Throwback Post! Best Blueberry Muffins

I'm going to do something I almost never do and revive an old post. 'Cause it's Easter time. And some of you are hosting Easter Brunch. And these Best Blueberry Muffins really are the best and should be part of your Easter Brunch menu. Some of you aren't hosting but you are attending, and these would be just the kind of thing you could bring as a contribution or gift to the host.

Here are some pretty pictures from the tutorial...

I Smell Things

Not in an "I see dead people" kind of way, or in an I-have-the-skills-of-a-hound kind of way either. I'm just curious about and like to enjoy how things smell. Not everything. Just things like clean clothes, crayons, pencils, and leaves, and more obvious things like fancy soap and a good bisque.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Globs

I started young. My childhood friends Becky and Cally were older and wiser (and more normal) and helped me to rid myself of any of these sorts of tendencies which might have done long-term damage to my social life or created unnecessary paranoia in those around me. Thanks, Becky & Cally. (Sorry, Mr. & Mrs. R.)

Anyway, I was thinking of this because one of my birthday presents from my thoughtful parents-in-law was the latest cookbook by the ever-reliable Ina Garten. Before setting it on my display shelf of favorites I had to stop and breathe in its untouched pages. New or old, I love the smell of books.

In this instance, I also love the look. I mean, look at those crostinis!

Her dedication goes to her husband. "For Jeffrey, he's foolproof." Too cute.

Crispy English Potatoes

Accidental Turkey

Roasted Asparagus & Prosciutto

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Sidecars with Dried Cherries

"Foolproof means so many things to me. Clearly, it means the recipe works-that goes without saying. But there's more to it than that. It's a dish that's deeply satisfying to eat; it's a company-friendly meal that can be made in advance to reduce your stress; and it's an outrageously delicious dessert that's so easy to make that it becomes part of your regular repertoire." -Ina

I plan to put her to the test, and to enjoy every bite (and whiff) of it.

Whoot! Thanks, Yummly!

I know! I've totally been gone forever! I don't know what to say for myself except that I need to buck up in spite of this whole pregnancy thing and just start blogging again for crying out loud! I'm happy to say that even though I haven't been super attentive to my site, others have still been coming, so thank you, thank you, thank you.

Aaaaand, thanks to Yummly for featuring another one of my posts! My Dulce de Leche Brownies have been one of my very most popular posts. Which reminds me to thank David Lebowitz, because mine are simply an adaptation of his brownies.

To see Yummly.com's brownie post, click here!

A few of my other favorite treats from past blog posts are these warm, buttery, gooey Mini Chocolate & Almond Croissants...

...this easy peasy Amaretto Pound Cake a la Mode

...and these treats from my New England roots, whoopie pies!

Thanks again, Yummly!

Virgin Mimosas

Kate ate her first brie today! Triple creamy brie on a little melba toast. What a sophisticated little lady, wouldn't you agree? You know, ...besides the sticky fingers and the toast crumb stuck to her face afterward.

Now for our final recipe of the Easter Brunch menu. About time with Easter just two days away! Don't worry; it's the easiest of them all and gets thrown together at the last minute, anyway.

The mimosa is an absolute classic for brunch. With one part champagne and one part thoroughly chilled orange juice (or other citrus juice,) I can see why; it's bright & sunny, bubbly, and sweet. As usual, though, I want to offer a virgin version. Swap out the champagne for sparkling cider, and that's all you need to do! Food Network's Sandra Lee recommends adding a bit of cranberry juice, which I can only imagine is delicious. I would just be careful to buy pure cranberry juice, because you don't want artificial sweeteners ruining the taste of the beverage, and only add a small amount since pure cranberry juice is TART.

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Virgin Mimosas

Makes 1 mimosa

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sparkling cider

1/2 cup thoroughly chilled orange juice (or other citrus fruit juice)

1 orange wedge for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Combine the first two ingredients in your fanciest champagne flute or wine glass, and top with an orange wedge! Serve immediately.

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Start with 1/2 cup part sparkling cider,...

add 1/2 cup chilled orange juice,....

give her a fancy little hat and then offer her a tour of your belly.

Best Blueberry Muffins

The classic blueberry muffin. I feel like if I'm going to give you a blueberry muffin recipe, it'd better be a darn good one because there are about, oh, half a million of them out there? The one I chose is not an original of mine, but rather a good, reputable one from Cooks Illustrated. (Sorry, you have to register to see the recipe on their site, but I still think it's only fair to give credit where credit is due.)

