Blueberry Muffins - Sweet Golden Crumb and Bursting with Berries

Hello Bakers,

It’s sad when there is nothing in the house for breakfast. When that happens to me - I know I am not taking good care of myself. This month we have been talking about baking as a form of self care - usually we are feeding other people or sometimes the act of baking something, just feeds our souls.

But what about breakfast? What about making (baking) sure we have something yummy for breakfast. The month started with bagels which many of you have made. Last week it was granola and this week the blueberry muffin that has a sweet golden crumb and is bursting with berries.

These blueberry muffins are great with a cup of hot steaming coffee. Make a batch and freeze the leftovers. Pull one out the night before and then reheat for a few minutes in your toaster oven or air fryer.

Yield: 10-12 Regular muffins - 5-6 jumbo muffins
Note: Recipe doubles easily

Equipment:
12 cup regular muffin tin or a 6 cup jumbo muffin tin,
lined with paper liners or brushed with pan spread or lightly sprayed with pan spray
Sifter
Stand or hand mixer with paddle attachment
Medium scoop (regular size) or large scoop (jumbo size)
Skewer or cake tester for testing doneness

Blueberry Muffin Mise en Place

Yield 6 Jumbo Muffins - 10-12 Regular Size Muffins

Ingredients
1 sticks (4 ounces, 113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces, 99g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (1.78 oz, 50g) large eggs, lightly whisked together
1 1/3 cups, (6 oz, 170g) all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup, (4 ounces, 113g) sour cream
6 ounces Blueberries, fresh or frozen
Extra flour for tossing with frozen berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. If using frozen blueberries with flour to coat lightly and put in the freezer until needed.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down when necessary.

Creamed butter and sugar - light and fluffy - 8-10 minutes on medium speed

1. With the mixer off, add half the eggs, mix on low speed to start and then increase the speed to medium, mixing well after each addition. When the mixture changes from from shiny to dull (after about 45 seconds of mixing), add the next half of the egg mixture.

Eggs added

Berries in

1. With the mixer off, sprinkle one-third of the dry ingredients over the butter and egg mixture. Mix on low speed just until the dry ingredients disappear.

2. Add half of the sour cream and mix on low speed just until the sour cream disappears.

3. Add the second third of the dry ingredients and mix just until the flour disappears.

4. Add the remaining sour cream, mix until just combined and add the remaining dry ingredients mixing just until the dry ingredients disappear. The goal is not to overmix - if a little flour remains on the side of the bowl, use a spatula to incorporate it by hand.

5. Stir in berries lightly.

6. Scoop the batter into the prepared pans.

7. Top with. desired toppings, streusel, butter streusel, cinnamon sugar or cinnamon sugar or leave plain.

8. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes before the first check. They should be an overall golden brown and a cake tester in skewer inserted into the center of a center muffin should come out clean. They usually take a few more minutes beyond the 25 - but everyone’s oven is different.

9. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

A Tale of Three Toppings…Butter Streusel…Cinnamon Streusel and Sanding Sugar….

Granola - so good and easy to make - your new favorite breakfast

Hello Bakers,

A few weeks ago, I posted on Instagram about the idea of baking as self care. It is for so many of us - but I think because we are usually baking for others we don’t realize it.And nothing says self care more than making sure you have a good breakfast.
No mask, scented bath or lavender candles will soothe you if you have not fed yourself properly.
A little mom naggy? Yes, but we all know it’s true.
We all have our breakfast favorites - you might be stuck on smoothies, cinnamon toast, oatmeal or blueberry muffins…whatever it is bakers…it will taste better made by you. 
Let’s start with this granola. Imagine a container of this goodness in the pantry…ready to be topped with fresh fruit and your milk of choice. Imagine that first delicious bite…so good.
Let’s get started.
By the way - this is totally customizable - switch out your favorite nut and seeds - take out ingredients you don’t like. The rice krispies are optional but so good. I am indebted to Chef Gena for this idea - my original recipe used wheat flakes but they have become impossible to find. There were other flakes but in testing I found them underwhelming.
You might think why would I add commercial cereal to granola? It adds bulk and texture - keeping you hunger free until lunch time.
Also, this makes a great gift - packed in a treat bag and decorated with a sticker or pretty ribbon - it’s perfect.

