sugar) or add more oatmeal?

Spices- Change the flavor profile by adding cinnamon or even cardamon. (start with 1 tsp of cinnamon) or a Chai tea spice.

Baking: The original recipe is on Food52  by Nekisia Davis of Early Bird. Directions say to spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. My advice is to divide the mixture in half and use two cookie sheets. The layer of granola in one pan is too thick and will not dry and crisp very well. You should still mix it every 10-15 minutes.

This granola is loose, not clumpy, and is perfect for ice cream or yogurt topping. Use it in Natasha Picowicz’s Nubby Granola Shortbread. If you like chunks of granola, make Jule’s Granola, which is still our family favorite (yes, we voted). This is a close second, though.

Now go and make a batch of my 2nd  favorite granola,

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5 from 1 vote

Olive Oil & Maple Granola

Homemade Granola with maple syrup and olive oil
Course Breakfast, Munchie, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword granola, maple syrup, oats, olive oil, pecans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats Original recipe calls for 3 cups
  • 1 1/4 cups raw pecans coarsely chopped, although I was lazy and left them as halves
  • 1 cup coconut chips or flakes (large)
  • 1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds sub slivered almonds

Sweeteners

  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

Optional

  • 1-2 cups dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, diced apricots, or dried cherries

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, syrup, oil, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt until well combined. Add optional spices if using.
  • Spread the mixture in an even layer split between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total, until the granola is toasted. Halfway through baking, rotate sheets from top to bottom and turn each back to front.
  • Remove the granola from the oven; season with salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving.
  • Add dried fruit, after granola cools. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Do Ahead: The granola can be made 1 month ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

Blue-tifulberry Muffins from Zoe Bakes

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I know, I know…I already have a few showstopper blueberry muffin recipes on 3Jamigos but I just found another one!  From Zoe Bakes, her Blueberry Muffin with Crumble Topping.  The crumble and a touch of lemon sets this muffin apart.  They’re delicious and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.  During blueberry season, which happens to be right now, I head to our farmer’s market to load up on the tiny blue orbs.  First, I eat some out of hand when I return from the market.  Then I save some for fruit salads or a favorite spinach salad with hazelnuts, and avocado dressed in a honey mustard vinaigrette.  A portion gets frozen to be enjoyed later in the year.  But ultimately, the berries end up in baked goodies- there’s Blueberry Boy Bait Cake, Blueberry Hand Pies, Blueberry Cornmeal Cobbler,  Blueberry Cornmeal Mochi Cake… I feel like Bubba Gump, you get the picture.  I’m blue without blueberries.  Search blueberries on 3jamigos.com and a plethora of recipes will pop up.

 Zoe of All Trades

If by chance you aren’t familiar with Zoe Francois, let me fangirl about her for a moment.  Zoe is based out of Minneapolis.  She started in a different career but ultimately pivoted to food, working as a pastry chef and co-writing cookbooks.  Her easy, friendly, personable style , million-dollar smile and great dessert recipes have given rise to cookbooks, videos, and a TV show.  I love her show, which is filled with great tips, techniques, and ideas.  It also highlights the folks and local businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  I have a soft spot for the Twin Cities having visited often (even in the winter) when Jamie lived there.  Her book, Zoe Bakes, sits on my frequent flyer bookshelf on my island and I can’t wait until her next book, Zoe’s Cookies, comes out in September.

How the Muffin Crumbles

As much as I love Hummingbird High’s Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins, my family is crumble-crazy.  There was never a question if we would make Zoe’s muffins, the question was when.  With blueberry season in full swing, the time was now.  I brought home a quart of blueberries from my favorite purveyor, Triple Delight, and set upon making these muffins.

Make the crumble first as it needs to chill a bit, toss it in the fridge while making the batter.  The crumble is a little on the sweet side, maybe I’ll add nuts next time and a pinch of salt. It’s a classic crumble topping, butter, and brown sugar with a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Work the butter in with a pastry blender or your fingers, it should look like coarse lumpy sand.  Stash it in the fridge.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and yolk along with the vanilla and combine well.  It may look slightly curdled but will smooth out after adding the dry ingredients.  Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times during the process.  It makes a difference.

Add flour mixture with sour cream or buttermilk in two portions.  Do not overmix.  The batter will be fairly thick and stiff.   Finally, fold the blueberries into the batter by hand to avoid crushing the berries.

I love these tulip-shaped muffin tin liners but traditional cupcake papers will work too. Use an ice cream scoop (#20) to portion the batter into a muffin tin.  Sprinkle the chilled crumble equally over the batter.

