Tag: blueberry muffins

Adaptable Recipes, Breakfast, Makeover Monday Meals

Makeover Monday Meals- Breakfast Edition

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Bursting with Berries

If you haven’t guessed it by now, we are obsessed with blueberries. They are hands down our favorite berry. We love the versatility of blueberries. They are great in a smoothie, perfect in salads, delicious in scones, and are out of this world in a muffin.

 

However, there is a debate when it comes to which blueberries are the best.

Maine blueberries are smaller, but these wild berries boast an intense blueberry taste; ranging from tangy tartness to succulent sweetness. Wild Maine blueberries are frozen fresh and have more brain-healthy anthocyanins than larger blueberries.

Unlike cultivated blueberries, wild blueberries have a season, which runs from summer to early fall. Moreover, these blueberries are only commercially harvested in Maine, Eastern Canada, and Quebec.

Cultivated blueberries are the ones most of us see in our produce departments. They are larger and tend to be more uniform in size. These blueberries are also grown all year round in various states such as North Carolina, and New Jersey.

Regardless of the specifics, blueberries are delicious and we love discovering new recipes to adapt and share with you. More importantly, the batter for these muffins can be made the night before, refrigerated, and baked off the next morning.

 

Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins Small batch recipe by Butter Your Biscuit adapted by Still A Chick Lit

1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, white rice, brown rice, millet, or sorghum flour. If the flour doesn’t contain a binder add ½ teaspoon xanthan gum)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg (3 tablespoons Aquafaba, ¼ cup silken tofu pureed with 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, vegan egg replacer, or liquid vegan egg replacer= 1 egg)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, monk fruit sweetener granulated, golden sugar, coconut, raw cane, or turbinado sugar, pulsed finely)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream (dairy: light sour cream, plain yogurt, plain Greek yogurt) (non-dairy: vegan sour cream, plain unsweetened almond or soy yogurt)
1 1/8 cups fresh blueberries

CRUMB TOPPING
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) cake flour **
1/3 cup granulated sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, monk fruit sweetener granulated, golden sugar, coconut, raw cane, or turbinado sugar, pulsed finely)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (vegan unsalted butter)
1/2 -2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

** To make gluten-free cake flour

1 Part Sweet White Rice Flour

1 Part Brown Rice Flour 1 Part Tapioca starch or tapioca flour, they are the same

 

Mix dry ingredients and store the blend in an airtight container.

Recipe for the gluten-free cake flour mix

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

To make the crumb topping, in a small bowl mix melted butter, flour, granulated sugar, and cinnamon with a fork and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together 1 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the egg and sugar until combined. Add in oil, sour cream, and vanilla and mix until combined. Then add wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined. Do not over-mix.

In a small bowl add 1 1/8 cup blueberries and toss with 1 tablespoon flour and gently fold into the batter. Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full. Scatter the remaining blueberries on the top of the muffins, then top with generous portions of the crumb topping.

Bake at 400-degrees for five minutes. Then drop the temperature down to 350-degrees for the remaining 13-20 minutes until muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Makes about 8 standard muffins or 6 jumbo muffins

Notes

  • You can make the muffin batter the night before. You can leave the batter in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
  • You can substitute all-purpose flour to make the crumb topping.

 

Adaptable Recipes, Food Glorious Food, Makeover Monday Meals

Makeover Monday Meal-Breakfast Time

ccanton84

It’s hard to believe that August is nearly over. School is already in session for some but will soon be in session for kids all over the country.  As summer fades, so does summertime’s fresh produce, which gives way to fall staples like apples, pumpkins, and hearty butternut squash.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t still time to enjoy the berries of summer. Blueberries are a superfood. Packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, these berries are also high in potassium and vitamin C, making them a favorite of doctors and nutritionists. Moreover, blueberries don’t just lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, they’re anti-inflammatory. They are wonderful in muffins, buckles, coffee cakes, and pancakes.  Or you can enjoy them by the handful.

Blueberry muffins have always been a favorite at my house. When you make them yourself, you are in control of the sugar, fat, and sodium content, unlike the muffins you get on the run from your favorite coffee place.

This blueberry muffin recipe is quick. easy, and delicious. The recipe has been adapted for:

  • Gluten-Sensitivities, Celiac disease
  • Low-Carb
  • Vegetarian, Vegan
  • No Sugar

