Cool down with this refreshing Meyer lemon sorbet.
Showing posts with label lemon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lemon. Show all posts
What's Baking: Meyer Lemon Cookies
I am still on a Meyer lemon kick ... i.e., I still have a couple of Meyer lemons hanging out on my countertop begging to be used.
So, of course, cookies it is! Though when I look out the window, the scene is covered with snow, all I have to do is take a bite of one of these cookies and I'm transported immediately to Spring. The fresh lemon taste, accented with the floral notes of cardamom and the gentle spice of a pinch of black pepper, makes these cookies a perfect accompaniment to that second cup of morning coffee or a steaming mug of afternoon tea. Or, well, yeah, they work as a sweet snack at any time of the day, too.
Meyer Lemon Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes 20 cookies
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon zest (from ~ one lemon)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (~ one lemon)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Add the brown and granulated sugars and lemon zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir together for about 1 minute to help release the oils in the zest. Add the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
3. One at a time, beat in the vanilla extract, egg, and lemon juice, beating thoroughly between additions to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
4. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (a small (1 tablespoon) scoop is helpful here) and roll in the powdered sugar. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes, or until golden on the bottom and the top has just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
(lightly adapted from this White on Rice Couple recipe)
makes 20 cookies
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fresh Meyer lemon zest (from ~ one lemon)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice (~ one lemon)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground cardamom, and black pepper. Set aside.
2. Add the brown and granulated sugars and lemon zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir together for about 1 minute to help release the oils in the zest. Add the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
3. One at a time, beat in the vanilla extract, egg, and lemon juice, beating thoroughly between additions to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.
4. Place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls (a small (1 tablespoon) scoop is helpful here) and roll in the powdered sugar. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven for 9-11 minutes, or until golden on the bottom and the top has just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then remove to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
(lightly adapted from this White on Rice Couple recipe)
What's Baking: Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts
We're officially one day into the autumn season (how is it already fall?!), and I'm pretty sure that I am supposed to be sharing recipes featuring pumpkin, apple cider, and other cozy fall favorites.
While I am the first to admit that fall is one of my favorite seasons (aside from that whole harbinger-of-winter part), I'm not quite ready to give up the bright citrusy flavors associated with warmer seasons.
So, on that note, yesterday morning I baked up a batch of lemon poppy seed donuts. Oh man, are these good! They are super-lemony, which is just how I like them.
They are delicious straight from the oven (let 'em cool just a little bit before taking a bite) – or you can let them cool a bit more (if you can wait that long!) and then dip the donuts in a lemon glaze.
A sprinkle of poppy seeds on top gives just a little more crunch to an already-tasty donut. Is there anything better than a freshly-baked donut? Not when you have a half-dozen of them sitting on your countertop!
Yeah, I couldn't help myself. I might have taken a little bite during the donut photoshoot. Don't worry, though, these donuts are all mine. Maybe not all in one sitting, though. Maybe.
And, never fear, I'll share plenty of pumpkin and apple recipes soon (it's apple-picking season, yay!). But until then, make this donuts, won't you? You won't be disappointed.
Baked Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts (printer-friendly version)
makes six donuts
For the donuts:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 heaping teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
granulated sugar, for sprinkling
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk, egg, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until evenly combined.
4. Carefully spoon the donut batter (it will be thick and slightly sticky) into the prepared baking pan. Fill each cavity about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the donuts just spring back when touched.
6. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then remove the donuts from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
7. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
8. Once completely cooled, dip each donut into the glaze. Sprinkle with additional poppy seeds if desired. Donuts are best the day they are made and should be consumed within two days.
makes six donuts
For the donuts:
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 heaping teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
granulated sugar, for sprinkling
For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk, egg, butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until evenly combined.
4. Carefully spoon the donut batter (it will be thick and slightly sticky) into the prepared baking pan. Fill each cavity about 3/4 full.
5. Bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the donuts just spring back when touched.
6. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for five minutes. Then remove the donuts from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
7. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
8. Once completely cooled, dip each donut into the glaze. Sprinkle with additional poppy seeds if desired. Donuts are best the day they are made and should be consumed within two days.