Bake the muffins until golden brown on the edges.  The middle will be lighter than the edges.  Remove from oven, serve warm.  Enjoy!

While blueberries are in season make these muffins.  They can also be made with frozen blueberries.  Do not thaw, fold the frozen berries into the batter.

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Blueberry Muffins

A tender, fine crumb muffin studded with sweet blueberries and topped with a buttery crumble topping. Perfection from Zoe Bakes
Course Breakfast, Muffins, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, Blueberry Muffins, muffins, streusel, zoe bakes
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

Topping

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour bleached or unbleached will work 60g
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar well packed 125g
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 57g

Muffins

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups spoon and sweep 240g all-purpose flour (bleached or unbleached)* Use 210gm if using KA flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/8 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt

Cream Mixture

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature 86g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150g
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar 30g
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 whole egg room temperature
  • 1 yolk room temperature

Liquid Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sour cream or buttermilk crème fraîche or yogurt work too! 135g
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries** 175g
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare the topping by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl until it turns into uniform clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Prepare regular muffin tins with 7 LARGE liners. (You can bake regular sized muffins by dividing it into 12)
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside.
  • Cream the butter, sugars and zest together on medium speed, in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Add the egg and yolk, one at a time, mixing on low just until combined. It may seem a bit curdled, because it is a lot of liquid to add to that amount of butter. It will all come together in the end.
  • Add half the flour and half the sour cream. Mix on low until combined. Add the remaining flour and sour cream.
  • Toss the blueberries with flour and if using frozen berries immediately fold them into the batter with two or three gentle stirs. If you over mix, the batter will turn purple and then gray. Scoop into the muffin liners.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the muffins. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a tester comes out with moist, but not wet, crumbs. If you are baking smaller muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

*If you use King Arthur Baking all-purpose flour, your muffins will not be as soft and fluffy, because it has more protein, so use a few tablespoons less.**If you use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen until the last minute.
These muffins can be frozen. Thaw them out and reheat in a warm oven for about 10 minutes to serve.
Vietnamese Meatballs In Tomato Sauce (Xiu Mai)

Vietnamese Meatballs In Tomato Sauce (Xiu Mai)

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Before tomato season ends give this dish, Vietnamese Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, a try. I came across this dish on IG.  It looked scrumptious, and I’m a sucker for meatballs and fresh tomato sauce.

I did a bit of sleuthing and found that this dish is frequently served for breakfast.  Delicious, tender, succulent meatballs in a light, flavorful sweet, tomato sauce, a couple of slices of a baguette on the side to dip into the sauce-yum.  What a way to start your day.

You’ll also find these meatballs in Banh Mi, the Vietnamese version of a meatball sub-sammie.  The bread for a banh mi is a revelation. Incredibly light and fluffy with a thin crisp exterior, a riff by the Vietnamese to suit their taste.  The meatballs nestled in the roll are tender and the sauce is briny, sweet, and flavorful.  To finish, pile pickled radishes, carrots, and a garnish of cilantro, jalapenos, and cucumbers on top of the meatballs.  My kinda sammie!

Meatball Tips

I looked at quite a few recipes and a couple of things stood out.  Steaming the meatballs ensures a tender meatball.  Baking or frying them would work but the meatball won’t be as tender or moist.  The texture is much like Chinese steamed dumplings.  Instead of steaming, gently poach the meatballs in the accompanying tomato sauce. This infuses the tomato flavor into the meat, keeps the meatballs tender, and eliminates the steaming step.

I use pork, the traditional protein source, but I think ground chicken or turkey would work quite nicely in place of the pork.  Use dark meat though, the higher fat content keeps the meatballs moist and tender.

The recipe calls for fresh jicama.  No jicama?  I reach into my pantry for canned water chestnuts which work admirably.  It provides a delightful bit of crunch.  Rinse and drain the water chesnuts and then finely chop.

Try not to overmix the meatball mixture.  Mixing too much causes the protein in the meat to bind and contract leading to tough meatballs, a no-no.  Gently mix just to combine the ingredients evenly and stop.  Use your handy dandy ice cream scoop to portion out each meatball.  Easy peasy.

Sauce Tips

Make the sauce with fresh tomatoes (now, before tomato season ends). To enjoy this year around, make a big batch of sauce and freeze it for later.  A taste of summer in the middle of winter is always a good thing.

This is a very quick tomato sauce, for a chunkier sauce, cook the sauce for less time so the tomatoes don’t break down as much.  Use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.  You can also use stock in place of water for more flavor, or add chicken powder (Asian secret weapon in boosting flavor) if using water.

