Raspberry Lemon Muffins

Looking for a fresh-tasting, "hints of spring", muffin? Give these a try.

This story began on a rainy Sunday morning. Perfect for a ray of baking sunshine! I had fresh raspberries and a few lemons in the fridge and was contemplating my next move. I love the combined taste these 2 ingredients lend to any baked goods. It being early in the morning with no idea what to make for breakfast, muffins just made sense.

This recipe comes from Leila Lindholm’s cookbook A Piece Of Cake.


It calls for frozen raspberries but I used 2-3 fresh ones per muffin instead. I also like muffins with crunchy tops so I sprinkled each muffin with turbinado sugar before they were baked.
Turned out perfectly ! Lastly, if you don't have vanilla sugar, simply add
1 teaspoon granulated sugar and either 1 teaspoon pure vanilla or
the scraping of 1 vanilla bean to the batter. I prefer the latter.

NOTE: most of the recipe ingredients are measured in grams
so haul out your kitchen scale and get baking!

LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

This recipe made exactly 12 glorious, golden muffins.

WHAT YOU NEED

100g unsalted butter, melted
200ml milk ( I used 2%)
zest of 1 lemon
2 organic eggs at room temperature
150g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla sugar
240g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
36 fresh, cleaned raspberries

MAKE IT

LINE muffin tin with 12 liners
PRHEAT to 350F
IN MEDIUM BOWL, combine melted butter, milk and lemon zest.
IN SEPARATE LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla 2-3 minutes MED speed
BLEND butter mixture into egg mixture.
SIFT together remaining dry ingredients and fold into batter with a spatula. DO NOT OVER-MIX
STIR the butter mixture into the egg mix. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and carefully fold into the mixture.
ADD 1/2 batter to each muffin cup.
TOP with 3 raspberries
COVER with batter so muffins nearly reach the top of the liner.
BAKE 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
COOL on wire rack for 20 minutes.

ENJOY !

Pastry Queen's Jonnie's Breakfast Granola

I decided to make granola. Not because I am a die-hard cereal fan or love the taste of granola (though, don't get me wrong, I do) but because I recently bought the Pastry Queen's cookbook and this recipe caught my attention.

It was refreshing to see a granola recipe in a baking cookbook and I was up for the challenge. In the end, the challenge was non-existent. This is a very easy recipe and the results are taste-bud delightful. I have no doubt this will now become a breakfast staple in our home.

This is a wonderful cookbook and I highly recommend you pick up a copy. The recipes are both savory and sweet. I cannot wait to try her Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones next !

Now back to the granola: As the recipe in her book states, any dried fruit works; the choice is up to you. She prefers cherries and apricots but at times adds dried figs too. All sounds great to me ! After tasting my first spoonful thoughts of dried pineapple came to mind and will be an addition to my next batch.


The recipe calls for almonds. I substituted pecan pieces. And for the dried fruit I opted for dried, sweetened cherries. The original recipe also makes a boat load of granola so I halved the recipe and it turned out perfectly. I also found I needed to add a tad more bake time than recommended. For me, 23 minutes vs 20 minutes was the ticket to a golden, perfect granola.

Do not add the dried cherries, or any dried fruit,
until after the baked granola has cooled completely.

LET'S GET STARTED !

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1/3 cup flavorless vegetable oil (canola or safflower work well)
1/4 honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1/4 shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup dried sweetened cherries

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
IN LARGE SAUCEPAN, combine oil, honey, sugar and vanilla.
OVER MEDIUM HEAT, keep stirring until sugar dissolves, approx. 3 minutes
IN LARGE BOWL, combine all other ingredients EXCEPT dried cherries (or any dried fruit you prefer to use)
POUR sugar mixture over dried ingredients and stir well until combined
POUR onto 12 X 17 " cookie sheet. SPREAD out evening with back of a wooden spoon
BAKE 20 MINUTES, stirring occasionally
ALLOW to cool completely before adding dried fruit
AS the granola cools it will dry out and give you the crunch you want in a good granola. Break up any larger clumps with your fingers.
STORE in air-tight container

FANTASTIC with milk, yogurt or just on its own as a snack!

Double Vanilla Sour Cream Cake

I started making Dorie Greenspan's French Yogurt Cake but became sidetracked due to lack of ingredients, a main one being yogurt. But then I saw a new container of full-fat sour cream in the fridge and thought, why not !

I also love vanilla and had recently picked up some gorgeous Madagascar beans. There is nothing like seeing the flecks of vanilla bean in a cake to really make one feel all earthy and warm. So in went the scrapings of one vanilla bean and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.

The end result is a moist, rich and beautifully infused vanilla cake.
This will be perfect for dessert topped with macerated strawberries and whipped cream.

LET'S BEGIN

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 cup ground almonds - remove any lumps
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup flavorless oil (ie canola or safflower. I used Becel)

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan
IN LARGE BOWL whisk together first for 5 ingredients
ADD remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth - do not over-whisk to ensure a light cake
POUR batter into prepared pan and smooth the top

PLACE loaf pan on a cookie sheet
BAKE for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
ALLOW to cool in pan 5 minutes
ALLOW to cool completely on cooling rack

ENJOY !!!!

Chocolate Dulce de Leche Crunch Bars

These little bars have a crunchy sweet oatmeal crust and are filled with dark chocolate, walnuts and Dulce de Leche. They are "super easy" to make and your family will love them.