Jumbo Blueberry Muffins

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened (vegan unsalted butter)
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, monk fruit sweetener granulated, baker’s style coconut sugar, turbinado, or raw cane sugar pulsed)
  • 2 eggs (1/4 cup Aquafaba, 1/2 cup silken tofu pureed with 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 2 flaxseed or chia seed eggs, vegan egg replacer)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • zest from one lemon
  • ½ cup buttermilk  (1/2 cup whole 2% or skim milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Mix and let sit for five minutes)  (1/2 cup rice, almond, soy, or light coconut milk mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Mix and let sit for five minutes)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, sorghum, brown rice, quinoa, or millet flour)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups blueberries; or 2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed; or 2 cups rehydrated blueberries
  • 3 teaspoons sanding sugar, optional
  • optional: 2 tbsp melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cream together the butter and 1 ¼ cups sugar until it becomes light and fluffy, preferably in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
  3. Add in the eggs, one by one, making sure you beat well after each addition.
  4. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and buttermilk and mix well to combine.
  5. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into the sugar, buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Using a sifter will help to reduce clumping and prevent you from overworking muffins.
  6. In a small bowl, lightly mash/smush about half of the blueberries with the back of a spoon (sort of like muddling mint in a drink) and then stir into the batter.
  7. Fold in the remaining blueberries. We also like to save a couple to drop right on the tops of the muffins.
  8. Line a 6 cup jumbo muffin tin or 12 cups standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  9. Fill with batter – leave ⅓ muffin tin/liner for muffins to rise above.
  10. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sanding sugar over the tops of the muffins, reduce oven heat to 375, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
  11. Optional: Reserve sanding sugar until the end of cooking. In the final 10 minutes of baking, brush tops of muffin with melted butter. Top with sanding sugar. Continue baking the muffins until l the toothpick inserted comes out completely clean.
  12. Remove muffins from tin and cool for at least 30 minutes.

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Living Your Best Life North of Forty and Fifty Plus

Makeover Monday Meals-Breakfast Edition

ccanton84

Monday gets a bad wrap. It’s the day after Sunday, which is the day most people relax and slow down. So, to get back on track, a lot of us stop to get caffeine and the carbohydrate of our choice to start the day.

In addition to an endless combination of coffees, teas, and drinks, both hot and cold, Starbucks has a blueberry streusel muffin that blueberry lovers can’t resist. if you’re one of them, this recipe by the Copycat blog delivers. Best of all, you can make it the day before, and just bake it off in the morning for a delicious warm treat with your beverage of choice.

This recipe has been adapted for the following dietary lifestyles:

  • Vegan/Vegetarian
  • Gluten-free
  • Low Sugar
  • No-Sugar

Copycat Starbucks Blueberry Streusel Muffins adapted by me

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (unsalted vegan butter)

2 teaspoons lemon zest

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, monk fruit granulated sweetener, golden sugar, coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar, pulsed finely)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, sorghum, millet, sweet rice, or brown rice flour)

Muffin Batter

2 eggs (1/4 cup Aquafaba, ½ cup silken tofu plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 2 flaxseed or chia seed eggs, egg replacer, or vegan egg replacer)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, sorghum, millet, sweet rice, or brown rice flour)

1 cup sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, monk fruit granulated sweetener, golden sugar, coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar, pulsed finely)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup milk or buttermilk (dairy milk whole, 2%, or 1%) (low-fat buttermilk, light buttermilk, full-fat buttermilk) (non-dairy: almond, soy, almond, or light coconut milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar mix and let sit for at least five minutes)

3 teaspoons melted unsalted butter (vegan unsalted butter)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Prepare streusel topping

Mix melted butter, sugar, lemon zest, and flour in a small bowl. Set aside.

Blueberry muffin preparation

Whisk the melted butter, vegetable oil, eggs, and milk (or buttermilk) in a bowl. Whisk until the mixture is uniform.

In another bowl add 2 1/2 cups of flour that you have sifted, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and stir to combine.

Combine the whisked egg mixture and the dry ingredients in a bowl, stir to combine.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over the blueberries, then add the blueberries to the muffin batter, stir only until they are mixed. If you overmix the batter after you add the blueberries the blueberries will burst and turn the batter purple.

Grease muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full of batter. Top with streusel mixture.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 and bake for another 10 or 15 minutes. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Don’t overbake. Cool over a wire rack for ten minutes before inverting the muffins onto the rack.

  • Make-Ahead Instructions: Mix the batter and make the streusel. Refrigerate both, covered overnight. Follow the instructions to bake, but lower the temperature to 350 and bake for 20- 25 minutes, depending on your oven. The muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Do not overbake.
  • The muffins will keep at room temperature lightly covered for up to three days

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Adaptable Recipes

Tuesday morning Bakery Style Blueberry Muffins

ccanton84

Once again tis the season. The holidays look different for all of us this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t begin the month on a sweet note, and set the tone to be merry.

This recipe is based on the Brown Eyed Baker’s recipe. I’ve adapted it for:

  • Vegans- including dairy allergies
  • Gluten sensitivities
  • Low-sugar and sugar free diets
  • Vegetarians

Bakery-Style blueberry muffins by the Brown Eyed Baker adapted by me

INGREDIENTS:

 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all-purpose flour, 1 to 1 gluten-free baking blend, sorghum, brown rice, almond, or sweet rice flour)

 1 tablespoon baking powder

 ½ Teaspoon salt

 1  egg (3 tablespoons Aquafaba, ¼ cup silken-tofu plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda, 1 flaxseed or chia seed egg, or egg replacer)

 1 Cup granulated sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, coconut, raw cane, or turbinado sugar, pulsed)

 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (vegan butter, margarine)

 1¼ Cups sour cream (dairy: light sour cream, plain Greek yogurt) (non-dairy: almond, soy, rice, or light coconut milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon lemon or orange extract (optional)

 1½ Cups frozen or fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or line with paper liners) and set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until combined.