I didn't have to bake these to know they'd be very delicious. If it's made with buttermilk, it's almost always good. That little bit of zing in the milk adds complexity.  And then there was the little bit of lemon zest which brightens and enhances the other flavors. Well, I'm happy to report that I was right. They are so wonderful that you don't even need to eat them with butter! (Though I do anyway...) These will be perfect with your  Easter Brunch menu!

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Best Blueberry Muffins from Cooks Illustrated

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

For the Topping-

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

For the Muffins-

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 1/8 cups sugar, plus 1 tsp sugar

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. To make the topping, mix together the sugar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 425F (make sure the oven rack is in the upper-middle position). Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup blueberries with 1 tsp sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, mashing berries, until they have popped and the mixture has thickened (approximately 6 minutes). Transfer to a small bowl and cool to room temperature (10-15 minutes).

Don't use wood if you care about stains. Honestly, the deep plum was so beautiful, I don't care if this spatula never returns to its original color!

4. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk 1 1/8 cup sugar with the eggs until thick. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Add buttermilk and vanilla, mixing until combined.

5. Fold egg mixture into dry ingredients along with remaining blueberries. Stir just until moistened (batter will still be lumpy with a few spots of dry flour. Do not overmix).

6. Divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter will come to the top of each muffin cup). Spoon 1/2 tsp blueberry mixture into the center of each muffin. Using a toothpick or skewer, gently swirl the filling into the batter. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over the muffins.

7. Bake for 17-19 minutes, until muffin tops are golden and just firm (Rotate muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time). Cool muffins in tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool for an additional 5 minutes.

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Messy Stovetop Potatoes

These are not the prettiest or most glamorous potatoes. But who cares?! They have my very favorite characteristics: buttery, soft, crispy, deeeelicious, and hard to mess up. For those reasons, they're making it onto this year's Easter Brunch menu, dang it! Let's dig right in, shall we?

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Messy Stovetop Potatoes

Serves 4

Total Time: Approx. 45 min.

Ingredients:

5 medium-large red potatoes

extra-virgin olive oil

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

paprika

Directions:

Wash potatoes and cut into large bite-sized chunks. Add to a medium or large pot and fill with cold water so that the potatoes are barely covered. Lightly salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes at a medium boil until just fork tender. Drain and allow to dry for a couple of minutes. In the meantime heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and allow to heat, melt and spread slightly before adding the boiled potatoes. Do not stir the potatoes, but instead allow them to sit for several minutes until a crispy crust forms. Once you have your crust, turn the potatoes, adding a little more butter and oil, allowing a new crust to form on the potatoes now on the bottom. Continue until you have as much crispiness in the mix as you desire. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika, turn into a serving dish, and serve while still hot and crispy. 

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Martha's Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon (With How-to-Video link)

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Living.

I am not a bacon frequenter, not because it's not delicious, but because I don't want to die young. But while I was browsing her site for a good frittata recipe, I also came across Martha Stewart's Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon, and it looked so simple and tasty that I knew I wanted to try it. Besides, it was for a holiday and I try to allow myself a few indulgences on the holidays. This year my indulgences started about, oh, a month early with two meduim-sized bags of Cadbury's Mini Eggs. Those little buddies smell like an ice cream shop where they make their own waffle cones. (Like a Ben & Jerry's scoop shop.) Obscure, I know, but I swear it's true.

Back to bacon.

I'm giving you the recipe as well as a link to a how-to video where you'll learn how to keep your bacon from shrinking up! I know; I'm so generous. :) It's a bit long, so feel free to skip over the beginning and end sections that don't apply to the bacon. Watch the Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon video.

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Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon
recipe by Martha Stewart

Serves 8

Ingredients:

16 slices (about 1 pound) bacon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

1/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper; place a wire rack on top of each sheet. Arrange bacon in a single layer on the two racks. Evenly sprinkle with pepper and sugar.

Bake until bacon is crisp and browned, rotating sheets halfway through, 30 to 35 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.

Janna's Notes: If you're making the entire Easter Brunch menu, you'll notice that both the frittata and bacon need the oven. If you don't have a double oven, no worries! Both the frittata and the bacon need to be baked at 350 degrees, so they can share the oven. You may need to keep a closer eye on the oven and lengthen your baking time by a bit, but I suspect that in this case you won't have to do much adjusting since bacon is so thin.

