In season: Blueberries

[Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins]

It's beginning to look a lot like blueberry season! Not only are they one of the best superfoods, they're also on sale this time of year! I found them for 2 cartons for $5.

I needed to make a treat for book club, so I pulled out my favorite baking cookbook of all time (I don't know if I've ever mentioned this cookbook before, but it is my absolute favorite in the whole wide world. ever. of all time. Have I convinced you yet? Go get one now. Amazon, folks. You don't even have to leave your chair.) and flipped to the Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins recipe.

That sounds like a lot of things to have in one muffin, but the bright, fruity flavors marry so well with the subtle, nutty almonds. And look how pretty! The recipe encourages you to use sliced almonds to decorate the tops in a floral pattern. I love those little touches.

So go out and grab you some fresh blueberries (and an orange and some almonds) and whip these up today! Your friends/coworkers/family members will thank you--they are delicious and nutritious (sorta)!

Orange Almond Blueberry Muffins

from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Grated zest of one orange (this is a pain, but worth it)

1/2 cup orange juice (I used the juice of the above orange and supplemented with regular OJ)

1/2 cup milk (they suggest whole, I used 2%)

2 egg whites

4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled (so you don't scramble the eggs)

1/4 cup finely ground almonds (pulse in food processor until fine)

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (didn't toast 'em. because I'm lazy.)       

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup blueberries (I used more like 1 cup, and it turned out fine!)

sliced almonds for decoration

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare muffin pan with nonstick spray or muffin papers.

In a medium bowl, combine orange zest, orange juice, milk, egg whites, and butter (if your butter isn't slightly cooled to room temperature, it will scramble the eggs. promise. and that's gross). Whisk until combined.

In another medium bowl, combine ground almonds, flour, sugar, sliced almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir until just combined (over-mixing makes tough muffins!). Fold in blueberries.

Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full, and decorate with sliced almonds. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Made 20 muffins

      

Do NOT drink this--but definitely bake with it!

When I think about must-haves in my pantry, the first thing that comes to mind is instant coffee granules. Before you crazy coffee-loving hipsters murder me, I promise you that it's not for drinking. However, instant coffee trumps regular coffee when it comes to one thing: baking.

When you want baked goods to have that coffee kick, instant is the way to go. You can make it super concentrated--almost like an extract or a syrup--and really intensify the flavor (whereas you'd probably have to use a whole bag of ground coffee to get the same effect).

Don't believe me? What if you heard it from an "expert"? Like maybe The Pioneer Woman? Or maybe Baked NYC? Ben & Jerry's? My favorite recipe from each of these includes instant coffee. Not just my favorite recipes, but ones that are requested over and over again by my coworkers and friends. Don't believe me? Give one (or all!) of them a try:

[Made these on-request for a shower or party of some sort. I've lost count.]

Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cake, Literally
Buckle up, coffee lovers. This one is for you. Not to be confused with the cinnamon-y crumbly stuff, this a literally cake that is coffee flavored. This is a HUGE hit at parties, people, either as cupcakes or a two-layer cake. The instant coffee granules in the frosting make a really neat presentation, and of course tastes delicious. Make it, right now.

[My coworkers love/hate me for these.]

Baked NYC's Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins from their cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking (my FAVORITE baking cookbook of all time ever ever ever.)
I blogged about these during Banana Bread Week, and they're too good not to mention again here. The coffee isn't all that prevalent--it serves more to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. My coffee-abhorring mom will even eat them.

[Now THIS will seriously impress your friends.]

Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream from their ice cream cookbook, Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book.
My aunt gave me this ice cream maker (no messy salt and ice!) last year, and I was skeptical at first. Won't it just make that nasty, icy stuff like in chemistry class? However, she also gave me the Ben & Jerry's ice cream cookbook, and I am here to tell you that it tastes even better than you can imagine. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch is one of the first recipes, and I've barely gotten past it because I want to make this one over and over. My friend Kate always requests it for her birthday. It'll blow you away how rich and delicious it is. (recipe here)
 

 [Chunks, not chips, are key in these.]

One last way I like to use instant coffee is in these Santa Ana cookies that I stumbled across when I had chocolate chunks and pecans to use up. The coffee adds a subtle but yummy depth to the batter!

Now go grab some instant coffee granules and bake your way to the bottom of the can!

    

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins.

You know what this Monday needs? Muffins. Muffins with chocolate. and coffee. and maybe some fruit so we can call it "healthy." Basically, almost-cake that can be eaten for breakfast.

Welcome to Banana Bread Week! Throughout the week, each of the 3 Happy Eaters is going to share their take on this diverse baked-deliciousness that works for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert! 

When I find myself with some almost-rotting bananas, I immediately reach for my Baked NYC cookbook, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is my all-time favorite baking cookbook. You usually only find about a third of the recipes in a given cookbook to be appealing, but I kid you not: every single recipe in this book is unbelievable. Not only do you want to make them, you can make them and when you do make them, they are show-stopping good. Have I made myself clear how incredible this cookbook is? Go get it right now. The link opens in a new tab so don't worry I'll be right here waiting for ya.

The first recipe section in the book is, of course, breakfast. One of the first recipes that I ever tried from this section was for Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins. Holy sweet goodness, these are good. I like to make muffins because they're easier for sharing at work (and you can get away with eating five at a time). and this recipe is SO easy to throw together. You can find this recipe on the web in other places, so I'll share it with you here. But really, please, right now, go get this cookbook. Seriously, you won't regret it.

Baked NYC's Banana Chocolate Chip Espresso Muffins
from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Makes 12-18 muffins

1 1/2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (like, almost rotten, about 4)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup whole milk
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (or instant coffee granules, but NOT ground coffee)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (omit if you use salted butter, which you shouldn't!)
1 cup (6oz) semisweet chocolate chips (resist the temptation to add more, too many and your muffins won't hold together)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with papers, or use nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together bananas, sugars, butter, milk, and egg. It's important here that the butter be melted but not still hot so that it congeals in the cold milk, or scrambles the egg. That'd be disgusting.

In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, instant espresso powder, baking soda, and salt.

Gently pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and stir until just combined (the more you stir the tougher the muffins will be). Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill muffin tin about 3/4 full each. Bake for 20ish minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffins come out clean (minus melted chocolately goodness). Let muffins cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 15 mins, then remove and let finish cooling on the rack. 

Or devour them as soon as they're cooled to an endurable temperature. Store them in an airtight baggy (after cooling completely) or container for up to 2 days but I doubt they'll be around that long. They're delicious the next day if you nuke them for 5 seconds. Remelts the chocolate. Mmmmmm.

I like my banana bread muffin-shaped and sprinkled with chocolate and a hint of coffee. Stay tuned for Amanda and Katie's favorite versions!