Banh Mi Me

These meatballs and sauce are ah-mazing in Banh Mi, the Vietnamese version of a sub sandwich.  A crispy light French roll filled with meatballs topped with not only the sauce but pickled radishes and carrots, cucumber slices, and herbs. This is my dream sammie, directions for the fixings for Banh Mi are here, just sub the meatballs for the chicken.  Delish.

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Vietnamese Meatballs (Xiu Mai)

Delicious tender meatballs poached in a sweet tomato sauce. Comes together easily, for breakfast or dinner with sliced baguette, or as a delicious filling for a meatball bahn mi
Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine Vietnamese
Keyword 3jamigos.com, meatballs, Vietnamese, xiu mai
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 4 oz jicama (1 cup) finely diced, substitute water chesnuts 1-5 ounce can, drained and finely diced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced, keep the white and green parts separate. Can substitute finely minced shallots 1 large or two small for the meatballs
  • 1 lb ground pork not too lean 80/20 is perfect
  • 1 tsp garlic minced

Seasonings

  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce I use 3 Crabs, Red Boat is a bit more concentrated, would also work well
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp chicken powder optional
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce

  • 2 lbs or 4 medium tomatoes I prefer fresh tomatoes, if tomatoes are particularly juicy, reduce water to 1 cup
  • 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups water can use low-sodium chicken broth in place of water
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Thickener

  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 2 tsp water

Garnish

  • Green onions, the reserved thinly sliced green parts from the meatballs
  • Cilanto, loosely chopped optional
  • Fresh red chili peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced optional

Instructions

The Meatballs:

  • Remove the jicama skin using a vegetable peeler. Finely dice the jicama.
  • Cut off the white (root) portion of the green onions and finely chop. Chop the green onion stems. Transfer the green onion stems into a small bowl and set aside for later.
  • In a medium bowl, add the ground pork, jicama, green onion (white) root, garlic, fish sauce, cornstarch, and black pepper. Mix together by hand combining all of the ingredients well. Mix in one direction. Combine just until everything sticks together. Avoid over-working the meat mixture as this will make the meatballs tough.
  • Using an ice cream scoop (#40 ~2 T) scoop out some of the meat mixture and transfer to a large plate. Continue making small mounds until all the meat mixture is used. Wet your palms with water to prevent sticking. Gently roll each of the mounds into a ball. ( I use a #40 ice cream scoop to portion out meatballs and then roll each by hand into a ball).

The Sauce:

  • Chop the tomatoes.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add vegetable oil then add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Saute for 15-20 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir together. Add the sugar, fish sauce, and water. Stir together combining the ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes.

Cook the Meatballs

  • Make room in the center of the skillet by pushing the tomatoes to the side. Gently transfer the meatballs into the sauce. Cover and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, rotate the meatballs and cook for another 5 minutes. For a thicker sauce, leave uncovered after adding meatballs.
  • Mix the cornstarch and water until smooth and add to the sauce. Stir gently to allow sauce to thicken. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Grind ground black pepper.
  • To serve, transfer a few meatballs into a small bowl along with a generous amount of tomato sauce. Top with the chopped green onions. I like garnishing with chopped cilantro and sliced fresh chili peppers. Enjoy these scrumptious Vietnamese Meatballs with crusty bread.
Blueberry Muffins-Humming a New Tune

Blueberry Muffins-Humming a New Tune

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My first stop at the farmers market is the blueberry stand.  I love those little blue gems and find myself adding them to salads, eating them out of hand, and feeding them to Moose (Jamie’s dog, not actual moose).  But my favorite thing?  Baking blueberry pastries like snacking cakes, hand pies, cobblers, and of course, MUFFINS!  A couple of weeks ago I made Smitten Kitchen’s Blueberry Muffins, easy and pretty darn tasty BUT I just found another recipe and it might just beat out SK’s (sorry Deb).  From Michelle Lopez’s blog, Hummingbird High, her version of Levain Bakery’s Blueberry Muffins.  Bursting with blueberries, tender, and a bit cakier in texture,  with a fine crumb texture and a fantastic crunchy top.

If her version of Levain Bakery’s Blueberry Muffin is any indication of the scrumptiousness of Levain Bakery’s pastries-I am making a beeline there when I am in New York (which will be soon since I now have a kid living there-oh happy day).  I hear they have a decent Chocolate Chip Cookie too, lol.  This muffin is so good it prompted me to pull out her cookbook (of course I have it-Silly), Weeknight Baking.  Her recipes are easy to follow and she provides detailed info, even a novice baker will be successful.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Pros and Cons

The Smitten Kitchen muffin gets the nod for quick and easy.  Melt butter and stir all the ingredients together.  How simple is that?  While good right after they come out of the oven, they tend to fall off the scrumptious curve quickly.  SK’s suggestion is to split, toast, and butter day-old muffins, I agree.

