Jordan's Blueberry Muffins

School is back in session! The kids were as excited as expected to head back to school. For the first day of school, I decided to back some muffins. The last couple of years I have made scones for their first day of school so it was a nice change. When asked, my daughter requested blueberry muffins. I recently saw this recipe so I figured I would try them. For the number of blueberry muffins I have made, I think it is apparent my daughter loves blueberry muffins. My children told me how much they liked these muffins. I thought I've made better ones in the past. Also, I have never tried the Jordan muffins before so I cannot tell you if they taste like the original ones. This is a quick and easy recipe to try.

Famous Department Store Blueberry Muffins
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
2 cup Maine blueberry 
1/4 cup fine sugar, for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrap the sides when necessary.
5. Add the baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Combine until incorporated.
6. Add a little flour and then a little of the milk. Beat until just incorporated. 
7. Mash 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Gently fold in the blueberries and the mashed blueberries.
8. Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into the prepared muffin tin. 
9. Sprinkle a little of the fine sugar on top of the batter. 
10. Bake the muffins for 30 minutes or until the muffins are light golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
11. Allow the muffins to cool slightly and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.

One year ago...................................I made Blackberry Scones.
Two years ago.................................I made Green Beans with saute onions.
Three years ago...............................I made Berry Oatmeal Cheesecake Muffins.

Did you already know........................
-In 1851, Eben Jordan formed a partnership with Benjamin Marsh.
-The Jordan Marsh department stores began in the Boston area.
-The Jordan Marsh stores have been closed and became Macy stores.

Berry Cobbler

Since 4th of July is approaching fast, I decided to make a red, white, and blue berry cobbler. I placed the blueberry filling on one side. The other side had a raspberry and strawberry filling. I really liked both sides but my husband preferred the raspberry and strawberry filling better. Next time I make this recipe, I will mix all the berries together. This cobbler is really good and easy to make. I really should make more cobblers. They make me think of my Mom. She spoiled us by making cobblers for us. It would be perfect to bring to a 4th of July celebration!

Mixed Berry Cobbler
Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
7 cups blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries

Dough:
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp chilled, unsalted butter
1/2 cup chilled milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Spray the 2 quart baking dish with nonstick baking spray

For Filling:

1. In a large bowl, combine the berries.
2. Fold in the sugar and flour with the berries. Set aside.

For Dough:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add the butter and mix until coarse meal forms.
3. Stir in the milk. Combine until incorporated. 
4. Add the berries into the prepared baking dish.
5. Spoon on the dough evenly over the berries.
6. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little sugar. 
7. Bake the cobbler for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
8. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

One year ago................................................I made Tri-Berry Pancakes.
Two years ago..............................................I made Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies.
Three years ago............................................I made Dulce de Leche Macaroons.

Did you already know.......................................
-Since 1777, Americans have been celebrating the 4th of July as Independence Day.
-In 1870, Congress made 4th of July an official holiday.
-Our 30th President Calvin Coolidge was born on the 4th of July.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Lately, I have been slacking in the cooking. When I do cook, I've been making some of our favorite meals like lasagna soup or blueberry oatmeal. It is because Spring is here and I just don't want to be home. The flowers are in bloom and it is hard to stay home. Well, this weekend was rainy or cloudy so I figured I would stay home and rest. I asked my husband what kind of dessert should I make this weekend. He elected chocolate chip cookies until I showed him the dessert I was thinking we should try. He agreed with my selection. This dessert was gone beside the piece my children wrapped for their lunch. It is a soft bar. It is creamy with a nice touch of lemon to them. I didn't wait for them to chill before serving. I guess it would have firmed a little more but my husband didn't want to wait an hour for them to cool after cooking so there was no waiting additional time. I did change the recipes topping and the crust. I really like how the dessert came out.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Crust:
4 cups mini vanilla wafer cookies
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp lemon zest, grated
8 oz. butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line a 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a food processor, pulse the cookies, sugar, and lemon zest until the texture of sand.
4. Add the melted butter. Pulse until combined.
5. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.
6. Press the remaining mixture into  baking dish. 
7. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove allow to cool.

