What’s the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? This issue caused a bit of confusion while I was developing this recipe. Many of the sources that I came across wrote about similar recipes, some calling them cupcakes instead of muffins. So how did I make the final decision?

Here are the [...]]]>

What’s the difference between a cupcake and a muffin? This issue caused a bit of confusion while I was developing this recipe. Many of the sources that I came across wrote about similar recipes, some calling them cupcakes instead of muffins. So how did I make the final decision?

Here are the important points I considered when naming this recipe:

• Would you eat it for breakfast? I’d definitely eat these for breakfast. Then again, I might eat a cupcake for breakfast every once in a while.
• Ratio of fat to sugar.The fat in this recipe comes from the avocado and olive oil. These are not the worst sources of fat out there. The sugar comes from pure maple syrup, which I consider a “good” sugar. This recipe contains slightly more sugar than I would normally use in a muffin recipe, but since it’s an unrefined sugar I’ll be more forgiving. In my opinion, we’d need to use butter and refined sugar to make a cupcake.
• Does it have frosting? No. Although I have seen some muffins with a glaze, I hardly ever see cupcakes without frosting.
• Method of preparation. Cupcake preparation generally involves creaming the fat and sugar, then mixing all of the ingredients well. Muffin preparation involves mixing dry and wet ingredients separately, then stirring together just until they are combined. This recipe follows the muffin preparation method.

And the muffin label won! With a not-too-sweet chocolate flavor and an incredibly moist crumb, these muffins are perfect for breakfast or snack. And maybe even dessert.

Vegan Chocolate Avocado Muffins
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Yield: 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium-sized ripe avocado, pitted and peeled
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 cup rice milk
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease muffin tin and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Puree the avocado in a food processor, or mash it by hand. Combine the avocado with the maple syrup, rice milk, olive oil, and vanilla extract, in a food processor or by hand with a whisk. Add the avocado mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking until combined.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool the muffins in the pan, on a cooling rack, for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely. These muffins are super moist and may break if you remove them from the pan while they are still hot.

Does your sourdough starter have a name? I’ve noticed that many of my blog friends name their sourdough starters. Now, I know that the starter is technically alive, but somehow I’ve never felt the need to call mine by name. Since it’s non-sentient, it doesn’t seem to mind. It bubbles along from day [...]]]>

Does your sourdough starter have a name? I’ve noticed that many of my blog friends name their sourdough starters. Now, I know that the starter is technically alive, but somehow I’ve never felt the need to call mine by name. Since it’s non-sentient, it doesn’t seem to mind. It bubbles along from day to day, always ready to help me when I’m craving some sourdough goodness. It was all too happy to jump into this sourdough zucchini bread along with some fresh squash from my CSA.

I reduced the amount of sugar from the original recipe so that the sourdough flavor would stand out. The bread came out with just the right balance of spice, sourdough, and sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter bread, I recommend slightly increasing the amount of sugar. Chopped nuts or raisins would also be an excellent addition to this bread.

I’m submitting this bread to YeastSpotting, where a new feast of bread is posted every Friday!

Sourdough Zucchini Bread
Adapted from Baking With Sourdough
Yield: one 9″ loaf

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sucanat (or your preferred type of sugar)
1 egg
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1/2 cup milk (I used rice milk)
1 cup grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the oil, sucanat, egg, sourdough starter, and milk. Make sure that the sucanat has mostly dissolved in the liquid. Add the grated zucchini, stirring to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the bread tests done. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan to cool on a cooling rack.

The flavor does intensify as the loaf ages. I think it’s more delicious on the second and third day after baking!

We are lucky to have an abundance of delicious carrots at our local farmers market. It’s one of my favorite purchases every week. They even come with the greens attached. I’m sure there’s a cooking method for the greens, but I haven’t yet experimented with them. Anybody have any recommendations for carrot greens? [...]]]>

We are lucky to have an abundance of delicious carrots at our local farmers market. It’s one of my favorite purchases every week. They even come with the greens attached. I’m sure there’s a cooking method for the greens, but I haven’t yet experimented with them. Anybody have any recommendations for carrot greens? For now, the carrot greens go to enrich my compost pile. And the carrots this week went into these muffins!

