Showing posts with label blueberry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blueberry. Show all posts

June 16, 2012

Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins with Mascarpone & Orange Glaze



A perfect early summer morning consists of dragging children out of bed for a short drive up the mountain to pick blueberries.  And to make it even more so dreamy, how about stuffing handfuls of the freshest blueberries on the West Coast into their happy little mouths?


Eat your heart out Maine!

I am certain that we ate more than ended up in our bucket, but seriously, who is counting?

 
What a beautiful mess!
Which I would gladly endure again in spite of the muffin pan that I will spend two hours scouring.....maybe we will save this for a long, hot, soapy bath in the sink. It really does look as though I walked in on my daughter with a tube of finger paint and a brilliantly white wall :) 

Blueberry explosion = Success.

These muffins have somewhat of a quick break consistency rather than a spongy-box muffin type.  I used bread flour since it was all I had in the pantry.  I'm sure you could try all-purpose flour instead and see what happens.  I am a huge advocate for "seeing what sticks on the wall" rather than always following the rules. 

That's where the best recipes come from, right? 

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Blueberry-Oatmeal Muffins with Mascarpone & Orange Glaze

by Splendor in the Kitchen

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Cup Rolled Oats {instant or quick-cook}
2 Cups Bread Flour
1/2 Tsp. Salt
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
4 Tbsp Canola Oil
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Egg, slightly beaten
2 Egg Whites
2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

1/4 Cup Mascarpone Cream Cheese {softened at room temperature}
1/2 Cup Powdered Confectioner's Sugar
2-4 Tbsp Orange Juice {freshly squeezed if possible}

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners, or grease pan with softened butter. Set aside.

Heat buttermilk and honey in microwave until hot but not scalding, about 1 minute.  Pour in rolled oats, stir and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients {flour, salt and baking powder}.  Stir in vanilla, oil, sugar and whole egg. Add in the buttermilk/honey & oatmeal mix that has been soaking.

In another bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold egg whites into batter, careful not to break up the peaks.

Gently stir in blueberries and combine just until berries are evenly distributed in the batter.

Divide batter evenly amongst prepared muffin pan, filling until about 3/4 way full.  Bake in preheated oven, 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of muffin. Let muffins cool in pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.

While muffins are baking in the oven, prepare glaze by whisking together softened mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and enough orange juice to thin out glaze for drizzling.  Glaze should be smooth with no lumps from the cheese.

When muffins are still warm, drizzle mascarpone & orange glaze over all muffins with a small spoon. Serve immediatley.

Makes 12-16 muffins.











April 23, 2012

Pear & Blueberry Crisp


Pear & Wild Maine Blueberries....an unsuspecting couple, yet matched perfectly together with sweetness from the berries and acidity from the pear.

A Perfect Pair?

I think so.

This is an easy go-to dessert for a crowd and works great as one big batch, or cute individual size {my favorite} portions in ramekins of some sort.

Soon enough blueberry season will be upon us so freshly picked blueberries will be just as delicious in this dessert too, but I really love the wild Maine because they are petite and sweet. You can find those in the frozen foods section of the grocery store in a perfectly sized resealable bag....great to throw into pancakes and muffins too. 

Although, picking fresh blueberries reminds me of the book "Blueberries for Sal" and I can hear the "ker-plink, ker-plunk, ker plank" of the blueberries hitting the pail, so maybe that's more fun?!



Crunchy, buttery topping, and silky, jammy fruit....stop reading and go make this!

Enjoy!


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Ingredients for Pear & Blueberry Crisp
6 Pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Cups Frozen Wild Maine Blueberries
1/4-1/2 Cup Sugar, depending on tartness of pears
Juice & Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
For Crisp Topping:
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Rolled Oats
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Sticks Cold Butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
Directions for Pear & Blueberry Crisp

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

In large glass bowl, stir together pears, lemon juice and zest.  Gently stir in blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream. Set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the mix to thicken up.

In another bowl, mix together flour, oats and sugar.  Using a pastry knife, or fork & knife, cut in pieces of chilled butter until small clumps/balls of mixture form.

Divide fruit mixture amongst 6-8 ungreased ramekins, or pour all into 1 medium sized baking dish. Sprinkle the crisp mixture {flour/sugar/oat/butter mix} over the top, covering as much as possible of the surface.

Bake ramekins on a baking sheet about 20-25 minutes, or until top is crispy and fruit is bubbly.  If using a larger baking dish, bake about 30-35 minutes.

Serves 6-8