Perfect blueberry muffins

Oh, what to do with an abundance of big, beautiful blueberries in the freezer? Search for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe, that is.

I've made a couple blueberry muffin recipes, no too mention a plethora of other varieties. Muffins are just the perfect few bites in my book. And they're great for packing all sorts of creative ingredients into. You can do healthy, wholesome breakfast muffins, or you can do more of an indulgent dessert muffin (which may lead to a cupcake, naturally).

Long story short, Zack and I were craving some blueberry goodness (and looking for a way to use up some frozen blueberries), so I began my search for the perfect recipe. I love Ina Garten's blueberry coffee cake muffins, but I just wanted something a little different. Something not so cake-like. I stumbled upon one of my favorite new blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and lone behold they have a recipe titled, "perfect blueberry muffins." I was sold. They looked so golden. And they use lemon zest, which I love in a muffin.

Perfect blueberry muffins

As adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted their recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

Makes 9-10 standard muffins.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Heaping 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (don't bother defrosting, if frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tins. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add yogurt and zest. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in half of dry ingredients until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in blueberries. Dough will be thick (especially if you use full-fat Greek yogurt). Use a cookie dough or ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy (warm is best).

The recipe is pretty straightforward. And I like that this recipe doesn't make two dozen, so you don't have to worry about holding back from eating too many at once - which could be a problem because they are kind of dangerously good. Let's just say, this will now be my go-to blueberry muffin recipe that I will make again and again.

The hint of lemon is just heavenly, and I added more blueberries than called for, just because we love them. Furthermore, the texture if perfect. They are just dense enough that they keep shape well (no crumbling all over the place, here), but they're also very moist. I baked them until they were pretty golden, and I'm glad I did. They're beautiful. Beautiful to look at, beautiful to eat...they will make your life more beautiful. You must try. We did and we are again today. Enjoy.

Pumpkin pecan granola

I've never made granola at home. But now I know why people do. I'm starting to hesitate more when it comes to buying pre-made salad dressings, croutons, granola, etc. at the store because I know I can make it homemade. And what's better? I mean, really. You know what's in it. It's fresher. It's better for you. And a good recipe helps...

Zack and I eat a lot of Greek yogurt. It's the perfect thing to dive into when I don't have much time for lunch at work. Or when I want something different from my usual (and I mean, very usual) weekday-morning cereal. And when I saw this pumpkin pecan granola recipe, I knew it was the perfect thing to spice up my yogurt. Plus, we all know I love pumpkin. No secret, right?

Now about the recipe. It comes from The Sprouted Kitchen, as did my recent Greek chicken with tzatziki. The author points out that she uses extra-virgin olive oil as a healthier alternative to melted butter to ensure that the granola turns crisp. I like that. Speaking of crisp, keep a close eye on your granola. I think I baked mine for 4-5 minutes too long and it was very golden as a result. Although, it's not too bad on the toastier side, I look forward to making a more perfectly baked batch of this granola. I did use Grade A maple syrup instead of the recommended Grade B; I wonder if this made a difference.

Pumpkin pecan granola

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Makes about 3 cups.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)

1/3 cup Grade A maple syrup

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree; whisk to combine. Add oats, pecans, and sesame seeds; stir until evenly coated. Spread mixture on a baking sheet, keeping some clusters of oats and nuts intact so that finished granola has some chunks (don't be too rough spreading). Bake granola, stirring every so often until dry and light brown in color, 35-45 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then add raisins and toss to mix. Add a little more salt if needed. Cool before storing. Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

I'm still enjoying this granola. You should enjoy this granola. Cheers.