The batter is not as stiff or thick as SK’s batter but dense enough so the blueberries do not sink to the bottom.

Her homage to Levain Bakery’s muffin is delicious.  The muffins are moist, bursting with blueberries, and tender, thanks to the addition of almond flour.  The top is crunchy from the generous sprinkling of sugar which is crunchier if you use raw sugar.  With crispy edges and a classic pointy dome, it is an impressive muffin.  But, it is a bit more work than the SK version.  Butter is creamed with sugar and the batter should rest an hour before baking.  So if you are looking for a freshly baked morning treat..get up early for this blueberry bad boy.  The cake part of the muffin holds up well but the top loses its crunch after a day.  I use paper liners because…well, I’m lazy.  The original recipe does not use paper and notes that it changes the outside texture.  What are ya gonna do? 🤷🏻‍♀️

I’m keeping both muffin recipes in my repertoire, a quick fix muffin and the out-to-impress late-morning Sunday Brunch muffin. After all, you should always be prepared!  Make either of these recipes, they are guaranteed to chase away the blues-berries.

Mine did not have the super domed peak but that may be because I did not fill the muffin tin as much as Hummingbird High’s.  I ended up with 11 muffins.  Fill for 9 to get the domed top.  But they’re still “purdy” and tasty.

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Levain Bakery Blueberry Muffins

From Hummingbird High, fabulous blueberry muffins, her take on NYC's Levain Bakery
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Blueberry Muffins, Hummingbird High, Levain Bakery
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 9 ounces or 255 grams
  • ½ cup almond meal or almond flour 1.75 ounces or 50 grams
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature 4 ounces or 113 grams
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 7 ounces or 198 grams
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 4 ounces or 113 grams
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries, at room temperature 13 ounces or 369 grams
  • For the Garnish
  • 9 teaspoons granulated sugar If you want more crunch use raw or turbinado sugar

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a small liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and the vanilla. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium-high until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one is fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
  • With the mixer still on low, add the dry ingredients in three equal parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in two parts. Start & end with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined, then scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more then beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.
  • Take ½ cup of the blueberries and crush them with your hands so they are juicy; add to the batter and increase the mixer speed to high for 5 to 10 seconds to break up the berries to release their juices a bit more.
  • Reduce the mixer to low and add the rest of the berries, mixing until incorporated evenly throughout the batter, another 30 seconds.
  • Rest the batter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  • While the batter is resting, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400℉ using the convect setting (if possible).
  • Prepare two muffin tins by spraying the inside and border of every other cavity in the muffin tin generously with cooking spray. I have USA pans that are non-stick, so I didn't to spray and the muffins were easy t remove.
  • Use a 1-Tablespoon or 3-Tablespoon cookie dough scoop to fill each sprayed cavity with 6 tablespoons of the batter. It will be a ot of batter in each. The first muffin tin will have six cavities filled, whereas the second muffin will have three cavities filled.
  • For the second muffin tin, pour water into every other cavity to mimic the placement of the batter in the first muffin tin. Sprinkle the top of each cavity, aiming for the batter and avoiding the pan, with 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar each. Don't skimp! It helps the top form.
  • Bake each muffin tin for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the muffins are domed and golden brown around the edges. A skewer inserted into the center of a muffin should come out with a few crumbs attached.
  • Cool the muffins in their muffin tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then use an offset spatula to run underneath the edges of the blueberry muffin tops to prevent them from sticking in the pan. Be careful to just run the offset spatula under the edges—you don't want to accidentally cut into the muffin bottom and decapitate the muffin from its top!
  • After unsticking the muffin tops, keep cooling the muffins in the tins completely to room temperature. DO NOT TRY AND TURN THE MUFFINS OUT WHILE THEY ARE STILL WARM. Because these muffins are so top-heavy, you'll run the risk of accidentally pulling the tops and bottoms apart if the cake is still warm! Wait until they are cooled completely before turning them out of the pan. Run the offset spatula underneath each muffin top once more and gently tilt the muffin upwards to turn it out of the pan.
  • Serve and store. Serve at room temperature. The muffins are best on the day that they're made, but can be individually wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Smittened by Blueberry Muffins

Smittened by Blueberry Muffins

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The last few weeks our favorite blueberry vendor has been at the local farmer’s market.  These sweet, plump, juicy nuggets have made their way into salads, breakfast yogurt with granola, or popped straight into my mouth like candy.  My bounty of blueberries had me delving into the archives for blueberry recipes. Favorites like Blueberry Hand Pies,  Blueberry Boy Bait Cake, Cornbread Cake with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze (delish), and Vivian Howard’s decadent  Blueberry Cobbler with a Cornmeal-Sugar Cookie Crust will definitely make an appearance this summer.