What's Baking: Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
The arrival of Spring has me craving lighter flavors. So, for this week's installment of Muffin Tuesday, I whipped up a batch of gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins. These muffins get a double dose of lemon flavor from the addition of fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. A sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top of the batter adds a subtle sweet crunch to the baked muffins.
These citrusy lemon poppy seed muffins definitely taste like Spring -- now if only we could do something about all those massive piles of snow outside my door to match the Spring-like conditions inside my kitchen!
Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes 10 muffins
2/3 cup organic skim milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 large lemon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
turbinado sugar for sprinkling (about 1-2 teaspoons should do)
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or butter, or line with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Pour the milk into a small bowl and add in the fresh lemon juice. Let sit, undisturbed, for a couple of minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in one egg. Once the egg is completely incorporated, stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Then stir in the lemon-milk mixture, which will be slightly curdled.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Use a small scoop to distribute the batter into 10 lined or greased muffin cups. Each muffin cup should be almost completely full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin cup with turbinado sugar.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove them from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.
(adapted from this recipe from An Edible Mosaic)
makes 10 muffins
2/3 cup organic skim milk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 large lemon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
turbinado sugar for sprinkling (about 1-2 teaspoons should do)
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or butter, or line with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Pour the milk into a small bowl and add in the fresh lemon juice. Let sit, undisturbed, for a couple of minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in one egg. Once the egg is completely incorporated, stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Then stir in the lemon-milk mixture, which will be slightly curdled.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Use a small scoop to distribute the batter into 10 lined or greased muffin cups. Each muffin cup should be almost completely full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin cup with turbinado sugar.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove them from the tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.
(adapted from this recipe from An Edible Mosaic)
What's Baking: Lemon Sugar Cookies
The holiday cookie season is nearly upon us, so I'm trying out a few new-to-me cookie recipes now before the holidays really kick into high gear. I first came upon this lemon sugar cookie recipe while watching an episode of PBS's Martha Stewart Bakes, and immediately pinned the recipe to come back to later.
This past weekend I found myself at D's family's cottage up in Northern Michigan with an open afternoon and all the ingredients I needed on hand, so I figured it was as good a time as any to try this recipe out. Since I didn't have any cookie cutters with me, I made drop cookies (as the original recipe intends), but I think with some additional chilling time, this dough would work quite well for cut-out cookies. Given the delicious lemony (but not-too-lemony) flavor of these sugar cookies, I'm sure I'll get a chance to try this out as I plan to make another batch soon!
Lemon Sugar Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes about 16-18 large cookies
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
granulated or sanding sugar, for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugars and lemon zest. Then add in the butter and beat until light yellow and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Then stir in the lemon juice. Finally, stir in the flour mixture a little bit at a time until just incorporated.
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Using a spoon and your fingers, form the chilled dough into 1" balls (slightly smaller than ping-pong ball size). Gently flatten the balls with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle sanding or granulated sugar over top each cookie, tap it down with your fingers, then sprinkle on a bit more.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool completely on the wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
(lightly adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
makes about 16-18 large cookies
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
granulated or sanding sugar, for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugars and lemon zest. Then add in the butter and beat until light yellow and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Then stir in the lemon juice. Finally, stir in the flour mixture a little bit at a time until just incorporated.
4. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Using a spoon and your fingers, form the chilled dough into 1" balls (slightly smaller than ping-pong ball size). Gently flatten the balls with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle sanding or granulated sugar over top each cookie, tap it down with your fingers, then sprinkle on a bit more.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool completely on the wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
(lightly adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
What's For Breakfast: Juice!
It's official. I've become one of those people that juice. I blame all the blog posts I read in early January as everyone jumped onto the healthy New Year resolutions bandwagon. I admit I was swayed by all the bright green juices and endless options that come with juicing a bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
I tried to get D to jump on the bandwagon with me, but he decried our lack of kitchen storage space. Then we watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, a documentary about an Australian named Joe Cross who (spoiler alert!) turned around his health with a (medically-supervised) 60-day juice diet. Though Joe's story was interesting, the truly inspiring story was that of Phil Staples, an overweight truck driver who ("coincidentally") shared the same immune system disorder that Joe had. Long story short, Phil decides to give juicing a try, and over the course of 60 days, he loses a significant amount of weight, and more importantly, is able to become more active and achieve a positive outlook on life. In the end, Phil gives up his sedentary truck driver job for a position at the local Y and teaches community classes about the benefits of juicing.