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Simple Easter Fruit Salad

I know I've said before that, unlike Shawn, I like my fruit with a little extra something going on, but really that's only when it's being served for dessert. When it's a snack or a side dish, I feel very strongly the opposite. I don't want it sprinkled with sugar and I usually don't want a fruit dip on the side. I will say, though, that my friend, Sarah, often pours orange juice over her fruit salad which really is quite tasty and it doesn't mess with the healthiness of the dish. Anyway, I like to appreciate fruit in its whole, unaltered, glorious state. When it's fresh and ripe, what better flavor and texture could possibly be offered other than the fruit itself? Sometimes we just need to leave it alone. Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in New York City and PBS' Avec Eric constantly talks about respecting your ingredients, having the wisdom to edit back, or remove ingredients from a dish, instead of adding something else. He tries to allow edible nature to speak for itself instead of just arrogantly assuming he can make it better. He tries to be sure that whatever alterations he does make to his ingredients enhances rather than covers up their natural flavors. Love you, Chef Ripert!!

Last year we just had sliced oranges with our Easter brunch menu, which was great, but we're seeing more and more fruit hit the shelves with the arrival of Spring, and this year has been so unseasonably warm we're adding a couple of berries that normally aren't peaking for another month. Yippeee!

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Simple Easter Fruit Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 navel orange, each cut into 8-10 even wedges

20 strawberries, trimmed and sliced down the middle

1 heaping cup blueberries

1 heaping cup blackberries

Directions:Toss and serve!

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Easter Brunch Menu, and Ham, Asparagus, & Fontina Frittata

Kate's first Easter bucket.

Easter has taken on entirely new dimensions since I became a mom last year. Actually, all holidays have. My mom was a pro at making them special. I loved being able to count on the old traditions resurfacing every year. On Easter that meant special church services, Easter baskets, new Easter Sunday outfits, a new board game for the family, and a delicious dinner with ham, twice-baked potatoes, and cute cupcakes with green coconut grass topped with jellybean eggs. Now that I'm the one in charge, I'm realizing it's a lot of work! And a lot of pressure! I don't know that my mom felt as much pressure as I do, because she was just so crazy in-love with the holidays and enjoyed making them special for us. Honestly, the woman is a saint.

Last year our church met at 2:30 p.m., so we opted to do Easter brunch instead of Easter dinner, and I'm so glad we did! It was not difficult to execute and was sooooo delicious and satisfying that I had to share the recipes with you. 

Here's what's on the menu:

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Easter Brunch Menu

Main Dish: Ham, Asparagus, & Fontina Frittata

Sides: Messy Stovetop Potatoes, Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon, Simple Easter Fruit Salad

Sweets: Best Blueberry Muffins

Drink: Virgin Mimosas 

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The basis for the frittata comes from this recipe from Martha Stewart. Hers calls for green beans, but I couldn't resist swapping them out for asparagus. Also, after sampling the different varieties of ham at our deli, I must strongly suggest going for a bourbon smoked ham if it's available to you. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. If they don't offer that or a similar kind, ask them to taste what they have available before making your selection. 

From Easter Brunch 2011

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Ham, Asparagus, & Fontina Frittata
based on this recipe from Martha Stewart.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 pound thinly sliced bourbon smoked deli ham, cut into thin strips

2 bunches (12 to 16) thin scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 large eggs

1 cup shredded (about 4 ounces) Fontina cheese

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, ham, and scallions (skillet will be full). Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to skillet, and tilt to distribute evenly. Gently press down on vegetables to cover them with egg mixture. Cook, without stirring, until edges are slightly set, about 1 minute.

Transfer to oven; bake until center is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Run a wooden or rubber spatula around edges; slide frittata onto a platter, and cut into 4 wedges.

Janna's Notes: This recipe makes enough for 4 people only, so I wouldn't hesitate to double the recipe and get two frittatas going at the same time. You may just need to increase your baking time a bit with both pans in the oven.

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Fat Friday?

Janna, why didn't you do a pancake post for Pancake Day? And why no banana bread for National Banana Bread Day yesterday? This is at least partly a food blog, right? Hey. I'm new to this whole food blogging thing and I don't know every food holiday yet! And I'm not a morning person. And Kate's cutting 4 new teeth, so.... you know... there's that. Besides, where were all the posts on January 16th for National Fig Newton Day? (Yes, it does exist.) How would you like it if I were to randomly declare tomorrow National Vegetarian Sandwich Day and start pointing fingers when all the other bloggers out there post about things like roasted chicken or the latest salted caramel desserts that I'm seeing everywhere. (Not that I mind 'cause I love salted caramel.) ...Okay, the (bizarre) truth is that I'm being defensive to the imaginary voices in my head, because technically nobody has complained to me about not having sweet breakfast starches on my blog this week. ... Are you still there?