This past Sunday was their last day for the season so I went crazy and bought a boatload of berries.  I got home and thought, I have quite a few blueberry recipes but not one for blueberry muffins!  What’s with that?  As if reading my mind, what should pop up on Instagram? Smitten Kitchen’s Perfect Blueberry Muffins.  Yep, perfect timing.

Berry Easy and Berry Delicious

Smitten Kitchen’s Blueberry muffins are quick, easy to make, and berry-licious.  The recipe starts with melted butter, no creaming of butter and sugar.   This is one-bowl baking territory.  Add sugar, sour cream, egg, and lemon zest to the melted butter and whisk to combine.  I also add a touch of vanilla extract to the wet ingredients. Cause that’s how I roll.  Next, add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the mixture, and stir to combine. Finally, fold in the flour and blueberries.  Reserve some of the berries to stick on top of the batter after you have filled the muffin tin.  The berries on top highlight the muffin, just a nice visual.

The batter is fairly stiff, like a soft dough.  This helps keep the blueberries from sinking, genius.  Sprinkle the muffin batter with raw sugar or the crumb topping before baking.  The raw sugar topping adds some sweetness and a whole lot of crunchiness to the muffins while the crumb topping is sweet and buttery with a hint of cinnamon and a softer texture.  My family is in the crumble camp, both add a nice finish to the muffins.

That’s how the muffin crumbles…

Blueberries are definitely freezer-friendly.  Extra berries can be tossed into storage containers or Ziploc bags and stored in the freezer for approximately 10 months (this according to the National Blueberry Council, lol) Ahh blueberries in the off-season, life is good, berries any time of the year.

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Blueberry Muffins

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Muffins
Cuisine American
Keyword Blueberry Muffins
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 9 muffins

Ingredients

Dough

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 70 grams
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams
  • Finely grated zest from 1/2 a lemon or orange would be good too
  • 3/4 cup sour cream or full fat yogurt but Sour Cream is preferred
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 7 grams
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 195 grams
  • 1 1/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to defrost) SK recommends 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cup of berries. I think 1-1/4 cups is plenty. Reserve some berries to add to the top of the batter after filling the muffin tin.
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar in the raw sugar

Crumb topping:

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar or brown sugar I like to do half and half
  • 2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
  • 1 tablespoon chopped nuts optional

Instructions

For the Muffins:

  • Heat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray.
  • Melt butter in the bottom of a large bowl and whisk in sugar, zest, sour cream or yogurt, and egg, until smooth and vanilla if using. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda and, salt until fully combined, then lightly fold in flour and berries. Batter will be very thick, like cookie dough.
  • Divide between prepared muffin cups, press a couple of the reserved blueberries into the top of the batter, and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar, which will seem over-the-top but will be the perfect crunchy top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then the rest of the way on a rack.

For the Crumb Topping: (optional)

  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add cinnamon, if desired. Slowly drizzle the butter into the bowl while stirring the crumbs with a fork. I like to start with 1.5-2 Tablespoons and add more as needed until the crumbs form. Do not over-mix (you do not want this to become like a dough).
  • Place in freezer while making muffins remove from freezer and break it up using Sprinkle across muffins, quick breads, or pie.
Another Biscuit? SWEET!!!

Another Biscuit? SWEET!!!

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Bleary-eyed, I arrived home at 6:15 AM after dropping off Jamie at the airport at 5 AM.  I actually live only 10 minutes from the airport.  Are you wondering is California traffic that bad?  A protracted goodbye with the kid? A flat tire?

NOPE

Being very nice, enabling parents, we offered to drop her off for her flight and return the rental car.  The plan went smoothly, I dropped her off curbside and headed to the car rental lot to pick up the Hubster.  As soon as I entered the return lot a voice in my sleep-deprived brain said…hmmm, is this a good idea?  Apparently not.  The parking guys that man the exit booth do not arrive until 6 AM.  I guess it stands to reason if you are dropping off a rental car, you are probably catching a flight. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️. So we sat in the car for 50 minutes, the Hubster occasionally looking over at me and shaking his head while playing Spelling Bee.  I ignored him.

