Squire Tarbox blueberry muffins

A long, long time ago - probably at least 20 years, I tore out a blueberry muffin recipe in the Boston Globe from a little B&B in Maine called the Squire Tarbox Inn.  I was so happy with the recipe, whether I used wild blueberries, cultivated blueberries, or even frozen blueberries in the midst of winter, I kept using it.  I think the only change I made was to add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a little lemon zest to the batter.  Since this is prime blueberry season, I thought I'd share it with you.

I make these Texas size - two scoops of batter to a muffin.  They're tender and loaded with berries, soft, but not too crumbly and tough.

Makes 8 large muffins.

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease two Texas size muffin tins very well, set aside.

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter
3 cups King Arthur flour, all purpose
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a few scrapings of lemon zest
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, tossed in a tablespoon of flour
(if you use the tiny wild blueberries, you can use 1/2 cup less berries)


Beat eggs and sugar in mixer bowl briefly.  Add the milk and melted butter , and stir.
Add the cinnamon and lemon zest, the flour and baking powder, and mix very briefly.
Fold in the blueberries by hand, and fill the muffin tins, two scoops per muffin, using a regular sized ice cream scoop.

Bake for 30 minutes if using room temperature berries - frozen berries take a little longer.  They should be done when they are puffed and slightly firm to the touch if you touch the center of the muffin with a fingertip.

Remove the tins to a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes.  Use a dull knife to gently pry out the muffins - they usually pop right out.  Let cool another few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!  

It is still hot here, but not as bad as it was two days ago, thankfully.  Rain clouds skitter across the sky, but no rain has fallen in days.  If you leave the windows open at night, the house is lovely and cool in the morning - a big improvement!  Wishing you happy swimming and blueberry picking!

delicious steamy summer recipes

This has been the most unusual summer I've ever known since I moved to New Hampshire in 1978.  Day after day of my outside thermometer registering 100 degrees in the sun.  Rain promised, but not delivered.  Moose Brook dwindles to a trickle - I feel sadly for those in the farmbelt who are watching their crops wither.

Eating in this kind of weather is a challenge.  Enjoying it?  Not so much.  A cold shower at 10 pm helps, and so do all those tried and true recipes I have right at my fingertips.  I've sent Maida's delectable brownies to my son in almost-chilly San Francisco,  Tuscan Bean salad for suppers with the kids and grandkids,  Finnish cucumber salad, cold, sweet and sour - always welcome at any meal.  Blueberry muffins with toasted walnuts, made early in the morning, before it gets too hot.  Yogurt and fresh fruit with honey any morning - or evening!  Composed French salads, pickled red onions, lots of lemon cucumber mint water, eggplant appetizer with tortilla chips, Italian bread salad, zesty with garlic and tomatoes.  HB eggs with mayo ( Hellman's, please) with fresh basil and arugula, and embarrassing amounts of juicy watermelon chunks, strawberries, and blueberries.  Raspberry season came and went in a day, unhappy with the lack of rain.  I hope you all are holding up as well as can be.

For some reason, I've had no desire for cold soups, but you can find lots and LOTS of recipes here;  until this summer I've cherished soup in all seasons.  

On a sad note, my beloved 15 year old pussycat died the Friday before last:  I miss her hugely.  She was a playful, loving, darling Domino, and I hope she is at last with her beloved Indiana Jones, our Golden Retriever.  That gives me comfort.  

sunday pancakes with fresh blueberry sauce

For a summer with very little rain, I'm surprised that the blueberries are so bountiful!  With days running into the 90's and up, I have very little desire to hike up the mountains and even over to the pick-your-own fields of blueberries, but how can I resist the green boxes of fresh-pick at the farmer's market?  The boxes multiply in the fridge, until I finally made my favorite blueberry sauce - good not only on buttermilk pancakes, but just as tasty in my morning yogurt.


For the sauce:


1 pint fresh blueberries
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. sugar
pinch of cinnamon
3 T. fresh orange juice
pinch of salt


Place the blueberries in a small saucepan set on medium-low.  Add the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and orange juice and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until it thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and use immediately on hot pancakes, or cover and save in your fridge as a yogurt topping.
For the buttermilk pancakes:


1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all purpose flour
3 T. melted butter or canola, coconut oil, or light olive oil
pinch of kosher salt
3 T. sugar
pinch of nutmeg
2 t. baking powder
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, melted butter or oil, salt, sugar, nutmeg, and baking powder and flour.
The mixture will puff up - simply whisk again until it becomes more liquid.
Pour a tablespoon or two of oil or butter into a skillet, heat until melted.
Adjust heat to medium-low.