Equipment:
½ sheet pan, silpat or parchment paper, spatula, small saucepan, whisk, scale, teaspoons, large bowl.

Ingredients:

Makes _____add yield

Dry Mix
227g (2 ½ cups) Rolled Oats
85g (½c+ 1T) chopped walnuts
85g (½c+ 1T) almonds - I use sliced natural almonds
57g ( ½ cup) cashews
43g (½ cup) shredded coconut - unsweetened is best if available
28g (¼ cup) pumpkin seeds
28g (¼ cup) sunflower seeds
14g (⅛ cup) sesame seeds
Add after toasting
28g (½ cup) rice krispies
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Good pinch (⅛ teaspoon nutmeg)
Wet mix:
113g(⅓ cup) Honey or Agave
28g 2(T) Brown sugar
71g (1/3cup) Canola or good vegetable oil
14g (1 Tablespoon)Peanut butter (optional adds protein)
8g (2 teaspoons) Vanilla extract

Add ins

85g (¾) cup dried cranberries, raisins or blueberries - use whatever combination of dried fruit is your favorite.

Oven 350 degrees:

1. Arrange all the dry ingredients on a parchment or silpat lined sheet pan in separate piles.

2. Toast for 8-10 minutes - the coconut will take on a light golden color, the nuts will smell lightly toasted, the oatmeal doesn’t change but this step does help bring out the flavor of the ingredients.

3. Let cool slightly.

4. Combine the wet ingredients, except the vanilla, in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat, whisking until well combined.

5. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. It may have to be re whisked before pouring.

6. Transfer the cooled dry ingredients into a large bowl.

7. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg, stir well.

8. Pour the wet mix on the dry mix and toss or stir until well combined and all the dry ingredients are well coated.

9. Spread out the mixture onto the sheet pan.

10. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, removing from the oven to stir every 8-10 minutes.

11. Sprinkle the dried fried on top of cooling granola.

12. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Zeppole! Orange scented Italian Fritelle - with a rich and elegant history

Hello Bakers,

On Friday I posted Zeppole and got several requests for a tutorial and here it is. Zeppole originated in Spain. I consulted my ex, Chef Daniel who is from Milan and an expert on Italian cuisine. He told me that the Spanish court manipulated flour prices so that it was very expensive for anyone who was not wealthy.

Eventually, Zeppole migrated to Italy via Naples and were the subject of this lovely little poem. written by Gianbattista Basile
1566-1632
Le Muse Napolitane
Cunti (IV 6) (Ecloga VI)
...tre so le coose che la casa strudeno,
zeppole, pane caudo e maccarune...
The translation is fascinating:
three things destroy families,
zeppole, pizza and pasta
It was the expensive ingredients that ruined families according to this poet.

Today - Zeppole can be made with ingredients you have in your baker’s pantry. They can be made with with either the sour cream or ricotta. And garnish with either cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar or both!
This go together quickly and easily - they make a quick dessert. This is one for your bakers repertoire - file under quick, easy and delicious. They can also be filled with pastry cream or jam - yummy.

Mixing time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 1 hour
Frying and Garnishing:10 minutes.

Yield: 30-32 Zeppole

Equipment:
Medium to large pot for frying, deep fry thermometer, digital if possible, stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, scale, 18” piping bag, 807 or medium plain round tip, scissors, whisk,
Medium bowl for cinnamon sugar, microplane or zester, Small baking tray lined with paper towels, strainer or spider to remove zeppole from the hot oil.

Ingredients: 
165g all purpose flour
teaspoons (5g) baking powder
¼ teas salt (1g)
30g sugar
Zest of ½ orange

75g (1 and ½ large) eggs - whisked until smooth not foamy

***to measure part of an egg - start by whisking an egg until smooth - weigh the whole eggs first and adjust with the whisked egg

165g sour cream or ricotta cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar topping

198g sugar

2 teaspoons (5g) cinnamon 

Whisk sugar and cinnamon sugar together in a medium bowl and set aside

Zeppole Mise en place

Powdered sugar - strainer

Oil for deep frying

Canola or vegetable oil (48 ounces)

Note***Oil for donuts can be reused several times if it is used to only fry donuts.