By the time we got home, I was wide awake.  I might as well bake, I deserve a morning treat (ok, not really).  A recent article by my fav NYT cooking columnist, Eric Kim, highlighted (glowingly) the Buttermilk Sugar Biscuits from Tandem Coffee + Bakery in Portland, Maine.  I LOVE biscuits and a recommendation from Eric…turn on the oven now, please.

These biscuits are sweeter than most biscuits.  They have a crunchy exterior due to the high sugar content and yet are still flaky and tender inside.  This makes them sturdy enough for biscuit sandwiches, think ham or fried chicken.

First, grate cold butter and lightly blend it with flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  This eliminates cutting the butter into the flour step.  By grating the butter you have strands of butter that help create those flaky layers.

Let’s Skip to the Good Part

Pour the crumbly mass of butter and flour onto your counter. Take out your bench scraper and push your dough mass together and gently press down to compress, you want to roll or pat the dough into a rectangle.

Fold one half over on top of the other half using the bench scraper, gather the escaped bits, and press them into the dough. Then roll the dough out again into a rectangle.  Repeat the process a total of 5 times, rotating your dough ninety degrees each time.  The dough will come together and be less crumbly.  This is the process of lamination, creating layers of butter and flour in pursuit of flakiness.

With the last fold, shape the dough into a square.  Use your bench scraper to cut the dough in thirds both lengthwise and crosswise yielding 9 squares.  Cut straight down without sawing through the dough.  Sawing would smoosh the layers creating an uneven rise while baking.

Next time I will trim the outside of the dough to help with an even rise.

Flaky, crispy, buttery, and sweet. Brush the biscuits with butter and sprinkle them with Maldon salt or any coarse finishing salt you like to highlight the sweet-salty vibe.  Enjoy!

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Buttermilk Sugar Biscuits

Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter 227 grams
  • 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour 425 grams plus more for rolling
  • ½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or 1¾ teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1¼ cups cold buttermilk 300 grams
  • Melted butter and flaky sea salt both optional, for finishing

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
  • Coarsely grate the butter onto a plate, then freeze until cold and hard, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  • Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Using a spoon, toss together until all of the butter is coated with flour.
  • Add half the buttermilk and toss with the spoon. When incorporated, add the rest of the buttermilk and gently toss again, without mashing together or overmixing, until the dry ingredients are lightly hydrated throughout. The mixture will be crumbly.
  • Flour a clean surface and dump the mixture directly onto it. Using your hands, gently press the crumbs together and then use a floured rolling pin to roll the mass gently but firmly into a 1-inch-thick rectangle.
  • Fold the dough in half: Using a bench scraper, lift the top half off the surface and fold it over the bottom half. This step may be crumbly and messy at first, but just go for it and fold what you can down from the top. Repeat this roll-and-fold motion 5 times, flouring the surface and dough as needed and using the bench scraper to straighten the edges as
  • Build the final layer: Fold the dough in half one last time, then roll to about 1½ inches thick to create a 6-inch square, using the bench scraper to straighten out the edges.
  • Using the bench scraper or a sharp knife, cut straight down into
  • the square to create a 3-by-3 grid of 9 squares, then place them on your sheet pan, upside down if you’d like taller biscuits.
  • Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until risen, golden brown on top, and slightly pale on the sides.
  • Don’t worry if a couple of the biscuits tip over or if melted butter pools underneath. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using
Corned Beef & Cabbage (Let’s Hash It Out)

Corned Beef & Cabbage (Let’s Hash It Out)

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I feel if I am going to eat a meal that is associated with a holiday I ought to learn a little bit about that particular holiday and its significance to the culture or country of origin.  The extent of my knowledge regarding St. Patty’s Day is corned beef and cabbage.

So Friday as I was pulling my corned beef out of the fridge, I googled St. Patrick’s Day.  In a nutshell, Patrick, before he became a saint, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.  St. Patrick’s Day is the day of his death.  A folktale credits him with driving the snakes out of Ireland, symbolism for pagan religions as there are no snakes in Ireland.

Corned Beef and Cabbage is not the chosen celebratory meal in Ireland but rather came about here in America.  Corned beef and cabbage were both relatively cheap and out of necessity became the meal of choice for the poor Irish immigrants striving to make a new life here.  In Ireland, you are more likely to have Irish Stew and Soda Bread.

Shortcut Corned Beef

I will admit, I make this once a year.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Corned Beef, I just don’t make it at home…except on Saint Patty’s Day.  As a kid, my favorite breakfast was Corned Beef Hash by Mary’s Kitchen.  Yep, hash out of a can, I thought it was delicious.

