Blueberry-Corn Muffins - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...They're back. My Texas grandsons have grown like weeds and in six short months have crossed that invisible line that separates little boys from more serious works in progress. I'm a bit sad, but also thrilled and proud. Their years become them. On a more practical note, I have to feed these gangly guys and my dainty breakfast muffins will no longer suit this crew. So, I surrendered and bought a pair of jumbo muffin pans, and began a search for a batter with which to fill them. Martha Stewart had just what I was looking for. She developed a muffin that contains corn meal and blueberries. The proportion of corn meal to flour in her recipe is slight, so the end product tastes like a muffin with a really interesting texture rather than cornbread. I didn't make the paper molds she suggested and while my muffins lacked her striking presentation, the jumbo muffin pans worked well. I do have one suggestion to make to you. Use frozen blueberries. This recipe makes a really stiff batter and fresh berries will be mangled when you fold them into the dough. This is a really nice recipe that's a bit unique. You'll also love the aroma of the muffins as they bake. The only downside to this recipe is that the muffins don't keep well. They are, of course, best eaten warm. I hope you'll try these. They really are good. Here's the recipe.

Blueberry-Corn Muffins...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
3 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray one jumbo muffin pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2) Place softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, and honey in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs; beat 1 minute more.
3) Whisk flour, cornmeal, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture in mixer bowl. Beat until combined. Slowly pour in milk, beating on low, until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Divide dough among muffin cups. Brush tops with cold water; sprinkle 1 teaspoon of reserved sugar over each.
4) Bake until tops are browned, centers are set, and a cake tester inserted in center of muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes. Serve at once. Yield: 6 jumbo muffins.

You might also like the recipes:
Raspberry Streusel Muffins - One Perfect Bite
Morning Glory Muffins - One Perfect Bite
French Breakfast Puffs - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate Chip Muffins - The Purple Foodie
Blueberry Lime Muffins with Ricotta - Savour Fare
Pumpkin Muffins - Whisk: A food Blog
Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Muffins - Food Gal
Very Berry Muffins - Kristen's Kitchen
Orange Marmalade Muffins - The Food Addicts

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Blueberry Glacé Pie - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am readying myself for a feast of epic proportions. Tomorrow is Bob's birthday and I've spent a good part of the day preparing for the celebration. Bob is a pie person, so, while there will be a token cake holding a passel of candles, the real emphasis will be on some of his favorite pies. The pie I'm featuring today has been around for quite awhile. Before image consultants took it uptown, it was called an icebox pie. For better or for worse, it's now referred to as a glacéd pie. Fortunately, it has remained easy to do and it's a wonderful recipe to have on hand for berry season. It is a pure berry tart and, unlike many icebox pies, this one has no custard filling. While I used a crumb crust for this occasion, short crusts are also wonderful with this tart. Be sure to use fresh berries when making this pie. Frozen berries exude too much liquid and will keep the filling from setting properly. Those of you who love fruit will love the zen-like simplicity of this pie. Here's the recipe.

Blueberry Glacé Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
3 to 4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 8 or 9-inch pastry shell, baked
Optional: whipped cream for garnish

Directions:
1) Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Whisk in water. Stir in 1 cup blueberries. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until very thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, lemon juice and orange liqueur. Let cool.
2) Fold reserved blueberries into blueberry sauce. Refrigerate for 1 hour. When chilled, spoon into cooked pastry shell and refrigerate for 1 hour longer. Garnish with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Strawberry Glace Tart - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate and Hazelnut Pie with Vanilla Cream - One Perfect Bite
Apple Custard Pie with Streusel Topping

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday