• Lemon blueberry muffins
    Baking

    Lemon Blueberry Muffins

    Bursting with molten blueberries, these muffins have bakery style tops with tender middles made even more delicious with the use of lemon sugar, granulated sugar rubbed with lemon zest. I love the way the citrus shines in each muffin but still allows the blueberry flavor to take center stage.   For a bit of added texture on top, I sprinkle homemade blueberry muffins with turbinado sugar before baking though this step is optional.  The flavored sugar is a step I would not skip when making lemon blueberry muffins, since it introduces a bright and complex flavor that is quite different from lemon juice.  There are many ways to make a delicious…

  • Baking

    Strawberry Muffins

    Cherished as a herald of summer, ripe local strawberries have long been a sign of the changing season. Their stains often match the deep pink color of evening sky outside the window while I bake. If you head outside on the right June evening, that sky will also feature the year’s Strawberry Moon, so-named by the Algonquin tribes who used the month’s full moon as a sign to gather plump wild strawberries. Enjoy the spectacle with one of these treats in hand, and eat one again the next morning. Every strawberry season needs a standout recipe that justifies another haul of fresh berries. Ingredients 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries 1…

  • Olive Oil Muffins with Chocolate Chips
    Baking

    Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Muffins

    We all love butter for the way it makes virtually any dish more flavorful and decadent. Take your favorite loaf of sourdough or your best pan sauce, and it’s hard to imagine how a pat of butter won’t make it even better. For bakers, butter is more than a finishing touch. It is the key to tender, flaky crusts and delicate cake crumb. Since I crave the goodness of butter, trust me when I say that you will not miss it in this muffin recipe. While many bakers turn to oils as a healthier alternative, I turn to olive oil for flavor. Not just any olive oil will do, unless…

  • apple cider streusel muffins
    Baking,  Food

    Apple Cider Streusel Muffins with Glazed Pecans

    The scent of apple cider signals the coming of crisp fall days and cozy nights. Apple picking is fine, but when we head to a local orchard, the true pleasure for me is returning home with gallons of apple cider and way too many doughnuts. Experimenting with some of this cider led to delicious muffins that feature a middle layer of cider glazed pecans and a cinnamon streusel topping. With cider incorporated into the buttermilk batter, they smell so good that we always eat them while still freshly-baked and warm.