Whisk the egg in a separate medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter in 2 additions, whisking gently to combine after each addition. Add the vanilla, then the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine.

Add the blueberries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the blueberries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds. Small spots of flour may remain and the batter will be very thick. Do not overmix.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

RECIPE NOTES:

Sour cream: You can substitute buttermilk or plain yogurt for the sour cream.

Blueberries: Frozen blueberries can be used; no need to thaw them or alter the recipe.

Living Your Best Life North of Forty and Fifty Plus

Southern Bake Shop Muffins Recipe From Cooking With My Nanas, Discovering Family, Traditions, and Love In The Kitchen

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My great-grandmother Nandy was an amazing baker. People from all around their small South Carolina town would come over for tea, and others would buy cakes from her. She made cakes with ingredients sourced from the farm and around the area. One of the ingredients she used was sorghum. The origins of sorghum can be traced to Africa. It grew wild and was also cultivated. It’s actually a part of the grass family, but it closer to corn than wheat. In Africa it is used for flour, beer, and a syrup. Sorghum syrup was once equated with molasses, however it’s closer to raw cane syrup.

When Nandy was born in 1889, both her mother and grandmother were former slaves. Access to the soft white flour and to sugar would have been harder for them to procure. At the time, sorghum was used as a part of animal feed. Therefore, it was easier to grow it themselves and they were able to procure it fairly easily through the back of the town store.  They made everything from pecan and black walnut pies, to a spice cookie. Their ingenuity was astonishing and beyond delicious. Moreover, it turns out to be a healthy choice. Sorghum has been shown to have a lower glycemic index, which is perfect for everyone, especially if you are watching your A1C levels. So, if you or someone you love has Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, sorghum flour is a great choice, since it’s heavier, it also has more protein.

Another aspect of baking we take for granted is flavorings like vanilla. Today, vanilla and other extracts and flavorings can be found in supermarkets and grocery stores everywhere. It’s even easier to get vanilla beans. Pound cake is one of the oldest types of cakes, and in many of the old recipes, you won’t find any added flavorings we recognize as extracts. To me, the quality and taste of the butter must have been heavenly. There was no such thing as giving livestock antibiotics and steroids to increase production. The butter was rich and creamy in a way we can only imagine. That said, they did have access to liquor. You will find so many recipes that use rum, bourbon, rye whiskey and the like. Liquor imparted flavor to a cake while getting the baker a little sauced. Once again it’s old-fashioned ingenuity and genius at work. Now, for Nandy it’s more likely than not, that she used moonshine too, but for this bourbon or rye did the job with a citrus chaser, a pre-cursor of an Old-Fashioned. Whatever she did, cheers to a great woman and muffin recipe.

Nandy’s Blueberry Bake Shop Muffins

Makes 12 regular and 6 jumbo muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free all purpose flour, sorghum, oat”, or brown rice flour)

1 1/4 cups sugar (Swerve sweetener, Splenda granulated, coconut, turbinado, or raw cane sugar)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup milk (dairy: whole, 2%, or fat-free) (non-dairy milks: almond, rice, soy. light coconut, and oat milk)

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs ( 1/4 cup Aquafaba, 1/2 cup silken tofu plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 2 flaxseed or chia seed eggs, or egg replacer)

2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen is fine)

4 teaspoons sugar (turbinado, raw cane, or coconut sugar)

2 teaspoons Bourbon or Rye whiskey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest finely grated, divided

Directions

Step 1

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon or orange zest and salt in a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl stir the milk, eggs, oil, eggs, bourbon, balance of the zest, and vanilla (if using) together. Make a well in the center of the flour and add in the liquid ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, stir together gently, making sure not to get any flour pockets in the bottom without overworking the batter. Fold the blueberries in. It’s a thick batter but don’t be alarmed. Spoon batter into 12 greased or lined muffin cups. Sprinkle batter evenly with 4 teaspoons sugar.

Step 2

Bake at 400° for regular size muffins bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops are golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. For jumbo muffins bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Rotate the muffins at the halfway mark. When done, remove from pan immediately, and cool on a wire rack 5 to 10 minutes.

  • For gluten sensitivities, when looking for oat flour, make sure it is certified gluten-free. Some oat flours are processed in the same machines as wheat flours, and therefore may have hidden gluten.
  • You can make the batter ahead. Fill tins as directed in the recipe, cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Take the muffins out of the fridge and let it sit for at least thirty minutes before baking.
Waking Up to Bake Shop Style Blueberry Muffins