Blueberry Muffins

September 10, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “School Today”

The Set-up: Ina is showing students at East Hampton High School how a bake sale is DONE.

The Menu: Old Fashioned Banana Cake, Blueberry Muffins

0:32 – Since this is school I guess First Period is Old Fashioned Banana Cake 101.

1:14 – I love smushing up bananas for banana bread, but I just now realized how disgusting they look. Seriously, bananas, you’re grossing me out, not cool.

2:59 – Normally I’m 100% onboard with Ina’s use of zest, but in this case I just can get behind orange zest in banana cake. Doesn’t compute for me.

3:27 – Ina is making these cakes for the Bake Sale but like the ultimate “cool aunt” she’s saving the icing step to do with the students. Way to get in their good graces.

5:06 – Ina has made three cakes and three separate batches of batter – I’ve never understood the prevailing wisdom that doubling or tripling a recipe runs the risk of not turning out right. The answer is probably Science, but why?

6:41 – Anyway, enough of my mutterings. Back to the kids! We get a few minutes with the East Hampton High Life Skills Class as they work through grocery shopping for the Blueberry Muffins.

10:15 – Ina is in the classroom when the students arrive and she brought aprons embroidered with their names on the placket! She is obviously The Best, but this is so, so sweet.

11:33 – Second Period: Blueberry Muffins and Ina is walking the students through the process, which is pretty much my dream Home Ec class come to life.

12:48 – This is making me wonder if high schools still teach Home Ec or do mainstream students have too much Government homework to do?

13:10 – The students are kicking butt with these muffins, but who wouldn’t with a fabulous teacher like Ina to teach you how to fold in blueberries?

14:29 – The muffins look really good and I’m betting that they’ll be gone by the time the bake sale is over.

19:52 – Time to frost the Old Fashioned Banana Cakes – whoop! Ina tries to get them to promise not to eat all the icing, but I’m afraid that’s not something I can agree to…

20:33 – One of the students has already picked up on the Ina Approved Lingo and call the frosting “Fantastic!” Extra points for you, young man.

21:47 – Am I the only one who has trouble spreading frosting? So. many. crumbs.

22:26 – Cakes are frosted, muffins are baked, and brownies that Ina brought are sliced. Let’s Bake Sale, y’all.

23:58 – Bake Sale is over and the hordes of students and teachers appear to have purchased (and presumably eaten) all but 3 muffins and 2 pieces of banana cake. Proceeds go toward the Life Skills Class trip to NYC.

26:12 – School’s out and Ina is back in the barn for A.P. Cooking (aka ‘Ina Asks’) where she puts some culinary questions to a chef instructor Toni Dickenson at the International Culinary Center.

27:25 – Question 1: What’s the right way to sharpen a knife? I’ll try to summarize the answer: Place the tip of the sharpening steel perpendicular to a non-skid, flat surface. Hold the knife at a 20 degree angle against the steel and draw the blade back from hilt to tip 2-3 times. Repeat on the other side of the blade and wipe clean with a soft cloth.

28:31 – Question 2: Are you supposed to wash soft fruit, like berries? No, if you know that they’re pesticide free, but if you’re not sure then swirl them gently in a bowl of water and dry on a paper towel just before using.

29:54 – Question 3: How do you make spun sugar? 2 1/2 cups sugar + 1/2 cup corn syrup + 1/2 cup water cook to 300 degrees, then cool in a water bath to 275. Drizzle across a greased bowl in thin strands.

Final Thoughts:

It’s awesome that Ina uses her skills as a volunteer in her local community – I’m definitely inspired to do more.

I actually think that Home Ec is an important part of a well-rounded education – more people should know how to cook for themselves!

One thing I love about cooking is that there’s always more to learn, new techniques to master, even icing or in Ina’s case spun sugar…

Lessons Learned:

I’d say that Blueberry Muffins are the Chocolate Chip cookie of the muffin world; which is to say that they’re a classic and in my experience usually the first to go leaving Bran and Oatmeal Raisin lonely. But, I’ve really never made them before – ridiculous right? So here was my chance.

This recipe doesn’t require a lot of special technique or cooking experience, which makes it a perfect gateway for the baking-averse. Truly, if you can measure with accuracy and wield a fork for mixing then Ina’s Blueberry Muffins are well within your grasp.

The only tricky part (and I brought this on myself) is fresh vs. frozen berries. I admit I was too lazy to make a special trip to the grocery store and since I had frozen ones on hand I decided to use them….

Great idea, except that they tended to sink a little in the batter which meant most of them were lurking in the bottom of the muffins when they came out of the oven. A tragedy? Not even close, but I would recommend dusting frozen berries with just a little flour (1-2 tablespoons should be plenty) before adding them to the mix.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, no fancy equipment needed! I used two medium mixing bowls, two small bowls, a sieve, measuring cups (dry and liquid), a rubber spatula, small ice cream scoop, and two muffin tins.

