I've posted a lot of brunch recipes lately, from Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake to Blackberry Buns. Now it's time for some blueberries, and I want something fast to make for Mother's Day. If you want to make something else, try my Sticky Buns or visit the Recipe Index for other recipes. These muffins are ready extremely quickly, so I can sleep in and still have time to make my mom something special.
These aren't your average blueberry muffins, however; they have fresh blueberries plus a swirl of homemade blueberry sauce. There's also crunchy, sweet streusel sprinkled on top. The muffin batter is fluffy and sweet with a hint of vanilla, the perfect canvas for lots of blueberries and slightly cinnamon-y streusel. I like to make them in standard muffin/cupcake tins, but you can play around with mini ones as bite-size snacks or huge ones like you find in bakeries. You can't go wrong with these muffins, and they are perfect for any morning, not just for Mother's Day.
2 Cups Blueberries
1 Cup + 8 T + 1 tsp Sugar
3 T Dark Brown Sugar
3 Cups + 3 T Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp + Pinch Salt
2 Eggs
9 T Butter, Melted & Cooled
1/4 Cup Oil
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Heat oven to 425F. Line a muffin tin with paper cups.
Combine 3T sugar, brown sugar, pinch salt, and 1/2 cup + 3T flour. Drizzle with 5T butter and stir to combine. Chill.
Combine 1 cup blueberries and 1 tsp sugar in a small saucpean over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, mashing and stirring frequently, until thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Cool.
Combine the remaining flour, baking powder, and remaining salt. Combine the remaining sugar and eggs. Whisk in the butter and oil, then stir in the buttermilk and vanilla. Toss the blueberries in the flour mixture and fold into the wet ingredients.
Scoop the batter into the prepared tins. Spoon in a bit of the cooked blueberries and swirl. Top with the streusel topping. Bake until golden and cooked through, 15-20 minutes.
Makes 16
Recipe Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
It's finally spring! What better way to celebrate than with some fresh produce? Zucchini is always fantastic this time of year, and I love finding new ways to use it. There's always my Zucchini Ricotta Crostada, a delicious combination of flaky pie crust, creamy ricotta, and fresh zucchini, but sometimes I just want to fry stuff. You know the feeling; you want something crispy and greasy and indulgent. Frying vegetables is wonderful because you get to indulge in crispy goodness but you still get all the nutrients and healthiness of the vegetable.
Instead of just breading and frying the zucchini, I wanted to do something a bit more complex but just as delicious. I made fritters, kind of like my Latkes, but with zucchini and a more creamy binding. Instead of eggs and matzo meal, I use eggs and flour to make a dough to hold the zucchini and scallions together. The contrast in textures is fantastic; there's the creamy dough, crisp zucchini, and crunchy fried exterior. Whether you use them as an appetizer, side, or snack, you will have a new favorite way to eat your vegetables!
2 lbs Zucchini
1 tsp Kosher Salt
2 Scallions, Sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Oil, for Frying
Trim the ends of the zucchini and grate with a food processor or cheese grater. Toss with the salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer to a clean towel and squeeze to drain the liquid.
Combine the zucchini, scallions, garlic, and egg. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the flour and baking powder.
Heat some oil in a skillet. Add spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture and flatten slightly. Cook until golden, flip, and cook until golden on the other side.
Makes 14
Recipe Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Everyone loves peanut butter and jelly. Well, maybe not me since the texture of jelly is a little weird to me, but it's still a pretty popular combination. Equally delicious but less popular is the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Fans of Tagalongs, those tasty little Girl Scout cookies, know exactly what I'm talking about.
The smooth, sticky, creamy peanut butter pairs perfectly with the molten bittersweet chocolate, especially in this cookie. There is just enough peanut butter so that you can taste it without it overpowering the chocolate. I like to use the jumbo chocolate chips or chunks so that there are big pockets of liquid chocolate scattered around the cookie. You can even fold in a handful of chopped roasted peanuts for more texture contrast; the cookies are fairly soft, so some crunch is definitely a welcome addition.
1 1/2 Sticks Butter, Softened
3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chunks
1 Cup Chopped Roasted Unsalted Peanuts (Optional)
Heat oven to 350F and line cookie trays with parchment.
Beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter, then add the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, then fold into the dough. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
Scoop the dough onto the prepared trays and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
Makes 50
Recipe Adapted from www.isthisreallymylife.com
