Friends Food Family

Dark Brown Sugar Zucchini Muffins with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Zucchini, zucchini, zucchini - How many things can you make with zucchini?

Earlier this summer, our zucchini and yellow squash were suffering from powdery mold. It is a whitish mold that begins to cover the leaves and then the leaves turn yellow and die. I knew there was probably a remedy, but I never looked it up. One Saturday, I cut back all the molded and dying leaves hoping to give the plants a second chance. I got rid of all the plants that completely died and allowed the ones with new green growth to stay. After about a week, they began coming back strong and we had another round of zucchini.

Last week, we picked 4 large zucchini from the garden and decided to shred them and make more zucchini bread. Kate made some zucchini muffins (with white sugar) that finished with a cream cheese frosting and sliced almonds. I was going to repeat the recipe as I volunteered to make some zucchini bread for a work meeting. I went looking for the recipe and came across this one from Martha Stewart called Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes. I loved that they used brown sugar in the recipe, but not just brown sugar, dark brown sugar...even better. This recipe was very easy and within 10 minutes I had the muffins mixed, poured and in the oven. The house smelled delicious and the zucchini muffins came out golden brown.

I let them cool and then put together a cream cheese frosting with a touch of vanilla. Ready to go, I took them to our office breakfast meeting. They tasted delicious. The muffins were moist and flavorful and the frosting was just right - not too sweet with the butter and cream cheese flavors coming through. It's great when everyone tries your creations and then brings a taste home for their significant other. I wanted to get this post out before morning for two reasons 1. They are my best critics and I would like to have the forum ready for comments 2. If they really like them, they will have the recipe available.

We are enjoying the last few days of August and the last few bits of produce from our garden. I have a few more zucchini and tomato recipes which will probably finish the last of our garden. It's been a great harvest once again.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups of flour

1 cup of packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 zucchini - coarsely grated (approximately 1-1/2 cups)

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

(see frosting below)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, dark brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in nuts.

3. In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined (do not overmix).

4. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.

5. Cool in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely.

Frosting:

1/4 cup of butter, softened

1/4 cup of cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

12 whole pecans

1. In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar, beat until blended. Add the vanilla and the remaining sugar. Blend until smooth.

2. Frost the muffins and garnish with a pecan on the top. Grab a muffin and enjoy!

Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Muffins with a Streusel Top

 

This is the ultimate breakfast of champions for all my coffee and chocolate fans! I'm enjoying them with a cup of coffee.

Yesterday morning was fairly disastrous as I tried to make pumpkin scones. I had taken two recipes and tried to combine them throwing off the balance of liquids to dry ingredients. The batter became very mushy and I wasn't able to mold it into scones. As I added more and more flour, the based seemed doughy and (low and behold) the scones tasted like cardboard. They were extremely dense and I could gag thinking about eating them. Kind of wish I took pictures, both of the scones and me eating them!

So, this morning I wanted to make muffins. let's see...no pumpkin puree, no oatmeal, no frozen blueberries or strawberries, not much for a healthy breakfast. But then, I found coffee and chocolate and decided, "There must be a breakfast muffin that can use these ingredients."

I found two recipes from the New England Bed and Breakfast that I combined for one delicious treat. I wasn't sure how a coffee muffin would taste with coffee, but with the subtle chocolate tones and the walnut sweetness, these really are wonderful. The combination of flavors might remind you of that Mexican flavor of chocolate, coffee and cinnamon.

This morning, I was also in the mood for muffin tops, so I made both muffins and tops. I love the sugary toppings but I know a few of the others in my house actually like to finish the bottom portion of the muffin, so two styles for two tastes.

Looking forward to one more muffin top with my second cup of coffee...these really are addicting!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup), softened
1 1/3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 1/4 cup of unsifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 large egg
1/4 cup of instant coffee granules
1/4 cup of Godiva liquor or Kahlua (if not, an a 1/4 cup of brewed coffee)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup of mini chocolate chips

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup of dark or light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons of better, melted
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of flour

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl to a crumb consistency.

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Place coffee granules, vanilla and liquor (or brewed coffee) in a bowl and stir until the granules are dissolved. Put aside.

2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder together in a medium sized bowl. Put aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar (with beater on medium speed) until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and coffee mixture until blended.

4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter among muffin pan tins. Mix streusel according to directions. Gently press the streusel into the top of each muffin.

5.   Bake 15-20 minutes or until centers spring back when lightly pressed. This will make between 18-24 muffins.

6. Enjoy warm with a delicious cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

Adapted from New England Bed and Breakfast Cookbook.

Jammin' Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

 
Jammin' Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (cooling)

 
(jam inside with icing)

As Valentine's Day nears, I was trying to come up with some easy baking ideas for next weekend. Whether breakfast in bed or a nice romantic dinner, sometimes little things mean alot!

Jeff started the morning making Boo Boo Chase's Banana Bread, which will follow this blog. Since I'm not a big fan of banana nut bread, I felt like I had to make something, too. There were packages of lemon poppy seed mix, but I thought I'd rather have something from scratch. I found a recipe on Epicurious for Pint Size Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. It had buttermilk in it, which I love because it gives muffins and breads a great moistness and I think enhances the flavor. Fresh grated lemon zest and lemon juice made this recipe much more appealing than the mix.

As I was getting ready to put the batter in the muffin tins, I remembered making muffins and adding jam. I grabbed some raspberry jam and put a teaspoonful in each cup. My only regret is that jelly sinks to the bottom, as you can see in the second photo.