The Verdict:

Even cutting this recipe in half I ended up with a lot of Blueberry Muffins which was good news for several friends and for us because we had lots of opportunity to test them. Let’s just say that none of them went to waste… Lovely light crumb with just a hint of sweetness nicely balanced by the tang of the lemon and blueberries. Please make these for your next houseguest, potluck brunch, bakesale – you will be the most popular kid in school.

Baked Ricotta Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce

July 30, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking with the Contessa

Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

As inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts I’m following along with Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, in my tiny New York kitchen. Let’s see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Episode: “Brunch Bunch”

The Set-up: Ina has enlisted her BFFs Miguel and Michael to create a Pinterest-perfect brunch spread. I will indubitably be jealous.

The Menu: Roasted Hazelnut Granola, Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce, Apricot Butter, Fruit Platter

0:36 – We begin with Ina chopping hazelnuts for Roasted Hazelnut Granola and waxing poetic on the charms of day-time entertaining. Highlights: loves the food, people are full of energy, and (she says this more nicely) then they get the heck out so she can take a nap! That last bit is close reading on my part…

1:10 – Granola time! Pro Tip #1: Starting with roasted nuts (hazelnuts, cashews, almonds) gives the granola a deeper flavor.

3:22 – Split screen time with Miguel and Michael working on their tasks (table setting and flowers, respectively). Ina selected the theme of blue & white but now their on their own. No pressure!

3:30 – Michael selects blue muscari (aka grape hyacinth) since they’re “blue, low, and not too formal, which is perfect for brunch.” So far so good, although a second later he seems to be plotting something involving eggs?

3:45 – Now over to Miguel. He’s using the blue and white tablecloths Ina gave him and large, bowl-sized tea cups in a blue chinoiserie pattern for a “touch of whimsy.” You officially have my attention, Miguel; tell me more about this whimsy….

5:04 – Granola is in the oven looking very much like one of those deliciously sticky Nature Valley bars and now it’s back to Miguel pouring OJ and grapefruit juices into pitchers and delighting us all by saying ‘teacups’ one more time.

9:16 – We’re back with Ina for instructions on making the best Fruit Platter. Pro Tip #2: Smell the pineapple before buying to see if it’s ripe (it should smell like pineapple.)

10:23 – Fruit Platter 101: line the platter with large leaves (fig, hydrangea, lemon) for a touch of green. Make large blocks of color by staggering the slices of melon and pineapple together. Scatter a ‘stream’ of blueberries over the top and then another of strawberries and raspberries, again keeping the colors uniform.

10:52 – I can’t believe she put together a picture perfect platter in about 30 seconds. Apologies to future guests if I practice this on you…

11:07 – Croissant time and Ina (again) blows my mind with her perfect technique for lining a breadbasket with a napkin. Hard to describe, but essentially fold in the middle one direction and then again in the other. Confused? Is there anything she can’t do?

12:28 – Pro Tip #3: Leave the croissant baking to the professionals, but heat them up in the oven for a few minutes and serve them warm with Apricot Butter.

13:01 – Ina talks us through how to make it, but the true takeaway is that anything can be mixed into butter.

13:49 – We check in with Michael who has really committed to his egg idea by turning them into little vases for the grape hyacinth and placing them in porcelain egg cups. Never underestimate a florist.

14:56 – On to the Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce, which Ina explains are basically like a large pancake with ricotta filling. Sounds good to me!

19:24 – The filling (ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, lemon) seems like it would please both people who prefer sweet breakfast and people who prefer savory. Good news for me since Mike and I are a house divided on that subject.

21:18 – Miguel is stealth – he snuck a peek and discovered the Apricot Butter, so he chose apricot colored napkins to finish the table and honestly the contrast of the soft blues and whites with the bright orange and salmon colors is gorgeous. Miguel definitely knows what’s up with table setting.

22:03 – The first layer of the Baked Blintzes is done and Ina has spread the ricotta filling evenly before adding the top layer of ‘pancake’ mix. Pro Tip #4: Pouring the batter into a spoon, rather than directly onto the filling, will keep the layers from mixing. (Think: bartender making a ‘float.’)

26:31 – Blueberry sauce time and it looks amazing – like liquid blueberry pie. Yum.

28:19 – Blintzes are done, flowers are on the table, fruit platter and croissants have been set out. Seriously, this is magazine perfect – not that I had any doubts with Ina, Michael and Miguel on the case.

29:42 – Ina and Michael are more patient than I would be as Miguel snaps away (we get some of his shots interspersed with compliments from Ina on their work) and then everyone dives in!

Final Thoughts:

I’m excited to have a brunch idea that A.) requires one dish and B.) should be a crowd-pleaser for both savory & sweet.

I adore the blue/white/apricot color scheme of this brunch – gorgeous.

The hunt is on for ‘whimsical’ over-sized teacups. I will keep you posted.

Lessons Learned:

I’ve never made blintzes before and the steps of the Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce recipe worked well for me through the ricotta cheese and top layer stages. That’s where I ran into some issues….