Either pour or use an ice cream scoop to scoop batter into skillet.  Let cook until you see bubbles on the sides of the pancake, then flip and cook another 4 minutes.  Remove to a plate, and repeat.


When all the batter is used up, place the plate of pancakes on the table and serve with the warm blueberry sauce and a bowl of fresh watermelon chunks or?  Personally, I think whipped cream is a little over the top, but if it appeals to you, I say go for it!


Happy August!

fresh blueberry muffins with lemon zest and buttermilk

For the next month, I will be revelling in blueberry season - freshly picked blueberries with milk for breakfast, blueberry muffins for tea, blueberries and Greek yogurt and honey for dessert after dinner. Some I pick myself, wild beside the ponds and lakes around here, but mostly bought fresh from the farmers markets and farmstands. Only after a month or so, will I start freezing some for winter - I love the seedy freshness of just picked berries so much I can hold off a while before stuffing freezer bags into the freezer.

My favorite recipe? Probably this one, with the perkiness of lemon zest and buttermilk. I lately have been using paper nutcups for wee little muffins - no need to grease, and a perfect little few bites of warm, oozy fresh blueberries spilling down the sides . I found them at Michael's crafts store, in the wedding department.

Enjoy the season!

To make about 10 little muffins, or 6 Texas size muffins:

Grease a Texas size muffin tin, or place paper nutcups in a regular sized muffin tin - no greasing needed.

Preheat oven to 350F.

2 cups King Arthur all purpose flour, plus 1 T. for toss the blueberries in

3/4 cup sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

pinch of kosher salt

grated rind of one fresh lemon

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup buttermilk, low fat or no fat

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 t. vanilla

Toss the blueberries in a bowl with the one T. flour and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients ( the flour, sugar, baking powder and soda and salt) in mixer bowl.

Mix in the wet ingredients: the egg, lemon zest, canola oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Toss in the blueberries and mix briefly.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop 1 scoop into nutcups, or two scoops into Texas size muffin tin.

Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes, remove to a cooling rack for 15 minutes, then remove to another cooling rack.

Eat as soon as possible, savoring blueberry season, or freeze for a sweet surprise in January!

Enjoy the season!

winter panna cotta with blueberry sauce, maple syrup, and vanilla

I know, I know, when you think of panna cotta for dessert, you're reminded of humid, tropical evenings - chilled panna cotta topped with just-picked raspberries still warm from the summer sun. But as I cleaned out the freezer this January morning, panna cotta with a juicy blueberry topping from my small stash of frozen blueberries I picked in the summer is just what flashed into my mind. So I made it, and it was delightful. The slight scent and taste of maple syrup and vanilla were absolutely dreamy.

The snow fell again today, so the Christmas tree I heaved out the door just days ago, is buried in snow. The icicles are gleaming in the cold sunlight, and four layers of : sweaters, down jacket, a long sleeved tee, and, underneath it all, a silk undershirt, are standard fashion. This dessert was my treat for hours of slinging snow, and I hope you'll try it!

To make about 6 servings, more if you use plastic cups and layer with blueberry sauce. I used some squat glasses, using about 3/4 cup of liquid for each.

*

The Panna Cotta:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 T. sugar

1 drop of vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

pinch of kosher salt

3 T. cold water

1 packet powdered gelatin

Place the cream, maple syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until warm. While the cream mixture is warming, place the gelatin and cold water in a cup and let sit for 5 minutes.

*

Stir the gelatin mixture into the warm cream until the gelatin is melted. Add the buttermilk, and stir until blended. Ladle into plastic glasses, small glasses, or ramekins. Place in fridge, covered with plastic wrap, until firm.

*

For the blueberry sauce:

1 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

2 T. orange juice

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

2 T. sugar

1/8 t. cinnamon

Warm the frozen blueberries gently in the orange juice and lemon juice. Add the sugar and cinnamon and warm another few minutes on low heat, so the berries stay whole. Remove from heat and let cool.

*

To serve:

Either unmold the panna cotta ( which I usually don't do) by running the tip of your knife around the edge and plopping onto the dessert plate. If you're serving in glasses, simply spoon a tablespoon or two of the berry sauce on top of the panna cotta and serve.