Filling:
2 packages (8 oz.) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. In the food processor, combine the cream cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, lemon juice,1 Tbsp lemon zest.
2. Process until smooth. 
3. Pour over the crust. Set  aside. 

Topping:
1 cup of the crust filling
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the crust filling, sugar, and flour.
2. Cut in the butter with a fork.
3. Evenly distribute the topping over the filling mixture.
4. Bake the bars for 35 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The middle will still be a little jiggly.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hour.
6. Transfer the bars to the refrigerator to allow to chill for several hours before serving.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

One year ago................................I made Cream Puffs.
Two years ago..............................I made Softies Morning Rolls.
Three years ago............................I made Double Chocolate Cookies.

Did you already know.......................
-In April, the average temperature for North Carolina is in the 60s.
-North Carolina has three geographic demographics: the coast, piedmont, and the mountains.
-Piedmont is the land at the base of a mountain.

Blueberry Granola

I love granola but I really hate spending the money for it at the store. If is so easy to make that I just need to do it. Since I love blueberries, it was my dry fruit of choice. The best part of making granola is that it will last for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.

Blueberry Granola
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. 
3. In a large saucepan, add the oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.
4. Stir the mixture and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Its about 3 minutes.
5. In a large bowl, combine the oats and almonds.
6. Pour the warm honey mixture into the oat mixture. Stir until combined.
7. Gently fold in the dried blueberries. 
8. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet.
9. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir.
10. Bake for another 10 minutes or until the granola is a deep golden brown.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen cookbook.

One year ago........................I made Green Smoothie.
Two years ago......................I made Chocolate Caramel Shortbread.
Three years ago...................I made Vanilla Cake. 

Did you already know...................
-In 1863, Dr. James C. Jackson created granula made with graham flour.
-In 1874, Dr. John Kellogg created a recipe and called it granula. 
-Dr. Jackson sued the company and Kellogg changed the name to granola.

Blueberry and lemon Breakfast Rolls

I heard a bird singing the other day so I'm sure spring will arrive soon. I am very hopefully even if the ground is still buried with lots of snow. I even warned the kids that they had better enjoy the snow because soon it will be mud season. Yes, we have mud season here in Maine. It is what happens when the snow disappears. In anticipation for the arrival of Spring, I made blueberry and lemon cinnamon rolls. They came out pretty good. My daughter loved them. My son really loved the icing. 

Blueberry and Lemon Breakfast Rolls
Rolls
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 (1/4 oz.) packages of instant yeast
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
4 cups bread flour

Filling
3 cups frozen blueberries
3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Icing
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
Rolls:

1. In a large pot, boil the potatoes in water until tender about 10 minutes.
2. Remove 3 cups of the potato water and set aside.
3. Drain the potatoes and mash. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Allow the potato water to cool to 110 degrees F.
5. Add the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar to the cooled potato water. 
6. Allow the yeast to sit for 5 minutes to proof.
7. Add the yeast to the large bowl with the potatoes.
8. Add 3/4 cup sugar, the melted butter, eggs, and salt. Whisk the mixture together.
9. Add 3 cups of all purpose flour to the potato bowl and stir until incorporated.
10. Add 4 cups of the bread flour and mix until incorporated. 
11. Add the remaining all purpose flour and mix until the dough is no longer very sticky. (More flour may be needed.)
12. Cover with greased plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until the dough doubles in size about 1 hour.
13. Punch down the dough and recover. 
14. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

To make the filling:

1. In a medium bowl, gently combine the blueberries with the sugar, lemon zest, and flour. Set aside. 
2. Grease 2 9x13 inch disposable pans with butter and nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. 
3. Remove half of the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured surface.
4. Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangle.
5. Spread the melted butter over the dough.
6. Sprinkle the blueberry filling over the top of the dough.
7. Starting on 1 of the long side of the dough, carefully roll the dough tightly to the other side to form one long cylinder.
8. With a sharp serrated knife, cut the roll into 2 inch slices.
9. Place the slices with the cut side down into the greased pan. Leave about an inch apart between each slice. 
10. Allow the rolls to rise for an hour in a warm place until puffy.
11. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
12. bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until light brown.
13. Remove the rolls from the oven. Set aside.

To make the icing:

1. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. 
2. Spread the icing on top of the rolls while warm.
3. Serve immediately or once cooled. 