The documentary totally sucked us into the world of juicing. About five seconds after it was over, we were on Amazon checking out our juicer options. In the end, we decided to pool together some gift cards from Crate & Barrel (thanks, Chrashley!) and go for the Breville Compact Juice Extractor (which is the highest-rated juicer on Amazon). Thanks to super-fast shipping from Chicago, our new juicer arrived on our doorstep just two days later. (Hooray!) That afternoon I headed to Golden Harvest to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables to juice, and we were off.
While neither D nor I have significant amounts of weight to lose, we are always looking for more ways to introduce nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables into our diet. And, with my New Year resolution to find ways to waste less food, I figured juicing might be a good answer to that problem, as instead of letting those leaves of kale wilt in the refrigerator, I could instead use them to make a healthy juice.
I have to admit though, I am kind of intrigued by Joe's idea of "rebooting." I think it would be interesting -- if not challenging -- to give a short-term all-juice diet a whirl. (We're talking three days, nothing crazy.) Thus far D and I have just been replacing a meal with a juice or supplementing our daily meals with a juice. And I have to say, of all the juices we've experimented with thus far, none have been bad. I like that there is an endless variety in juicing -- there's no reason to drink the same juice twice, unless you really want to.
Purple Juice (aka Spinach, Carrot, Beet, Cucumber, Lemon, Apple and Ginger Juice)
(printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 1/2 servings
large handful of spinach leaves
3 carrots
1 beet
half large cucumber (or 1 small cucumber)
1/2 lemon (with peel on)
1/2 apple
1" ginger
Juice the spinach, carrots, cucumber, lemon, beet, apple, and ginger. Serve in large glass (over ice, if you prefer).
(printer-friendly version)
makes about 1 1/2 servings
large handful of spinach leaves
3 carrots
1 beet
half large cucumber (or 1 small cucumber)
1/2 lemon (with peel on)
1/2 apple
1" ginger
Juice the spinach, carrots, cucumber, lemon, beet, apple, and ginger. Serve in large glass (over ice, if you prefer).
What's Baking: Rosemary-Lemon Butter Cookies
Back in mid-October, I saw a tweet about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, and I was immediately intrigued. It took me about two seconds to decide to participate. (Really, they had me at "cookies.") This event, which is in its second year, brings together food bloggers from around the world with one mission -- to swap delicious cookies. This year, the swap also partnered with Cookies for Kids' Cancer to raise money for pediatric cancer research.
Each participant was matched with the names and addresses of three other food bloggers. Our instructions were to send each of our matches a dozen cookies; in return we'd receive a dozen cookies from three different bloggers too. I received delicious espresso chocolate chip shortbread cookies from Sarah of Cooker Girl, honey-basil shortbread and chocolate mocha cookies from Justine at A Half-Baked Life, and peppermint crunch chocolate cookies from Denise at Addicted to Recipes. They were all delicious and I have to admit, none of them lasted very long in our house. I may or may not have had to fight D for the last espresso chocolate chip shortbread cookie.
My three batches of cookies went to Michelle of From Calculus to Cupcakes, Rosalynda of This Mama Can Cook!, and Janet from Simply So Good. I had a tough time deciding what cookies to bake for the swap. The only "rule" was that we were to bake a cookie that we hadn't featured on our blog before. After searching through a pile of recipes, I decided to give a Martha Stewart recipe for rosemary butter cookies a whirl. But of course, I had to add my own little spin to them -- I figured a little bit of lemon flavor would complement the savory taste of rosemary. Also, instead of following Martha's instructions for rolling the dough into a log and cutting circular slices, I chose to roll out the cookies and cut them into small flower shapes. Wild and crazy, I know.
I really liked how these cookies turned out -- they are the perfect complement to a warm cup of tea. I hope that you will give these a try -- they are definitely worth the effort.
Rosemary-Lemon Butter Cookies (printer-friendly version)
makes about 45 cookies (output depends on size of cookie cutter used)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (feel free to add a bit more if you'd like a stronger lemon flavor)
2 1/2 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together the flour, rosemary, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
4. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice at medium speed.