Let the oil cool and then strain - I use the original oil bottle to store my donut oil.

To mix the dough:
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Combine the sugar, orange zest and sour cream or ricotta in the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low speed for 1 minute and then medium speed for 1 minute - stop mixer and scrape down when necessary.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the eggs. Mix until combined.
On low speed add the flour mixture.
Mix only until combined - do not overmix.
Set aside to rest for 45 minutes at room temperature.

Resting batter and piping bag ready to go

The batter can be refrigerated for a few hours before frying - if cold it will take a little longer to cook.
In the meanwhile, set up fryer oil, a tray with paper towels and the bowl of cinnamon sugar or dust with powdered sugar.

Scrape the batter into the pastry bag fitted with an 807 plain round tip - they will work without the tip - cut the bag about 5/8” straight across.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Pipe the batter into the hot oil into 1 1/2” lengths and fry for 2-3 minutes until they are a beautiful overall golden brown. With a strainer or spider remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Frying Zeppole

Dredge in cinnamon sugar while still warm. You can also dredge them in powdered sugar.

Finished Zeppole

Bagels! - Exceptional Egg Bagels from Scratch

Hello Bakers!

Of any bread we can bake from scratch - bagels are maybe one of the worthwhile. The flavor is so good and makes supermarket bagels taste just like cotton balls. Once you have baked a batch or two under your belt - you’ll be making bagels all the time. And friends and family will rave! Trust me.

Happy Baking! Colette

Equipment: Stand mixer with paddle attachment, Scale, 1/2 sheet pan lined with very lightly oiled parchment paper or a silpat (no oil necessary on a silpat), dough scraper, lightly oiled bowl for bulk fermentation, plastic wrap, brush for egg wash. Spider or strainer for boiling bagels.

Egg bagel MEP

Ingredients:

240g Water (70 degrees)
6g instant yeast
14g vegetable oil
2 large egg yolks (36g)
454g Bread flour
14g sugar
8g salt
pinch (1/8 teaspoon) turmeric for color - optional
Egg Wash: I egg beaten with a pinch of salt - mix until smooth and thoroughly mixed

Later…for boiling bagels
4 qts of water
50g Honey

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook combine water, yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add oil, egg yolk, flour, sugar, salt and optional pinch of turmeric.
3. Mix on speed 2 for 5 minutes and then speed 1 for 4 minutes, The dough will be well developed.
It's important for bagel dough to have strong gluten development.
4. Place dough in the lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and bulk ferment for 1 hour until just about doubled in size.

Bagel dough proofing at 80 degrees for 1 hour - this Brod and Taylor proofer is a great investment if you make yeasted doughs often - the bagel dough will also proof very well , covered at room temperature.

Bagel dough after bulk fermentation

5. After an hour, gently degas the dough and with a bench scraper - divide into 6 portions - each will weight about 120g.
6. Round each into a tight ball or a strand, depending on how you want to shape them, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit no more then 7 minutes - the gluten needs to be a little relaxed but we don’t want the yeast to become active and make the dough gassy.

Bagel dough pre shaped and ready for shaping

7. Here is the shaping video:

Shaping video - 2 methods - try both and choose your favorite.

After the bagels are shaped, place on prepared half sheet pan. Cover and proof for a 15 minutes - set a timer.
8. Place tray in refrigerator and chill for 2-4 hours.
9. After 2-4 hours of fermentation - set up a pot for boiling bagels.
10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Boiling and Egg Wash Video

11. Boil the bagels 3 at a time for 30 seconds on each side.
12. Remover from the pot with a strainer or spider and return to sheet pan.
11. Egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or everything bagel mix.
12. Bake for 22 minutes. The bagels should be a rich golden brown.

Leftover bagels can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw for a few hours, toast and serve.