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen Cookbook.

One year ago..............................I made Chicken Cutlets.
Two years ago............................I made Tiramisu.

Did you already know..................
-The Spring Equinox is also called the Vernal Equinox.
-At Spring, the Earth's axis is tilted towards the sun.
-The Number of hours of light and darkness occurs before the Spring Equinox.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake and I are not friends. I hate how good it taste. I hate that it comes in a variety of wonderful flavors. I hate to share my cheesecake. However, I will be your best friend if you share your cheesecake with me until it is gone.

New York Style Cheesecake with a Blueberry topping
Crust:
8 oz. vanilla wafer cookies (about 2/3 of the box)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a food processor, finely ground the vanilla wafer cookies.
2. Add the sugar and salt. Pulse a couple of times.
3. Add the melted butter and mix together.
4. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a buttered 9 1/2 inch Springform pan. Set aside.

Cheesecake filling:
5 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. On the outside bottom of the Springform pan, cover the bottom and half way up the sides with aluminum foil so no water can enter the pan.
3. Place the Springform pan in the bottom of an oven safe roasting pan.  (So, the Springform pan is sitting inside the roasting pan and is ready for a water bath.)
4. In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese for about 3 minutes until smooth.
5. Add the sugar and flour and cream for about 5 minutes until smooth.
6. Add the vanilla and mix for about a minute.
7. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Scrap down the bowl before adding the next egg. 
8. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Scrap down the bowl after each addition.
9. Pour the filling on top of the cookie crust inside the Springform pan.
10. Boil some water and carefully pour the hot water into the oven safe pan so the outside of the Springpan is sitting in a water bath. Only fill the roasting pan with water half way up the side of the Springform pan. Make sure no water spills onto the creamcheese filling. (This will help prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking. I have never had water leak into the base of my cheescake yet since I lined it with the aluminum foil. Please see youtube for some examples of a water bath if desired.)
11. Bake the cheesecake for about 10 minutes. The top of the cheesecake should be puffed and golden brown.
12. Reduce the temperature to 250 degrees and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. The cake should be mostly firm with the center slightly wobbly if the pan is shaken gently.
13. Very carefully, remove the pan from the oven and run a knife on the outside edge of the cheesecake to loosen it. 
14. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the Springform pan.
15. Chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours. Make sure to loosely cover the cheesecake without allowing the plastic wrap to touch the top.

Blueberry topping:
1 (15 oz.) package of frozen wild blueberries
1 lemon zested and juiced
1/4 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Reduce to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Allow to completely cool before spooning the mixture on top of the cheesecake.

The cheesecake recipe is adapted from Smittenkitchen. The blueberry topping is adapted from Tyler Florence. 

One year ago.............................I made Stove Top Mac and Cheese.

Can I just eat it now?

Did you already know...............

-Cheesecake has been around since ancient Greece.

-It is believed that cheesecake was served to the Olympians during the first Olympic games.

-The Romans adapted their own version of cheesecake after conquering Greece.

Blueberry Muffins

Since I have been making everything with blueberries this week, my youngest daughter begged for blueberry muffins. She loves them! She really loves them. I don't think you realize how much she loves them. My youngest daughter asks me to bake one thing and it is always blueberry muffins. When my husband gets his coffee at a coffee chain, she wants a blueberry muffin.

 I made this recipe and my daughter ate four of them in one day. I know I posted a blueberry muffin recipe last year which was very good but not four in a day good. I have bookmarked this recipe awhile ago and I'm glad I finally made it. If you have blueberries on hand, this is the recipe to make. These muffins taste just as good the next day. I can't tell you if they taste good the following day since we didn't have any left.

Baking Illustrated's Blueberry Muffin
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/4 cups fresh wild blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a cupcake tin with the muffin liners and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
4. In another medium bowl, whisk the egg until well combined about 20 seconds.
5. To the egg, add the sugar and whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds. 
6. Add half of the slightly cooled melted butter to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. 
7. Add the remaining butter to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
8. Add the sour cream to the egg mixture and whisk just to combine.
9. To the flour mixture, add the blueberries and gently toss to coat the berries.
10. Fold the egg mixture to the flour mixture until the batter comes together for about 30 seconds. There may be some spots of flour remaining but it is fine and the batter should be very thick. Do not overmix.
11. Divide the batter evenly in the lined cupcake tin. 
12. Bake the muffins for 15 minutes and then rotate the pan from front to back.
13. Cook the muffins for another 10 to 15 minutes and the muffins are light golden brown. The muffins are done when checked with a toothpick and the toothpick comes out clean.
14. Remover the muffins from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.