Two things I did differently this year.  On a whim, I splurged on Wagyu Corned Beef Brisket from Costco.  Second, we pulled out the Instant Pot.  With two unknowns it’s hard to know if the Waygu or the IP was responsible for just how delicious the corned beef came out.  It was tender, moist, and delicious.  A variety of recipes found online served as my guide with a shout-out to Simply Recipes.

  • Various recipes I looked at called for a 2.5-pound chunk of corned beef. I don’t know about you, but after cooking,  it shrinks quite a bit and that wouldn’t be enough, not in my family at least. There would be little left for my fav breakfast hash (not acceptable in my book).  The piece I bought was 4 pounds and fit nicely in my 6-quart Instant Pot.  This was enough for dinner, the next day’s lunch, and a generous skillet of hash for that leisurely weekend breakfast.
  • Rinse corned beef thoroughly before placing it in the pressure cooker, helps keep the salt at bay.
  • Place the corned beef on the metal trivet that comes with the Instant Pot, makes it much easier to lift out when it is done.
  • Add 1 quartered yellow onion and a couple of cloves of garlic to the pot.  Sprinkle the seasoning packet that comes with the corned beef and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar on the surface of the meat.
  • Add 4 cups of liquid to the pot.  It may not completely cover the meat, and that’s okay.  The liquid can be all water, water, and beef stock 1:1, or a can of stout and water.  The Wagyu beef was on the salty side.  So be careful with the stock, use low sodium or homemade.

Let’s Get to the Easy Part

Seal your Instant Pot and set it to high pressure for 85 minutes and go relax, but tell everyone you are making dinner, they’ll never know.

Once the cycle is complete, turn off the Instant Pot and allow the corned beef to natural-release for 15 minutes before taking it out.  If it has not completely depressurized, vent the pot before taking off the lid.  Add your potatoes, carrots, and cabbage (that you prepped while it was cooking, oops, forgot to mention).  Place potatoes and carrots into the pot first, then the cabbage on top. Seal the pot and set a timer for 5 minutes.  Quick release when it is done.

Slice corned beef against the grain.  Serve with honey mustard and veggies on the side or if you are like the Hubster, make a sandwich…yum.  Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

But What About Breakfast?

I like corned beef, I LOVE corned beef hash.  The remaining corned beef became Sunday breakfast.  I pulled out my cast iron skillet, the remaining beef and potatoes, chopped some onion and bell pepper, bada-bing-bada-boom, hash.

Feel free to add other vegetables or change the proportions.  This can easily be a veggie-focused hash, more potatoes, throw in the leftover cabbage, add some mushrooms…it will be delightful and perfect for a weekend relaxing breakfast.

Beautiful board made by 3jamigos woodworking.

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Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

What to do with leftover corned beef? Hash of course!
Course Breakfast, Brunch, lunch
Cuisine American, Irish-American
Keyword cabbage, Corned beef, corned beef hash, potatoes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1/4 green or red bell pepper or pepper of choice!, chopped
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked corned beef finely diced or chopped
  • 2 to 3 cups chopped cooked potatoes from dinner 🙂
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped fresh parsley or scallions
  • Eggs one per serving

Instructions

  • Heat butter in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook a few minutes, until translucent.
  • Add corned beef and potatoes. Spread out evenly over the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and press down on the mixture with a heat-proof spatula.
  • Do not stir the potatoes and corned beef, but let them brown. If you hear it sizzling, that's a good sign.
  • Use a spatula to peek underneath and see if they are browning. If nicely browned, use the spatula to flip sections over in the pan so that they brown on the other side. Press down again with the spatula.
  • If there is too much sticking, you can add a little more butter to the pan. Continue to cook in this manner until the potatoes and the corned beef are nicely browned.

Egg-a-licious: Your choice, hash is good with eggs cooked any style

  • Or cook eggs like Shashuka. When hash is close to being done, create depressions in the hash and crack an egg into each spot. Cover skillet for a couple minutes until egg is cooked to your liking.
  • Remove from heat, top with chopped parsley or scallions. Season with freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
“Drop” Everything & Make This Biscuit Berry Cobbler

“Drop” Everything & Make This Biscuit Berry Cobbler

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Are you like me? Our farmer’s market in the summer is like a candy store and I’m the kid in it, running around and grabbing baskets of berries, peaches and whatever looks delish.  The past few weeks I’ve come home with way too much fruit for the hubs and me.  Thankfully, Dorie Greenspan came to my rescue with a recipe for a  Drop-Biscuit Peach Blueberry Cobbler.  It is so good and so easy, I have made this more times than I can count this summer.

Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble…explained

I LOVE pies…but even I have to admit, when I want an easy dessert, pies do not come to mind.  Enter the 3 Cs, cobbler, crisp and crumble, easy, homey and delicious.