5. Turn the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Continue stirring until the dough just comes together.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured workspace. Pat into a 6" round. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 10 minutes. (Alternately, you can stop at this point, and chill the dough in the fridge for up to three days until ready to bake. Let the dough stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to slightly soften before rolling it out.)
7. Place the chilled dough on a lightly-floured workspace. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large circle of about 1/4" thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut the cookies into your desired shape.
8. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse sanding sugar.
9. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes. or until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges.
10. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
makes about 45 cookies (output depends on size of cookie cutter used)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (feel free to add a bit more if you'd like a stronger lemon flavor)
2 1/2 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
coarse sanding sugar for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together the flour, rosemary, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Use an electric mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
4. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and lemon juice at medium speed.
5. Turn the speed to low and add the flour mixture. Continue stirring until the dough just comes together.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured workspace. Pat into a 6" round. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 10 minutes. (Alternately, you can stop at this point, and chill the dough in the fridge for up to three days until ready to bake. Let the dough stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to slightly soften before rolling it out.)
7. Place the chilled dough on a lightly-floured workspace. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a large circle of about 1/4" thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut the cookies into your desired shape.
8. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with coarse sanding sugar.
9. Bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes. or until the cookies are lightly golden on the edges.
10. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)
What's Baking: Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
Monk's coffee shop, Elaine is at the counter eating a muffin and talking with a waitress.Poppy seeds always remind me of the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine tests positive for opiates due to her consumption of poppy seed muffins. Though they are one of my favorite indulgences at a bakery, I rarely make muffins at home. Let's face it, most muffins are calorie bombs. Tasty, yes, but calorie bombs nonetheless. Happily, the petite size of a mini muffin allows for all the delectable baked good flavor in a more manageable bite-size portion.
Elaine: How could I have tested positive twice? Once I could understand, that's a mistake. But twice?
Waitress: Yeah, it's hard to figure.
Elaine: I mean I lost my job, I can't go to Africa. I was gonna meet the bushmen of the Kalahari.
Waitress: Ah, the bushmen?
Elaine: And the bushwomen.
Man (also seated at the counter): Excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing. I notice you're eating a poppy seed muffin.
Elaine: Yeah, I eat these muffins all the time.
Man: Well, you know what opium is made from...
Elaine (as though receiving a revelation): Poppies! [via]
Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes about 32 muffins
2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and browned
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 24-count mini muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use the back of a spoon to rub the sugar with the lemon zest until fragrant.
4. Use a whisk to mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt into the sugar mixture.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and browned butter.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Stir in the poppy seeds.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
8. Top each muffin cup with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
10. Let the muffins cool for five minutes in the tin before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
(adapted from this Joy the Baker recipe)
makes about 32 muffins
2/3 cup granulated sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and browned
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a 24-count mini muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use the back of a spoon to rub the sugar with the lemon zest until fragrant.
4. Use a whisk to mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt into the sugar mixture.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and browned butter.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to incorporate. Stir in the poppy seeds.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
8. Top each muffin cup with a sprinkle of granulated sugar.
9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
10. Let the muffins cool for five minutes in the tin before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
(adapted from this Joy the Baker recipe)
What's For Dessert: Lemon-Berry Sorbet
We're still working on cleaning out our freezer, and this recipe used up the last of our frozen berry collection. (Yay -- I think we're getting closer to actually emptying the whole thing out!) I opted to sweeten this sorbet with a little honey; the resulting frozen treat is still a bit tart, so if you like things a little sweeter, I'd suggest adding a bit more sweetener to taste. I really love the deep red color of this sorbet -- it would make for a fantastic presentation.
Lemon-Berry Sorbet (printer-friendly version)
makes six servings
4 cups frozen berries (I used a blend of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)
1 lemon, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water
1. Add the ingredients to a Vitamix blender.
2. Start the blender on low, variable 1. Quickly switch to high, and turn up to variable 10.
3. Use the plunger to press the ingredients into the blades. Blend for 30-45 seconds, or until four mounds form. Don't overblend, or you'll end up with not-so-frozen sorbet.
4. Serve immediately. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container.
makes six servings
4 cups frozen berries (I used a blend of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries)
1 lemon, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water
1. Add the ingredients to a Vitamix blender.
2. Start the blender on low, variable 1. Quickly switch to high, and turn up to variable 10.
3. Use the plunger to press the ingredients into the blades. Blend for 30-45 seconds, or until four mounds form. Don't overblend, or you'll end up with not-so-frozen sorbet.