First things first, I used a blender to mix the pancake batter, which I think added a lot of air to the mixture. See how fluffy the blintz is - it puffed up like a soufflé! A food processor or just a spoon is probably a better option.

Second, the consistency of the ricotta mixture was a little thinner than ideal - something closer to the thickness you'd use in lasagna would be better - in the future I’d add a little more mascarpone to thicken it up. The combination of these two factors made it really tricky to keep the layers from mixing together, even using the spoon-pouring method Ina demonstrated and I wasn't totally successful.

The final factor is the baking vessel. I cut the recipe in half and baked it in a medium oval casserole dish, but I think this made the layers too thick and really increased the baking time. Next time I’d use a larger dish so that the layers are spread over a larger area and bake more evenly.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, definitely. I used a blender (recommend: food processor), medium bowl, small sauce pan, and a baking dish in addition to a rubber spatula, microplane grater, wire whisk, small paring knife, along with the usual measuring cups (liquid and dry) and spoons.

The Verdict:

Mike and I were one week into a two week busy-spell of travel, work, and evening plans, so I wanted to slow down over Sunday brunch and have Baked Blintzes with Blueberry Sauce. I like a ‘sweet’ breakfast, especially waffles, while Mike would rather have something like an omelet. So, this seemed like a great compromise that we’d both like.

While the flavors are good and we thought the blueberry sauce was awesome (excellent over warm croissants, btw.) this dish didn’t really check the box for either of us. Not quite eggs, not quite a waffle. However, the next morning I had a piece still chilled from the refrigerator and actually like it a lot better cold. Bizarre, I know. Final decision: I will probably save this recipe for times when we have guests for brunch and will be making more than one dish to choose from.

Cherry & Blueberry Buckle

July 21, 2014 by Laura Messersmith in Cooking

The theme of red, dessert-related treats continues today mainly because I over-did it a little on the cherry related purchases last week. They were just so gorgeous looking that I bought a giant bag, so here we are with more cherries to eat. Thankfully, we were invited to a brunch party over the weekend, so I volunteered to bring the coffee cake and thus had a perfect excuse to make Cherry & Blueberry Buckle.

I was inspired by a recipe I found on Seven Spoons, and I knew immediately that it would be the perfect stand-in for a traditional coffee cake. I’m not entirely sure what a pastry chef would consider the difference between a buckle and a coffee cake since both involve fruit and a streusel topping, so I just decided to go with it.

Seven Spoons’ recipe was loosely adapted from this Blueberry Buckle recipe by Salt Water Farms for Bon Appétit. Coincidentally, SWF offers an entire class on fruit desserts entitled Cobblers, Buckles and Grunts. Doesn’t that sound like heaven? Maybe this is my opportunity to go to Maine and learn about the entire spectrum of fruit-related sweets….

Just in case Maine isn’t in the cards this year we can still channel a summery, New England treat at home. I partially followed both recipes noted above (my adaptation below) and the results were delicious.

I promise I’m not tooting my own horn here – Mike and my partners-in-brunch can corroborate that it was pretty awesome. Sweet, fragrant, and packed with fruit it was especially good served still warm from the oven.

I have future plans for this recipe involving other fruits: apricots, perhaps? or tart cherries? I’d love to try it in muffin form or perhaps with the addition of a scoop of vanilla or blueberry ice cream? The possibilities seem endless….

Cherry & Blueberry Buckle (yield: one buckle, serves 6-8 ppl)

Sugar & Spice Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4" pieces

Buckle Ingredients:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) room temperature unsalted butter, plus more for pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

6 ounces (1 ¼ cups) fresh or thawed blueberries

10 ounces (2 cups) pitted, roughly chopped black cherries

Special Items:

9” spring form pan

parchment paper

Sugar & Spice Topping Instructions:

In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and salt. Add diced butter and combine with your fingers until mixture comes together to form a texture like damp sand; refrigerate until needed.

Buckle Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare the pan butter the inside of a 9” spring form cake pan and place a disk of parchment paper cut to size in the bottom. Butter the parchment paper and dust the interior of the pan with flour. Tap out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk baking powder, salt, and flour.

In a separate medium bowl, beat sugar and room temperature butter using an electric mixer on high speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla just to combine, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in stages, then milk; mix just to combine.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries and diced cherries. Don’t be stingy with the fruit, if you have a few extra berries or cherries – add them in! Spoon batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and place pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Evenly crumble sugar and spice topping over.

Bake until top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 75–90 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool before unmolding and serving.

Small Kitchen Friendly?

Yes, to a degree. The recipe as written calls for three medium bowls, an electric mixer, measuring cups & spoons, a spring form pan, and a cookie sheet.

However, if bowls are limited it would be easy to switch the order of prep and re-use the dry ingredient bowl to make the topping. If a fancy presentation isn’t essential – and this is a rustic type of cake – then using a regular cake pan or muffin tins would be a solid option too.

And, don't forget Food52's genius cherry pitting DIY - I used it again, still works!