Maybe that's why we liked Vermont so much. Everything was farm to table. One day we hope to have a little garden in our yard. Living in a city apartment with no balcony and strict rules on window hangings makes it not possible this first year of marriage. Alas, we settle for purchasing from the occasional farmers markets and yummy selections at the HEB.
With our obsession of good food, Mark & I love to whip stuff up in the kitchen.
For Mark, it's a science. Some time ago he went ahead and purchased this massive text book {on food and cooking} to get to the grit of what cooking is about.
For me, it's an art. I'm not too great at drawing or painting. Being in the kitchen is the little bit of artsy that comes out in this nature gal.
Anyhow, with all that being said, to take a peak into our world consists of much food. So, here is the first (of many) recipes for you to enjoy!
Raspberry Muffins with a Kick of Orange
{all thanks to Sarabeth's Bakery with some tweaks of my own}
{all thanks to Sarabeth's Bakery with some tweaks of my own}
Step 1. Gather up the ingredients.
mistake numero uno. i put baking soda. it's powder. unless you want to add some cream of tartar to your baking soda, stick with the baking powder.
Step 2. Mix it on up.
Whisk the bread flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar together in a medium sized bowl.
Take a look in that bowl. See those clumps of brown sugar? Not good. This was my second batch of muffins for the day so I was getting pretty lazy. I find the muffins to be much better when you break up those clumps before you even put the brown sugar into the measuring cup. When I say I break up, I mean break those things up. If you don't have a mesh sieve to rub the sugar through, then get your fingers dirty.
In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 large eggs, milk, corn oil (or regular old vegetable oil if you prefer), oj & zest.
this is when I break out the infamous kitchen aid.
{thanks papaw for the great wedding gift}
Step 3. Join 'em together.
Little by little pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture. I like to do this without the use of the kitchenaid in order to not overmix it. I just used a spoon as I gradually poured it on in.
Step 4. Add some fresh berries.
Ok. Frozen is fine. If you do frozen just bake it a bit longer.
Thankfully, the husband (still getting used to that) wasn't home yet so the raspberries were still left on the counter...minus a few that I snacked on.
You'll want to just gently fold these in.
Step 5. Pour it on in.
Put a heaping spoonful into each muffin tin! Everyone always says to fill it up 2/3 of the way. Sometimes I like to get a little crazy and go higher. I like the lift. Just remember that it will rise up in the heat.
You may notice there's a little something extra on those muffins there. That's right. Who doesn't know the crumble is the best part? A muffin just isn't a muffin without some streusel on top.
Step 6. Load the streusel on it.
Side note: When I was in elementary and middle school, I worked at my grandma's Kolache Bakery each summer. Every morning I would have a kolache (or two). And every morning I would go in the back of the kitchen, where the goodness is made, and put a bit more love on my muffin (aka streusel). No turning back since then...the extra calories are so worth it.
In the full recipe below I have the streusel part written down for ya. There are so many varieties, so play around with it.
Step 7. Baking time.
Put those things in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 375 for 12 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown on top.
Once you take them out let them cool down a bit unless you are impatient as I am and have a desire to burn your tongue all for the sake of hot, raspberry, orange goodness in your mouth. My suggestion: grow in patience (as I need to do) and enjoy the same goodness 15 minutes after letting it cool.
The Recipe.
Streusel Ingredients:
1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar (make this one heaping)
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Muffin Ingredients:
1 large orange
2/3 cup corn/vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (I made a batch with blueberries too and it was delish!)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make sure there is a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Put all of the streusel ingredients in a bowl. Mix together with your fingers until all mixed and crumbled up. Set this aside.
3. Zest the orange (buy a microplane if you don't have one) and then juice it. The juice should make about 1/3 cup. Make sure the seeds are out of it. Place the zest, the oj, eggs, oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Whisk that thing up.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Gradually pour this mixture into the liquid mixture while stirring. Gently fold in the raspberries.
5. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups (with cake liner or buttered). Give the muffins some love by sprinkling the streusel on top.
6. Bake muffins in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 and bake for 12 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown on top.
7. Take them out of the oven. Be patient. Let them cool. Remove the muffins from the pan. Still let them cool.
8. Enjoy. Bring them to work. Drop them by your neighbors to say hello. Or have them all to yourself.
I should have a picture of the final product for you, but as soon as we were done making the muffins we made supper and didn't have a chance to get a picture of them right out of the oven. Don't you worry...it'll all be made up for tomorrow when we get you the recipe from that aforementioned supper.
Until then...
You may notice there's a little something extra on those muffins there. That's right. Who doesn't know the crumble is the best part? A muffin just isn't a muffin without some streusel on top.
Step 6. Load the streusel on it.
Side note: When I was in elementary and middle school, I worked at my grandma's Kolache Bakery each summer. Every morning I would have a kolache (or two). And every morning I would go in the back of the kitchen, where the goodness is made, and put a bit more love on my muffin (aka streusel). No turning back since then...the extra calories are so worth it.
In the full recipe below I have the streusel part written down for ya. There are so many varieties, so play around with it.
Step 7. Baking time.
Put those things in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then lower the temp to 375 for 12 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown on top.
Once you take them out let them cool down a bit unless you are impatient as I am and have a desire to burn your tongue all for the sake of hot, raspberry, orange goodness in your mouth. My suggestion: grow in patience (as I need to do) and enjoy the same goodness 15 minutes after letting it cool.
The Recipe.
Streusel Ingredients:
1/2 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar (make this one heaping)
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Muffin Ingredients:
1 large orange
2/3 cup corn/vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (I made a batch with blueberries too and it was delish!)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make sure there is a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Put all of the streusel ingredients in a bowl. Mix together with your fingers until all mixed and crumbled up. Set this aside.
3. Zest the orange (buy a microplane if you don't have one) and then juice it. The juice should make about 1/3 cup. Make sure the seeds are out of it. Place the zest, the oj, eggs, oil, and milk in a medium bowl. Whisk that thing up.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the bread flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Gradually pour this mixture into the liquid mixture while stirring. Gently fold in the raspberries.
5. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups (with cake liner or buttered). Give the muffins some love by sprinkling the streusel on top.
6. Bake muffins in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Decrease the oven temperature to 375 and bake for 12 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown on top.
7. Take them out of the oven. Be patient. Let them cool. Remove the muffins from the pan. Still let them cool.
8. Enjoy. Bring them to work. Drop them by your neighbors to say hello. Or have them all to yourself.
I should have a picture of the final product for you, but as soon as we were done making the muffins we made supper and didn't have a chance to get a picture of them right out of the oven. Don't you worry...it'll all be made up for tomorrow when we get you the recipe from that aforementioned supper.
Until then...
please. please. please, send some to aggieland...
ReplyDeletesounds delicious! please help mark gain some of that new husband weight!! :)
ReplyDeleteI love to bake, too, so I am excited to try recipes you post here. However, my kitchen is not suitable for artsy photography during bakings ops.