Anyway, the day before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday, a.k.a. Fat Tuesday, a.k.a. Pancake Day, and it was this past Tuesday. Apparently it's customary to eat pancakes before Ash Wednesday because it uses up ingredients that people typically have on hand that they're not supposed to eat during Lent. National Banana Bread Day.. no idea how that happened. So, for any of you who were in fact lamenting the lack of bananas and pancakes on my blog this week, allow me to introduce you to Eats and Beats' Fat Friday. This morning Kate woke up at 5:45, so I decided to make the most of the ante meridiem hours by making Ina Garten's Banana Sour Cream Pancakes.

I'm honestly a very, very strict only-healthy-foods breakfast eater. But, OH. MY. GOSH. They made my eyes roll back into my head they were sooooo gooooood. The woman doesn't make pancakes; she makes panCAKES. Perfect texture, and mouth-watering flavor. Ina, you fattening, good-habit-breaking devil. If food could kill... wait, it can kill. Dang it!

Well, here you go: a recipe for you to use once a year so you don't have to make pancakes and banana bread right in a row if you don't want to 'cause this gives you some of each!

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Banana Sour Cream Pancakes by Ina Garten

Makes 12 pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

2 extra-large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Unsalted butter

2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving

Pure maple syrup (Janna's note: Do not ruin these pancakes with the fake stuff, or I'll hunt you down.)

Directions:
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. 

Normally the lemon would be whole, but I needed a wedge to make some avocado spread for sandwiches yesterday. Recipe for those sandwiches will be posted soon!

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. 

Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. 

Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

When it comes to syrup, use the good stuff, folks! Pure maple syrup, preferably from Vermont where I grew up. :)

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Sunday Treats

After battling illnesses at our home this week (-sorry for not posting these last few days-), yesterday my awesome, awesome, awesome husband decided to clean the entire house (including floors, dishes, and bathrooms) and then to run errands with me, which the man hates to do (run errands, not clean. He's actually a very tidy person.) I don't know what got into him, but I don't care. It was a fantastic day! While we were at Wegman's we picked up a couple of treats to set aside for the next day's breakfast. He went with the croissant, and I chose the muffin. Don't they look yummy? I assure you, they were.

Vanilla muffin and almond croissant.

As for today, we got to enjoy another delicious meal courtesy of my mother-in-law, who made, among other things, a creamy poppyseed chicken and rice dish. Sometimes Sundays with the fam. is just what the doctor ordered. Back soon with the rest of menu #2!

Classic Hot Chocolate and Whipped Cream

I think for the most part, I know a good thing when I see it.. or taste it. However, I've never been a big fan of whipped cream which most people love, love, love. Most kinds that I've tried don't have much of a taste, and definitely not enough taste to be worth the calories. Store-bought? Blech. Both my mother and mother-in-law make very good whipped cream, though, so I know I can't write the stuff off altogether. And I think that when it comes to hot chocolate, whipped cream really does add something nice in terms of aesthetics, texture, and taste. I want to serve upstanding versions of each with Christmas breakfast, so I did some playing around in the kitchen to see if I couldn't nail down a great, classic hot chocolate and whipped cream recipe that I can use then and in the future. There's no English Toffee, Irish Cream, peppermint, orange, cinnamon, or other flavorings. I wanted to make sure I got the foundation perfect so that I can just add a dab of those flavorings whenever I feel like it and know it'll come out just right. 

Before I give you the recipes, let me say that when it comes to hot chocolate, the cocoa makes SUCH a difference. Some are sweetened, some unsweetened, and all have varying degrees of bitterness. You're really going to have to taste, taste, taste as you're making it to get it right. BUT, if you want to use the exact kind of cocoa I bought, you can follow the recipe below and it should come out the same as mine. Kapeesh? Good. :)

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Classic Whipped Cream

Serves many :)

Ingredients

2 cups cold heavy cream

2/3 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Begin whipping the heavy cream with a mixer on high speed. After about a minute, with mixer still going, slowly add in powdered sugar, and whip until it gets nice and fluffy, and will hold its shape very well. (Don't go too crazy, though, or it'll start to be like butter.)

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Classic Hot Chocolate

Serves 1 thirsty hot chocolate lover

Ingredients

2 cups milk (whole milk makes it richer)

5 teaspoons Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa

4-5 teaspoons sugar

Directions

Combine cocoa and sugar and set aside. Pour milk into a small sauce pan, add cocoa/sugar mix, and whisk to combine. While stirring, heat over medium heat until it begins to steam. Remove from heat or turn it down to low to keep from burning.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa for looks.

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Just a touch of whipped cream if you'd prefer...

...or pile it on for something especially creamy and decadent!

Don't forget to share your Christmas breakfast recipes under yesterday's post!