Where did this idea come from? You can thank my fridge and pantry cupboards. I had a bottle of Dulce de Leche left over from a recent recipe. I also had some glorious dark chocolate chunks that were aching to be eaten. I cannot seem to walk by these in the grocery store without buying at least 2 bags at a time.

Lastly, I have had a new bag of oats staring at me in the cereal cupboard for weeks now. These are not quick-cook oats and please, don't use quick-cook in this recipe as it won't have the same desired texture.

I had originally intended to make date bars today but when I saw the possibilities with the ingredients above I just couldn't resist !

Now on with the show !!

You begin with a 9" X 13" baking pan lined with aluminum foil which must overlap the sides slightly. You will use the overlap as handles to remove the cooled bars for cutting.
Spray the lined pan with cooking spray before adding in the bottom crust.

You will need 3 key ingredients for the bar filler: chocolate, dulce de leche and walnuts.
A "threesome" made in heaven

Here is the baked crust awaiting its filling

Spread the Dulce de Leche on top of the crust and add 250g of chopped dark chocolate

Then add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts sprinkled on top

And finish it off with the remaining crust crumble.
These bars are now ready for the oven and the final baking process !

Baked, cut into bars and downright delicious !!

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

CRUST

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, grated

FILLING

250g chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chunks
1 450g jar of Dulce de Leche
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 9"x13" with aluminum foil so it overlaps on all sides.
SPRAY sides and bottom with cooking spray
IN LARGE BOWL, combine all ingredients
BLEND with your hands until the crust starts to clump together
PAT 1/2 of crust mixture into pan
BAKE 20 minutes
ALLOW to cool on rack for 20 minutes

SPREAD Dulce de Leche over cooled crust
SPRINKLE chopped chocolate over Dulce de Leche
SPRINKLE chopped walnuts over chocolate
YES, THE LAST STEP!! COVER filling with remaining crust.
PRESS top crust down gently
BAKE 35 minutes
ALLOW to cool 1 hr before lifting out of pan by aluminum sides
CUT into bars

Serve warm with ice cream for a special dessert treat

Gluten-Free Maple Chocolate Cupcakes

I am a true maple syrup fanatic and right now, given the season, it is a perfect time to indulge. When I saw this gluten-free cupcake recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, I knew I had to make them. Chocolate and maple syrup is a wonderful combo and this cupcake is a great way to enjoy them both in one big bite!

The original recipe can be found in Cybele Pascal's book The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook.

As with the Snickerdoodle recipe also posted here on Lemon Drop, the original one in her book is both vegan and gluten-free. My focus was simply to retain its gluten-free qualities. Therefore, I used buttermilk and butter in this recipe instead of her alternative ingredients. I also made a vanilla buttercream frosting instead of the rice milk chocolate ganache in the book.

Basic Gluten-Free Baking Mix
used throughout the book:

• 4 cups superfine brown rice flour (preferably from Authentic Foods)
• 1 1/3 cups potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  
• 2/3 cup tapioca flour or tapioca starch

You will need 1 cup of this baking mix blend for this cupcake recipe.

Let's get started !!


RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

CUPCAKES

2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour mix (see above)
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FROSTING

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (feel free to use maple extract here instead if you prefer )
1 - 2 tablespoons heavy cream
chocolate shavings


MAKE IT
PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 12 muffin tins with paper liners

IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, flour mix, and salt. Set aside
IN LARGE BOWL, cream butter 2 minutes HIGH speed with electric hand or stand mixer
ADD maple syrup and vanilla. Cream 2-3 minutes MED speed
ADD DRY AND WET INGREDIENTS IN STAGES AS FOLLOWS:
1/3 dry ingredients to butter mix. BLEND until combined
ADD 1/2 buttermilk, BLEND until combined
ADD 1/3 dry ingredients. BLEND UNTIL COMBINED
ADD remaining buttermilk, blend, and end with remaining dry mix. BEAT until smooth
FILL muffin cups 1/2 full as these do rise and peak somewhat during baking time
BAKE 18 minutes
ALLOW to cool 5 minutes in pan then remove cupcakes and let cool 1/2 hr on rack before frosting

FROSTING

COMBINE butter and icing sugar.
MIX high speed 3-4 MIN with electric hand or stand mixer
ADD VANILLA , blend thoroughly
ADD CREAM just until desired consistency is reached

PIPE frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with chocolate shavings

Featured Here: Sweet Tooth Friday

Featured Here: FOODIE FRIDAY !

NEW SPRING GIVEAWAY WINNER !!

I have had to re-draw the Spring Giveaway as the winner of the whoopie bunnies pie pan did not contact me to claim the prize.

And the new winner is:

Happier Than A Pig In Mud !!!!

Congrats! Please contact me within 24 hrs at lemondropfoodie@yahoo.ca to claim your prize and finalize shipping details in time for Easter.

Linda @ Lemon Drop

SPRING GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Today is the day to announce the winner of the super cute whoopie bunnie pan!

I ran this draw through a paid service at random.org and loved it. Will definitely use the service again for all future giveaways.

And, by a stroke of luck, several cookbooks arrived in the mail yesterday; the shipping box is perfectly sized for shipping this great prize away to the lucky winner !

Now on to the lucky winner:

Though a tad hard to see in this embedded image, the winner is DENISE !

Congratulations, Denise !!! I know you will love this cute bunnie pan. Please contact me within the next 24 hours at lemondropfoodie@yahoo.ca to claim your prize and arrange shipping details.

To all my lovely followers, do NOT despair because within a few weeks I will be hosting another fantastic giveaway and I hope you will participate. You could be the lucky winner!

Linda @ Lemon Drop