First, a cobbler is your choice of fruit baked with a biscuit topping.  Second, a Crisp is fruit covered with a streusel topping that contains butter, flour, sugar, and oats.  You can find me making Apple Crisps in the fall to chase away the summer is over blues.  A crumble is the English version of a crisp and does not usually have oats in the streusel. But it can, as in this Strawberry Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble that I adore!  Finally, from Vivian Howard of  A Chef’s Life, her  Blueberry Cobbler with a Cornmeal-Sugar Cookie Crust is so amazing and worth the calories.

So, get thee to a Farmer’s Market now.

Dorie’s original recipe calls for peaches and blueberries. I’ve used all berries, berries plus peaches, nectarines, and mangoes-it’s all scrumptious.  Berries and fruits with a lot of moisture will need cornstarch to thicken the juices.  Adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit (and to your taste of course).  Add lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest, for a refreshing citrus zing.

Biscuits Until I Drop

The biscuit dough is essentially a cream biscuit and comes together in a snap, no butter to mess with!).  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir in the buttermilk and heavy cream.  The fat in the heavy whipping cream stands in for butter.  Mix just until combined without any dry spots, try not to overmix.  The dough will be wet and loose. Use a large ice cream or cookie scoop (about 2-3 T) to drop the dough onto the fruit.  Leave a bit of space between dough scoops (aesthetics).

Bake until the crust is a nice golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.  The biscuits will be tender, light, and cakey, the perfect foil for the delicious fruit compote underneath.

Spoon out warm, just baked wedges into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  It doesn’t get much better than this although my family would beg to differ.  They actually like it straight out of the fridge the next morning.  The biscuit has had time to absorb some of the lovely juices, the fruit has a toothier bite.  It’s all good in my book.  Let me know if you like this cobbler straight out of the oven or fridge!

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Drop Biscuit Berry Cobbler from Dorie

A quick, easy and DELICIOUS Cobbler perfect for the summer fruit season! Berries, mangoes, peaches, or nectarines all work beautifully in this summer dessert. Thanks Dorie!
Course Berries, Biscuits and scones, Cobbler, Dessert, Stone fruit
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, cobbler, Cream Scones with peaches, drop biscuits, strawberries, summer fruits
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

Da Fruit- Use whatever fruit you like! You will need 6 cups of cut fruit.

  • 3 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled or not, your choice. about 1 1/2 kg
  • 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste 50 grams
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, and zest of 1/2 -1 lemon Zest is optional but I love the flavor zest imparts
  • 1 cup blueberries 150 grams
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch and up to 1-2 tablespoons for juicy fruit

Biscuit Top

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 204 grams
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt reg table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream 240 ml
  • 1/2 cup cold buttermilk (shake well before measuring) 120 ml
  • Ice cream or whipped cream for serving (optional, although in my universe this is not optional)

Instructions

  • Center rack in oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and put it on the baking sheet.
  • If you want peeled peaches, cut a shallow X in the base of each peach. Blanching makes peaches very easy to peel. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the peaches a few at a time, leave for about 15 seconds, lift out and transfer to a bowl filled with very cold water and ice cubes. Leave for a couple of minutes, then drain and peel.
  • Cut the peaches into bite-sized chunks or slices and toss them into the pie plate. Taste and decide how much sugar you want and then, if you’d like, add some lemon juice. Add the blueberries and then make a decision about the cornstarch: It’s only a tiny bit, but it will thicken the juices a little. If your peaches are very ripe, I’d add it. Give everything a good stir and set aside.
  • To make the biscuit topping: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the cream and buttermilk. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and, using a table fork, stir until the flour is evenly dampened and you’ve got a moist batter.
  • Using a medium (1 1/2-tablespoon capacity) scoop or a tablespoon, dollop the topping over the fruit — leave a little space between each pouf of batter.
  • Bake the cobbler for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are boiling under, and maybe up, through and over, the biscuits.
  • Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, or until the cobbler reaches room temperature, before serving, with or without ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

You can vary the cobbler according to what fruits are in season and within reach: Keep in mind you need about 6 cups of cut-up fruit, sugar to taste and juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon. For an all-berry cobbler — mix whatever berries you can get and, if you want, cut in some ripe mango; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the berries — they’re very juicy. I've used 3 cups of halved strawberries, 2 cups blueberries and a cup of mango, delish.  Let your imagination go...plums make a pretty cobbler and work well with peaches or nectarines. Early summer, try rhubarb and strawberries (and some cornstarch).
STORING: The cobbler is best the day it is made. You can keep it covered overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator.