Malted Maple Blueberry Muffins

Last weekend was the first weekend with really gorgeous weather.  The kind of weather that makes me force the Monkey Scientist out of the house to play in the sunshine with me.  I wanted to celebrate with a bright and yummy breakfast to start the day on Saturday, which to me always means muffins.  I bought a bag of frozen Maine blueberries at Trader Joe's a while ago and used the first half to make Easter muffins.  They were corn and blueberry muffins and well... they were not a hit.  So I decided to scrap that recipe and try something new.



Of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone and make the recipe as it was written.  I'm too obsessed with maple and malted anything to allow that.  So I winged it and added quantities I thought would work (reasons I am not usually a baker) and magically it worked out!  I was sort of afraid they'd end up super dry or un-risen or something, but somehow my additions didn't disturb the recipe too badly.  Saturday win!



These muffins turned out wonderfully.  Right after I put them in the oven I had to run to yoga class, so I left the Monkey Scientist to pull them out of the oven and make sure they were done.  When I got home an hour later, one muffin was halfway in his mouth and another had disappeared.  Looked like an upgrade from my Easter muffin fail for sure!  Next time, I'd love to increase the maple flavor - maybe even using maple sugar instead of regular.  But this recipe is an easy weekend go-to for now!

Here's to hoping this weekend is just as beautiful as last!



Malted Maple Blueberry Muffins
adapted from Taste of Home
makes one dozen muffins

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup malted milk powder
1 stick butter, softened
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups frozen Maine blueberries
topping
1 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder.
3. In the bowl of your standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extra and mix until combined evenly.
4.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.  Stir in the frozen blueberries with a spatula.
5. Evenly distribute the batter into a 12 muffin tin lined with muffin cups.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and nutmeg and sprinkle over each muffin.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

American Flag Cake

I apologize here for a few reasons.  For one, I made this cake before either of the shower recipes.  But everyone had been asking for the recipes from the shower, so I had to get those up first.

I also have to apologize, because this recipe is about as Sandra Lee as I get.  The Monkey Scientist will tell you (if you haven't realized already) that I really like to make EVERYTHING from scratch.  But I got the idea to make this mere hours before I had to be at a BBQ, so I did go the boxed cake route.

However, I did try to play with the boxed cake a bit. I used both white cake and strawberry cake, and swirled them. It made for a pretty and patriotic design.  Everyone was quite surprised when they cut into it! My friend taught me to sub 1/2 the water for whole milk, which makes for a much moister cake.  You should try it!

Also, while I was cutting this, one of my strawberries sliced into perfect hearts. How flippin' adorable is that?

I made this cake for a Memorial Day BBQ, but it would be really great for the 4th of July as well.  It couldn't be easier to throw together - although if I make it again I promise to make the cake from scratch! It is a huge hit and of course tastes delicious. (It's just cake, Cool Whip, and berries, how could it not be delicious?)  Sandra Lee may not be a recipe writer but she is a great decorator - so sometimes it is good to emulate her, right?

American Flag Cake
(makes 2 cakes)

Ingredients
1 box white cake mix
1 box strawberry cake mix (you can add red food coloring to white cake if you don't like strawberry)
ingredients on the back of the box, but sub 1/2 water for whole milk
2 containers Cool Whip
1 lb ripe strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 pint blueberries

Instructions
Mix the cake mixes as instructed on the back of the box.
Spread half of the white cake into each pan.  Put dollops of strawberry cake mix on top. Using a thin knife, swirl with the white cake below.
Bake as direction and let cool COMPLETELY.
Place the blueberries in the top left corner and make stripes with the strawberries to resemble an American flag.

Blueberry Oat Crumbles

I have to admit, the only way to make a good meal a great meal is to finish it with dessert.  When I made the delicious Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Peppers, I wanted to have a dessert that I could finish preparing right after work and let cool while I made dinner.

When Jessica posted this blueberry oat crumble recipe, I was sold.  It's like a blueberry cobbler with mostly the top part.  And everyone knows, the top part is the best part!!

I had been having trouble finding whole wheat pastry flour in my local supermarket (and when I did it was like $8/lb), so I ordered it from Nuts Online, the same site where my coworker ordered my poppy seeds. The prices are reasonable and the quality was high!

I have to admit, for the weight conscious, that despite the fruit component, this is not a healthy dish.  It has over half a stick of butter in it!  

And for the less-weight conscious/believers in exercising only to allow you to eat whatever you want, I have to admit, this recipe is absolutely scrumptious.  It has over half a stick of butter in it! 

It's sweet, but not too sweet, especially since Chilean blueberries are a bit tart this time of year.  It does come out really crumbly, and not like a bar which is what I had expected.  It would be perfection sprinkled over vanilla bean ice cream.  Man, I miss living in New England and having such great homemade ice cream all the time.  I'll definitely make this again by the lake this summer!

Blueberry Oat Crumbles
from How Sweet Eats

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons

1 cup blueberries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt and mix until combined. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter and add it, along with the vanilla, to the oat mixture. Stir until moistened. This may take a minute or two! Fold in the blueberries – it’s okay if they pop a little bit.

Butter and flour an 8×8 baking pan. Press batter into the pan. Melt remaining butter and drizzle it over the bars. Bake for 20 minutes, the let cool completely – this can take up to 45 minutes! Cut and serve. Can be kept in the fridge or at room temperature in a sealed container.