Enjoy your winter!

brown sugar blueberry muffins

It was another rainy day and I was finally, finally cleaning out the freezer. Way in the back I pulled out a zip bag filled with plump blueberries and a scattering of blackberries. My eyes lit up and I remembered a recipe a foodie friend had told me about with a slight twist to my usual low fat blueberry muffins: brown sugar blueberry muffins.

~

She had gotten the recipe from a friend, who told her it came from an old edition of The Joy of Cooking. It sounded intriguing, so I gave it a try. The muffins were moist, but fluffy and very tender. The next time I make them, I might switch out the melted butter for canola oil, but the brown sugar definitely stays.

~

To make:

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

1 T. flour

1 t. sugar

Toss the blueberries with the flour and sugar and set aside.

~

2 cups King Arthur flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

2 extra large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 c. packed brown sugar ( I used dark)

1 stick ( 8 T.) melted, unsalted butter

1 t. vanilla

extra sugar or sparkling sugar for sprinkling on top

~

Grease a Texas size muffin pan ( this makes 6 muffins)

Preheat oven to 375F.

~

In mixer bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and salt well.

Add the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla and mix again.

Fold in the floured blueberries with a spoon until well blended.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop two scoops of batter into each muffin cup.

Sprinkle with sugar and place in hot oven.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until muffin centers are firm when gently pressed in the center. If you use fresh berries, they will bake a little faster, so check them around 25 minutes.

Cool on cooling rack for 15 minutes , then pop out of muffin tin.

~

Enjoy!

blueberry pie with vegetable oil crust

I am so pleased to see the blueberry season in full swing here - there is simply nothing like picking, cooking, and freezing heaps and heaps of blueberries for the winter. Yesterday, I was intrigued to read an article in The Boston Globe comparing five different pie crusts ( lard, butter. butter and shortening, shortening, and vegetable oil) with the firm decision that the oil crust outranked the butter crust! Does anything get a cook going than questioning die hard pie making? I didn't think so either.

So I tried it. I tossed the blueberries with sugar, flour, lemon, and cinnamon, made the crust, and divided the berries between a smallish pie and a few ramekins topped with a sugared disc of crust. I'm just not much of a pie crust on the bottom person, preferring the almost-cobbler method of biscuit or pastry on top of fruit. I do have to say the vegetable oil crust is a breeze, and it stays nice and flakey. I'm sure you will make a tidier pie than I did, but I was feeling rustic today:)

How to make:

Preheat oven to 400F.

The crust:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

2 cups King Arthur flour

1/2 t. salt

Mix together well and squish with your hands to make a ball of dough.

Lay out wax paper on a wet counter, and roll the dough as wished.

The filling:

5 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 t. grated lemon zest

1 t. cinnamon

a little salt

Mix well. Heap berries into ramekins or bottom pie crust, roll out dough as wished for the tops, making sure you cut a steam vent or use a tiny cookie cutter to cut out a star or heart as a vent for the pie. Sprinkle the crust with a little sugar.

I baked the ramekins for 30 minutes - they were bubbling away like crazy after a half an hour.

I baked the pie for 40 minutes - the berries were cooked well, but still retaining their shapes.

Served with good vanilla bean ice cream would be heaven!

Enjoy!

Featured on TasteSpotting!!!

breakfast on the terrace : blueberry muffins with toasted walnuts

Where did the week go? Oh yes, waiting for an emergency dentist appointment much of the time, followed by orders not to chew as much as possible........

But this morning, I decided a juicy blueberry muffin could be gently eaten before work without much damage. I made them with pre-toasted walnuts and a hefty dusting of cinnamon in the batter - delicious and a change from oatmeal and/or yogurt.

To make:

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease 8 Texas size muffin cups .

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3 T. melted butter ( or canola oil, for lowfat muffins)

3 cups King Arthur flour

1 cup milk

1 T. baking powder

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, toss unthawed with a tablespoon of flour before you toss them in the batter)

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces (optional)

This recipe makes 8 muffins.

In mixer bowl, add eggs, sugar, cinnamon,milk, and melted butter and mix well.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix gently.

Using a spatula, fold in the blueberries. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop two scoops of batter into each Texas size muffin cup, until batter is used up. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and place in oven for about 30 minutes - your baking time will be longer if you use frozen berries.

Remove from oven when tops of muffins are somewhat firm and springs back when you gently press the top of the muffin.

Cool on rack for five minutes, then turn out.

- Katrina Hall