Did you know that carrots will stay fresh for longer if you cut off the greens? The carrots lose a lot of moisture through the greens, so cutting them off will allow the carrots to stay hydrated and delicious! I don’t remember where I read that tip, but I have tested it and it works.

I can only assume that the opposite will be true when applied to muffins. If you cut off the muffin top, wouldn’t the muffin lose more moisture? Seems to me that the muffin top serves as a sort of crust and the inside “cakey” part of the muffin would dry out if it weren’t for the muffin top. Any thoughts?

If you need to do some experimentation on this theory, might I suggest a batch of carrot spice muffins? I’ve included my preferred spice blend, but feel free to change it up and experiment!

Carrot Spice Muffins
Created by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: 12 muffins

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sucanat
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (I used rice milk)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large carrots, grated

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease muffin tins or line with paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sucanat, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, milk, and oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently fold in the grated carrots. Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the muffins test done. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove the muffins from the pan and allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.

I’ve got a problem. I’m obsessed with fresh berries from the farmers’ market. I simply can’t leave without a pint or two or three of strawberries. This past weekend, as I approached my favorite berry farmer’s table, I spied the blackberries! Perfectly ripe and sweet, I knew they wouldn’t last long. If I [...]]]>

I’ve got a problem. I’m obsessed with fresh berries from the farmers’ market. I simply can’t leave without a pint or two or three of strawberries. This past weekend, as I approached my favorite berry farmer’s table, I spied the blackberries! Perfectly ripe and sweet, I knew they wouldn’t last long. If I didn’t use them right away they’d be eaten.

So, what to make? My first thought was muffins, but I make those way too often. I’m a little burned out on muffins. A quick perusal of my cookbook collection yielded a spark of inspiration: scones!

This recipe is different from any other I’ve tried in that you don’t roll out the dough and slice it. Handling the dough less makes for a better texture in the finished pastry. Also, less work and less mess to clean up later!

The recipe recommends freezing the berries for two hours before folding them into the batter. Genius! Since the batter is so stiff, this should prevent the berries from breaking apart when they are folded in. I am impatient so I only froze the berries for one hour. It certainly made a difference! The berries were much firmer, and only a few of them broke apart.

The goal is to mix the dough until it just barely comes together. It will really come together when you shape it, so be gentle while mixing! I just made free-form balls on the cookie sheet, but you could also press the dough into a large round cookie cutter. Be sure to leave plenty of room, these babies spread while baking! I placed just 6 scones on my baking sheet for each batch.

Maple Blackberry Scones
Adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook
Yield: 12 scones

1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt*
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup rice milk plus 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or 3/4 cup buttermilk)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup

Rinse the berries, pat them dry, and spread them on a plate. Place the plate in the freezer for 2 hours.

In a large bowl, stir together the butter, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Place the bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the vanilla extract, milk, vinegar, and maple syrup. Place in the fridge until needed.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the flour mixture from the freezer and work the ingredients together with a pastry cutter until the butter cubes are the size of peas. Make a well in the center and pour the liquid ingredients in. Using a wooden spoon, gently combine the ingredients just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Carefully fold in the frozen berries.

Pack the dough into 3 inch round cookie cutters, then carefully remove the cutter, leaving the scone on the baking sheet. Alternatively, shape the dough with your hands, making sure the top of each scone is flat. Leave enough room between the scones for them to double in size.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Let the scones cool on the sheet for a minute or so, then remove them and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

*Note: I found these to be just a touch on the salty side. I actually enjoyed them this way since the slight saltiness offset the sweetness of the berries. You may wish to reduce the salt slightly.