4. Serve immediately. Freeze leftovers in an airtight container.
What's For Dinner: Baked Herbes de Provence Salmon
D was in charge of dinner last night, and he opted to make salmon for our meal. The salmon was served alongside green beans and corn on the cob. I opted to add a little green salad (with a healthy dose of pecans and goat cheese along with a balsamic vinaigrette) to my plate as well.
Baked Herbes de Provence Salmon (printer-friendly version)
makes two servings
2 6-oz salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
1 head of garlic, the top chopped off to expose the cloves
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover a baking sheet aluminum foil.
3. Place the salmon on the prepped baking sheet.
4. Brush each fillet with a teaspoon of olive oil.
5. Season each fillet with salt and pepper.
6. Squeeze lemon juice over each fillet. Place the lemon half on the baking sheet next to the fillets.
7. Use a fine grater to finely grate one garlic clove over top each fillet.
8. Season each fillet with about a teaspoon of Herbes de Provence.
9. Place the garlic head on the baking sheet next to the fillets.
10. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
makes two servings
2 6-oz salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
fine sea salt
1/2 lemon2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
1 head of garlic, the top chopped off to expose the cloves
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover a baking sheet aluminum foil.
3. Place the salmon on the prepped baking sheet.
4. Brush each fillet with a teaspoon of olive oil.
5. Season each fillet with salt and pepper.
6. Squeeze lemon juice over each fillet. Place the lemon half on the baking sheet next to the fillets.
7. Use a fine grater to finely grate one garlic clove over top each fillet.
8. Season each fillet with about a teaspoon of Herbes de Provence.
9. Place the garlic head on the baking sheet next to the fillets.
10. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
What's Baking: Vegan Lemon-Blueberry Bran Muffins
Though our crazy oven makes baking a bit difficult (rumor has it we're going to get a new one soon, yea!), I couldn't resist trying my hand at some vegan baking. I went vegan for about a two week period in college, but soon decided that I couldn't live without dairy products. (Ice cream and cheese, I'm looking at you!) However, I'm all about trying new things in the kitchen, so after finding a recipe for low-fat blueberry bran muffins, I decided to veganize the recipe as well as tweak it in several places. The resulting muffins? Wow -- seriously yum. I'm definitely going to have to make these again.
Vegan Lemon-Blueberry Bran Muffins (printer-friendly version)
makes ~16 muffins
1 T ground flaxseed
3 T water
1 1/2 C wheat bran
1 C plain rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/2 C unsweetened organic applesauce
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
juice from 1/2 a lemon
zest from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 t fine sea salt
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 C fresh blueberries
1 T chia seeds [optional]
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with paper liners.
2. Stir together the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside.
3. Mix together the rice milk and wheat bran. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Combine together the "egg," applesauce, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and wheat bran mixture.
5. In a small bowl, stir together the two flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a fork.
6. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the blueberries. Stir in the chia seeds if desired.
7. Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin tin.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until muffin tops (ha!) spring back when touched.
9. Remove from the oven and place muffins on a wire rack to cool.
What's For Dinner: Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese
For tonight's dinner, I opted to use up the ginormous stalks of asparagus that D and I picked up at the Boulder farmers' market over a week ago. The stalks were still nice and firm -- and tasted delish!
Pasta with Asparagus and Goat Cheese
makes 4 servings
16 oz pasta (I used gemelli)
large bunch asparagus, ends snapped off, rinsed, and cut into 1-2" pieces
3 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
zest of one lemon
juice from 1/2 a lemon
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper.
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. As the water begins to boil, add a pinch of fine sea salt.
2. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese, olive oil, rosemary, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir together with a fork. Set aside.
4. When 3 minutes of cooking time remains for the pasta, add the asparagus to the water.
5. When cooking is complete, drain the pasta and asparagus; save one cup of pasta water.
6. Add the cooked pasta and asparagus into the mixing bowl with the goat cheese mixture. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Add some of the pasta water if the mixture is too dry. Season with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Serve immediately. Garnish with more finely-chopped fresh rosemary if desired.
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