we've been starting our days the carby way with my new favorite muffin recipe. they do have high sugar content comparative to other recipes i've found, which means surprise, surprise these taste better. [ha] the end result has a wonderfully sweet crusted top with a soft, spongy, flavorful bottom. the variations you could make from the batter are pretty endless as well; blueberry, raspberry lemon, chocolate chip, banana, etc.
these store wonderfully (probably thanks to that higher-than-average sugar content) and can be frozen, so they have earned a firm spot in our regular repertoire.
| ingredients |
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
zest and juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
clear sprinkles or turbinado sugar
| method |
preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
in a small bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
in a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. add the eggs, beating after each addition and the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and poppy seeds. mix until thoroughly incorporated.
add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, then mix until combined. add 1/3 of the milk and beat until combined, then another 1/3 of the flour mixture, alternating with the milk and flour until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one 3/4 full and sprinkle the tops with sprinkles or turbinado sugar. bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
remove muffins from the pan to a wire rack to cool. once at room temperature store by placing in a ziplock bag, and remove excess air with a straw. muffins will last about 3-4 days sealed at room temperature.
kentucky bourbon fudge
in preparation for this year's kentucky derby i set about researching ideas for a derby day treat. i had been dying to try this chocolate stamp method, and unsatisfied with the kentucky cakes and julep-inspired desserts, i decided on something simple which is usually most popular around christmastime: bourbon fudge.
i figured the bourbon serves as a proper enough ode to derby day, with the added bonus that i got to practice my chocolate stamping skills after all. (for anyone who has never attempted it, these seals are harder than they appear whether you're stamping into wax or chocolate. just be prepared for a little practice and patience!)
| ingredients |
fudge
10 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
10 ounces white chocolate chips
1 can of sweetened, condensed milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
4 tablespoons bourbon, divided
chocolate stamps
your favorite wax seal stamp, you can find these on amazon
melted chocolate
piping bag and small tip
| method |
spray an 8 x 8 inch pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
in the bowl of a double boiler melt the semi sweet chocolate over medium heat. remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1/2 a can of sweetened condensed milk and 1-2 tablespoons of bourbon, to taste.* pour your fudge into your prepared pan and place in the fridge to set. clean your double boiler and repeat the same steps with the white chocolate layer, adding in the rest of the vanilla, other 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk and bourbon, then pour on top of the semisweet layer. return the pan to the fridge and let chill until firm.
*for stronger taste, stir 2 tablespoons of bourbon into each layer of fudge (total of 4 tablespoons) or you can stir 1-3 tablespoons into just the semisweet layer to avoid any coloring of the white chocolate layer.
once firmly set, run a knife under very hot water then wipe dry. gently cut your fudge into small squares, wiping any residue and re-warming/drying your knife as needed during the process. this allows for the cleanest possible cuts.
[optional] to make the chocolate stamps:
in preparation, place your clean wax stamp in the freezer and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
gently melt 6 ounces of chocolate in a double boiler. scoop almost all of the chocolate (reserving about one ounce) into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. pipe about 4-5 dime sized amounts of chocolate onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/2-3/4 of an inch between the dots of chocolate. let the chocolate cool for a minute or two, then remove your seal from the freezer and gently press your cold stamp into the warm chocolate and let sit for another 30 seconds or so. when ready, gently peel the stamp away from the chocolate. it should come away from the chocolate easily, leaving a clear impression. this takes a little practice and i found it was a good idea to make more chocolate stamps than i thought i would need so i had my pick of the best looking stamps when topping my fudge. if the chocolate sticks to the stamp, rinse it off, and stick it back in the freezer to chill. either the chocolate was still too warm, or your stamp wasn't quite chilled enough. you will need to stop and start a few times to re-chill your stamp, which is why i recommend only piping a few dots at a time. you will want to work semi-quickly so your melted chocolate in the bag doesn't harden too much.
when ready to assemble, take a little bit of the warmed, reserved chocolate, apply a dot to the top of your fudge and "glue" on your stamp!