I just can’t stay away from these Meyer lemons. They were destined to become another pitcher of lemonade when I had a breakthrough moment. I’d been waiting and waiting to buy poppy seeds so I could use them in bread. When we received another batch of Meyer lemons from the farm I mentioned [...]]]>

I just can’t stay away from these Meyer lemons. They were destined to become another pitcher of lemonade when I had a breakthrough moment. I’d been waiting and waiting to buy poppy seeds so I could use them in bread. When we received another batch of Meyer lemons from the farm I mentioned to The Boyfriend that I could make Meyer lemon poppyseed muffins if only we could find poppy seeds at the store. My very astute boyfriend said, “You’ve got a jar of poppy seeds on your spice rack”. Well, surely he must be confusing poppy seeds with something else, right?

I rushed to the kitchen, spun the spice rack around, and there it was. The jar of poppy seeds. So, Meyer lemon poppy seed muffins it was. Right away.

I’ve been experimenting with a new sweetener. Brown sugar has been my favorite sweetener to use in muffins and other baked goods, since it seems to be more wholesome than white sugar. But I found a sweetener that goes one step further: sucanat.

Sucanat gets its name from the three words that describe it: sugar cane natural. It’s simply granulated sugar cane. Sucanat has a flavor similar to brown sugar, but it’s a more wholesome sweetener. It claims to contain more of the trace elements that aren’t found in processed sugars, although I still wouldn’t call it healthy.

As I transition to more whole, unprocessed foods I have begun to research and question my customary pantry items. In researching brown sugar I found that oftentimes it is just white sugar sprayed with molasses. So it’s been processed just like white sugar, and then the molasses that was removed during processing has been sprayed back on. It’s more convenient and cost-efficient for manufacturers to produce brown sugar in this manner. In light of this discovery, I decided to give sucanat a try.

I do like the subtle molasses flavor that it adds to baked goods. I’ve used it in a few batches of muffins so far and I can definitely recommend it as an alternative to processed sugar. Sucanat is used as a 1:1 replacement for white or brown sugar, so if you’re not ready to give it a try you can use your preferred variety of sugar in this recipe.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Created by Simple Math Bakery
Yield: 12 muffins

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sucanat (or granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used rice milk)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease muffin tins, or line with paper cups.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter, applesauce, and sucanat. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the milk, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the muffins test done. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan to cool directly on the cooling rack.

I miss fresh berries during the winter. Luckily, I found some strawberries in my freezer. My first instinct was to make strawberry muffins, but I decided to try a quick bread instead. Of course, I didn’t have enough strawberries, so I added some frozen blueberries as well.

This bread is quick and easy. [...]]]>

I miss fresh berries during the winter. Luckily, I found some strawberries in my freezer. My first instinct was to make strawberry muffins, but I decided to try a quick bread instead. Of course, I didn’t have enough strawberries, so I added some frozen blueberries as well.

This bread is quick and easy. It doesn’t get much simpler than this. Two mixing bowls, one loaf pan, and into the oven it goes. An hour later, you’ve got a healthy snack!

While your bread is baking, you’ll want to check out this cookbook:

Lauren from Celiac Teen has compiled an ebook to benefit survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. All proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross, earmarked for Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

Lauren compiled 87 recipes, donated by 71 individuals (one of whom is me!). She asked foodies to donate recipes that make us think of home, so that we may remember those who lost their home in the earthquake. I am proud to be a part of this amazing fundraising effort. I hope that you’ll make a donation!

And now, without further ado, I bring you a bread recipe.

Blueberry Strawberry Quick Bread
Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
Yield: One loaf

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/2 cup mashed strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with butter, or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, strawberries, applesauce, and oil. Fold in the blueberries.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until combined. Pour into the pan, and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool on a cooling rack.

When we spent the weekend in Big Sur, we ate two breakfasts and one dinner at the Big Sur Bakery.  I fell in love.  I needed more than one weekend to try each breakfast pastry and every type of pizza.