The recipe didn't call for icing but I like just a little bit of lemony sweetness on the top. The muffins have a mild lemon flavor and the icing just helps to round out the taste. The little bit of jam in the middle (or at the bottom) makes these delightfully tasty. If you aren't a jam fan, eliminate the jam or put in your flavor of choice (blueberry, strawberry, cherry).

Anyway you bake it...they are great for breakfast, a midday snack or afternoon tea. An easy and great treat for your special Valentine.

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of buttermilk
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon (packed) of finely grated lemon peel
2 large eggs
1/4 cup of poppy seeds

raspberry, strawberry or blueberry jam

Icing

1 cup of confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour muffin pans or line with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and baking soda in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and lemon peel in large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until mixture is light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Mix just until blended. Mix in poppy seeds. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups to 1/2 full. Add a teaspoon of jam, cover with additional batter to 3/4 full.

Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pans and cool on rack.

Mix confectioner's sugar with lemon juice in a small bowl. Drizzle over cooled muffins. Makes 18 muffins (or 36 mini muffins).

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

 

About a year ago, I bought a mini-scone pan. I was heading right home to find a recipe to make scones because this was going to be my new breakfast treat, rather than muffins.

Today, being stuck in the house with the second nor'easter of the season, I found a container of blueberries hidden in the back of the refrigerator. Before they went bad I had a few choices...blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins or...blueberry scones. That's right, I have a mini-scone pan I've never used. I looked up blueberry scones on the internet and came across Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. I had to find a recipe that used heavy cream since I had some on the verge of being thrown away. Typically, scones are made with either heavy cream or buttermilk and buttermilk wasn't an option.

The recipe was easy to make. The dough was a little dry so I had to use my hands to get the last of it together. Some people who commented on the recipe suggested using 1-2 tablespoons of additional heavy cream. I was going to add some but was able to get the mixture to incorporate.

I flattened the dough and cut it into rectangular pieces to fit in the pan. The scones do not rise or get bigger as they cook so you can cut them to fit.

The glaze was also easy, especially since you can zap it in the microwave. I would suggest making half the glaze since there is quite a bit left over. I ran out of lemon juice and also didn't have a fresh lemon for the rind. I substitued a little bit of orange juice and orange rind which worked out perfectly.

My son, Stephen, and I were the first to indulge. The scones were delicious. The glaze added just enough sweetness to the scone. the scone was moist and melted in your mouth. We are a blueberry muffin family and I asked Stephen whether he thought they were better than blueberry muffins. "Oh, yeah...much better!" What more would you want from one of the "Bay Road Food Critics"!

The next time you want to make muffins, make scones. Something different, something tasty, something fun!

Scones:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons of butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 cup of heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup of fresh blueberries (you can use frozen, but they can be tougher to incorporate) 

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or orange juice if you don't have it)
2 cups of confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated (or orange zest)
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough. Note: If the dough is too dry add 1 tablespoon (at a time) of heavy cream until it sticks together.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly golden brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler, but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins - Muffin Tops

 
 

What is the best part of a muffin? The top! Crunchy, sweet...wouldn't you enjoy two muffins tops more that the entire muffin? I would and usually do.

About 10+ years ago, my mother had been over my cousin's house and talked about these muffin tops she had made. The pan was similar to a muffin tin except the cups were shallow. Knowing how much I baked and loved new ideas, my mother bought me a muffin top pan. Whenever I make blueberry muffins you will normally find them as a muffin top. I love this method for two reasons, first, the muffins don't need paper liners and second, the muffin tops disappear. They are easy to grab and delicious to eat.

Last week, one of my co-workers, Alison Moriarty, had brought in a pint of Maine blueberries for each of us. The entire ride home I was plotting as to what I could make with the blueberries. I kept thinking, I haven't made blueberry muffins in a while, and I hadn't made Jordan Marsh's blueberry muffins in...forever! Jordan Marsh's Blueberry Muffins were the best muffins. When we were younger, we would go into Boston to shop for the day and would always stop at Jordan Marsh's bakery to buy blueberry muffins to take home. (Macy's is the old Jordan Marsh) They were big muffins, bursting with blueberries and a crunchy, sugary top.

I found my old newspaper article for Jordan Marsh's Blueberry muffins and started to mix ingredients. It really is an easy recipe and within 10 minutes they were mixed and in the pan. I sprinkled them with turbinadosugar because I love the larger granuals, giving the tops more crunch. I made my first batch of muffin tops and then found a few of my mini tart trays. Presto...mini muffin tops. Whether full muffin or muffin top, if you enjoy blueberry muffins, this is a recipe worth trying.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups large fresh blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar (for top of muffins)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well.

In a second bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture alternating with the milk .

Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries and stir into the batter. Add the remaining whole berries and stir in gently by hand.

Grease muffin pan. I used a 12 muffin (muffin top) pan. I haven't been able to find them anywhere, but I did find a 6 muffin (muffin top) pan. I have a 6 muffin (muffin top) pan that works well, too. Fill muffin tins, 3/4 filled and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook for 15 + minutes until slightly golden on top and the muffins spring back when touched.

Cool on racks. If using a muffin top pan, the easiest way to get the muffin top out is to use a plastic knife and run it along the rim of the muffin. It should release the muffin from the pan.

Enjoy...and hide a few to enjoy later.

(I also had little tart pans and finished off the rest of the batter with mini-muffin tops!)