Did you already know...
-In 1948, Bill Rosenberg opened a doughnut restaurant named Open Kettle.
-Two years later, the restaurant was renamed Dunkin Donuts.
-In 1978, Dunkin Donuts added muffins to their menu.
(It wouldn't have taken my daughter 30 years to add muffins to the menu.)

Blueberry Pies

Oh, blueberry pie! How easy you are to make! I really don't know why I don't make you more often. Maybe there are other pies that compete with you like strawberry or peach. How silly of them since there is no slicing involved except to serve you. 

Mini Blueberry Pies
7 cups fresh wild blueberries, picked over and cleaned
1 cup sugar plus additional for sprinkling
3 Tbsp all purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
pinch of coarse salt
2 pie crust dough
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, flour, and salt.
3. Gently toss to coat the blueberries. Set aside.
4. On a floured work surface, roll out one pie crust dough to about 1/8 inch thickness.
5. Take a large glass and cut out circles.
6. In a cupcake tin, place each circle in the individual cups.
7. Spoon the blueberry filling on top of the dough in the cupcake tin until it reaches just below the edge of the dough.
8. Dot a little of the butter on top of the blueberry filling.
9. Roll out the other pie crust dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. 
10. Cut out desired shapes and place over each blueberry filling. Press down lightly to seal.
11. Bake the pies about 30 minutes and golden brown.
12. Remove the cupcake tin from the oven and allow the pies to cool before serving since the filling is very hot.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes.

Did you already know...
-During the Civil War, blueberries were canned and shipped to the Union Troops.
-In Maine, wild blueberries are grown on over 60,000 acres.
-The bilberry is a cousin of the blueberry.

 I hope you have a wonderful week even though it is Monday!

Blueberry Season

Are you blue? Have you been having some bad luck lately? Yesterday was Friday the 13th and it is over. Only good luck ahead for all of us, right? I will admit the only thing blue lately for me would be all the blueberries I have been eating. My husband can not say the same since he just had knee surgery-yes ouch!

 It is blueberry season here in Maine and I have picked over 6 cups of wild blueberries lately. So, please forgive me now but I will be posting some blueberry recipes in the next coming days. I have warned you. Don't worry I will be going raspberry picking in a couple of days. Then I may surprise you one day when you are expecting another blueberry recipe and they are gone like all my blueberries.

I decided to remake the Ultimate Streusel Cake with Streusel Filling into a blueberry coffee cake. This remake was suggested by my oldest daughter and it came out pretty good. My husband really liked it and he doesn't eat fruit often.

Blueberry Coffee Cake 
Streusel Filling:
1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4cup sugar
3/4 cups almonds, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

Cake:
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1  cups sour cream 
1 cup of blueberries ( I used wild Maine blueberries)

Icing:
2 1/2 cups of powder sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional powder sugar, for dusting if desired


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease the Bundt pan.
3. Combine all the ingredients of the streusel filling together. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
4. In another bowl to make the cake, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
5. In a third bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
7. Slowly, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just combine.
8. Spoon half of the batter into the Bundt pan. Top with two thirds of the streusel filling.
9. Spoon the rest of the batter into the Bundt pan covering the streusel filling.
10. Top with the remaining streusel filling.
11. Bake until golden brown and cake tester comes out clean, about an hour.
12. Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.
13. When the cake is cooled enough, remove cake from pan.
14. In a medium bowl, prepare the icing by mixing the powder sugar and milk until well combined. Drizzle over cake.
15. Dust with powder sugar.

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes. 

Did you already know...
-The most common knee injure is a torn meniscus.
-Each knee has 2 meniscus which is the cartilage that acts like a cushion between the shinbone and thighbone.
-By forcefully rotating or twisting the knee, the meniscus can become torn.