I’ll go back someday soon, but for now I’ve got their cookbook.  When [...]]]>

When we spent the weekend in Big Sur, we ate two breakfasts and one dinner at the Big Sur Bakery.  I fell in love.  I needed more than one weekend to try each breakfast pastry and every type of pizza.

I’ll go back someday soon, but for now I’ve got their cookbook.  When I saw the potato frittata recipe I remembered seeing the frittata in the breakfast pastry case.  I didn’t try it while we were there, but now I can make it at home!

This is not a quick meal.  But it fits with the spirit of the bakery, that good food takes time.  And it’s worth slowing down for.  Everything I used in this recipe is organic and local, except for the bacon, oil, and butter (which was organic, but not local).

All of the vegetables and potatoes came from the farmers market.  One of the farmers there sells these beautiful sweet potatoes that are white inside.

They play tricks on my mind.  Once they are peeled, they look like regular russet potatoes, but when you take a bite they are as sweet as can be!

And can we just admire these beautiful eggs for a minute?

Each one is unique in size, shape, and color.  They come from a small organic farm near my house.  Super fresh and delicious!  The perfect main ingredient for this frittata.

Potato Bacon Frittata
Adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

4 strips bacon
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
9 eggs
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
3 garlic scallions, sliced thin
2 scallions, sliced thin

First, cook the bacon.  Here’s how I did it: Line a baking sheet with foil and line up four strips of bacon on the foil.  Place the pan into a cold oven and turn the oven on to 400°.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven, and place the bacon strips onto a paper towel-lined plate to cool.  Leave the oven at 400°, or preheat it if you fried the bacon.

Place the onion in a medium pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil.  Saute over medium-high heat until the onions are caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and scrape any brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.  Continue to cook until the water has evaporated and the onions are brown, about 5 minutes.

Place the onions into a baking dish with the potatoes.  Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.  Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.  Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 350°.

Whisk together the eggs, parsley, and scallions.  Add the bacon and season with salt and pepper.  Add the potato and onion mixture.  Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet, then pour in the egg and potato mixture.  Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes.

I removed it from the oven when the edges were crispy and the top had just begun to brown.

Ah, gingerbread.  The smell of the holidays.  I figure that it’s time to start baking with gingerbread when the stores have their holiday displays up.  I’m pretty sure that they used to wait until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls.  But yesterday I found myself in the middle of a winter wonderland as [...]]]>

Ah, gingerbread.  The smell of the holidays.  I figure that it’s time to start baking with gingerbread when the stores have their holiday displays up.  I’m pretty sure that they used to wait until after Thanksgiving to deck the halls.  But yesterday I found myself in the middle of a winter wonderland as I did some (what I thought was “early”) Christmas shopping.

This morning at the grocery store, the baking aisle was packed with shoppers.  Normally, I’m the only one in the aisle on a Saturday morning.  I love that everyone is excited to bake for their family and friends during the holidays.

In keeping with the spirit of sharing holiday baked goods, I decided to bring some scones to my neighbors.  The house next door has been empty for longer than I’ve lived here, so I was very happy to hear that it had finally been sold.  And today appeared to be moving day.

I brought some of these scones, fresh out of the oven, to welcome our new neighbors.  They are the perfect treat to share with a friend over a cup of hot tea or peppermint hot chocolate.

It’s a quick and easy recipe, and fills the house with a wonderful gingerbread aroma.  Who are you going to share yours with?

Gingerbread Scones
From Allrecipes.com
Yield: 12 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, cold
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, separated
granulated sugar for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt, and cinnamon.  Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  If you don’t have a pastry blender, you can substitute two knives.

In a separate bowl, mix the molasses, milk, and egg yolk until smooth.  Stir this mixture into the flour mixture, and combine just until moistened.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead gently 6-8 times, then pat into a circle 8 inches in diameter.  Cut into 12 wedges, and line the wedges up on the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart.

Beat egg white until frothy, and brush onto the top of each scone.  Sprinkle granulated sugar over the scones. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

These are best when eaten warm!