Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Luscious buttermilk is a tangy cultured milk product made by adding healthful bacteria to whole or low-fat milk. Its slightly thick, cream like consistency and gentle acidity make it an excellent tenderizer in muffins and quick breads. Recipes using buttermilk usually call for baking soda, an alkaline leavener that reacts with the acidity in buttermilk. The resulting carbon dioxide bubbles expand in the heat of the oven, creating steam that helps produce rounded, moist muffins.

Fresh blueberries are best for this recipe, but if you have only frozen berries, stir them into the batter without thawing, or their dark juice will turn the muffins purple.

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel (Makes 18 muffins)

For the topping:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons each granulate sugar and firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the muffins:

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen unsweetened blueberries, unthawed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease two 12 standard muffin cups with butter or line with paper muffin liners.

To make the topping, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut or rub the butter into the dry ingredients just until coarse crumbs form.  Alternatively, combine the dry ingredients and the butter in a food processor and pulse just until coarse crumbs form.

To make the muffins, in a bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until blended into the butter mixture.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 increments, alternating with the milk and vanilla.  Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.  Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold in the blueberries just until evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes.  Take care not to break up the fruit.  Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup.  Sprinkle each muffin with some topping.

Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes.  A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes.  Unmold the muffins.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Strawberry Cheesecake New York Style

Ontario strawberries are in full bloom and I couldn't have thought of a better way to use enjoy those juicy, plump strawberries.  I adapted from two recipes: the crust from Barefoot Contessa's Raspberry Cheesecake and the cheesecake with the strawberry glaze from Ricardo's New York Style Cheesecake, with a twist here and there.

The outcome: A moist, creamy, and delicious cheesecake with a nice touch of redness from the berries.

strawberry cheesecake new york style (9-inch)

for the crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

for the filling:

24 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream (Ricardo uses 1/2 cup 35% cream)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

for the strawberry topping:
4 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened.  Pour into a 9-inch springform pan.  With your hands, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  Wrap the outside (bottom and sides) of the springform pan with aluminum foil, making sure it's watertight.  Turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F.

To make the filling, cream the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs, 2 at a time, mixing well.  Scrape down the bowl and beater, as necessary.  With the mixer on low, add the sour cream and vanilla.  Mix thoroughly and pour into the cooled crust.

Prepare a bain-marie: Place the springform pan in a large baking dish.  Fill the baking dish with boiling water until it comes halfway up the side of the pan.  Bake in the middle of the oven until the filling is set at the edges but the centre trembles slightly when shaken, about 70 minutes.  Turn off the oven, leaving the cake inside with the door slightly ajar for 1 hour.  Remove the pan from the bain-marie.  Remove the foil from the pan.  Run a thin knife around the inside edge of the pan.  Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 4 hours.

To make the strawberry topping, quarter 1/2 cup of the strawberries and set aside.  In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on the water and let it soften for 5 minutes, set aside.  In a small saucepan, bring the quartered strawberries, sugar and lemon to a boil while stirring.  Cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Strain; you should have about 1/2 cup of strawberry syrup.  Discard the cooked strawberries and add the gelatin to the hot syrup and stir until dissolved.  Arrange the fresh strawberries on the top of the cake and brush the berries with the syrup to glaze them.

The Best Banana Bread

Looking for a no-fail banana bread recipe? Well, I've got a winner here. Moist, slightly dense, made with a touch of sour cream banana bread, it'll make a nice scrumptious breakfast or a light afternoon snack.

banana bread (1 loaf)
from martha stewart's baking handbook

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I used a handheld mixer), cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

* I baked at 325 degrees for about 1 hour 20 minutes just so the bottom doesn't burn but the centre of the cake cooks evenly.
* I used about 3 bananas to get 1 1/2 cups of mashed so the cake is slightly more moist.
* For decorative, sprinkle whole walnuts or pecans on the batter once it has been poured into the pan.

Ina Garten's Beatty Chocolate Cake

"A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece"

-- Ludwig Erhard

The other day I had a few girlfriends over for dinner and right away, I knew what I would make for dessert--a classic chocolate cake, a great reminder of childhood.

beatty's chocolate cake (serves 6)

from ina garten: barefoot contessa at home

butter for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

2 tsps baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

chocolate frosting to follow

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

chocolate frosting

from ina garten: barefoot contessa at home

6 oz good semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.