Best Blueberry Nut Muffins

Baking Spring and Summer seasonal muffins are ideal this time of year, especially since blueberries are so plentiful right now and muffins bake fairly quickly with not much prep. 

Oh, you say that you don’t have fresh blueberries on hand, but your bananas are ripening faster than you can say "Good Night, Mrs. Calabash - wherever you are!"? Well then, here's my banana muffin recipe, blueberries are optional. 

Tip:

Did you know? Tossing blueberries with flour before adding them to the batter will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin during baking. 

Blueberry Nut Muffins

Makes 10-12 muffins

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For the topping:

1/3 cup lite brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons nuts, walnuts or pecans, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts. Blend butter in with a fork until mixture is crumb like.

For the muffin mix:

1/2 cup sweet butter, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon flour for coating blueberries, plus greasing muffin cups

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup pure cane granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup milk

Grease a regular size 12-cup muffin pan with butter and dust with flour, banging out excess flour; or use muffin cups liners.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In a separate bowl use a mixer to cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and orange zest to beaten eggs, then add eggs one at a time, mixing until eggs are absorbed. 

With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture and milk in three stages, mixing until all are incorporated.  Do not over mix. 

Toss blueberries in a fine strainer with about one Tablespoon of flour to lightly coat. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries. With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place batter into muffin cups filling each cup to three quarters full. Add remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries on top of the muffins and divide crumb topping over muffins. 

Bake about 25-30 minutes, until muffins are golden brown. Check muffins half way through and rotate if oven temperature is uneven. Test with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin and it should come out clean; or when touched lightly the muffin should have a slight resistance to finger pressure.  

Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan.

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Arepa

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Join me this Weekend on GHL for Create TV's Weekend Marathon, Sweet as Pie 

An Arepa is best described as dense, yet spongy corn-flour rounds, or pita-like corn pockets which are actually corn pancakes. Crisp on the outside and steamy-soft in the middle, these unleavened patties pay homage to South America's traditional national cuisine, specifically Venezuela + Columbia. 

Sometimes nicknamed "the burrito killer" because of it's soft and smooth insides with its golden crispiness. Arepas can be a snack or a meal, and made as exotic as your culinary imagination. Their versatility is the reason why they are at the center of every meal, served from breakfast to dinner in South America.

The Arepa is commonly eaten plain with coffee + eggs.

The Arepa is commonly stuffed with an infinite amount of savory fillings such as; black beans, pulled pork or grilled chorizo + grilled shrimp.

The Arepa is commonly topped with cheeses such as cheddar or queso fresco, grilled eggplant, avacado, tomatoes with caramelized onions (as a veggie option).

Serve a spicy chimichurri sauce on the side. 

Note about corn flour: Arepa flour is a pre-cooked corn flour and should not be confused with masa harina. Arepa flour is sold as masarepa, harina precocida, or masa al instante. It can be found in Latin American groceries under the names Harina Pan from Venezuela or Goya Masa de Arepa is a good substitute; either white or yellow.  

There are many recipes and variations to making arepas. Some traditional ways call for no oil but I prefer the softness the oil lends to this recipe. 

Arepas Recipe

Makes 4 – Three-inch cakes

1 1/4 cups arepa flour, see note*

Pinch salt

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil, plus extra for cooking 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a bowl, mix arepa flour and salt. Pour in water and mix with a spoon until the dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove dough from bowl. Place on a wooden board and knead for about 5 minutes moistening your hands and board lightly with additional warm water while kneading if necessary. 

The dough should be smooth and free from cracks around the edges. It should be moist and not sticky. Form into four smooth balls and flatten with the palms of your hands into disks about 3-inches around and 1/2 inch thick. 

Add a small amount of oil to a pre-heated non-stick pan over medium heat and cook arepas on each side just until a very light brown and a crust forms.  

Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the arepas make a hollow sound when tapped. Cut a slit in one side of the arepa to make a pocket with fillings. 

Stuff arepas with pre made fillings such as black beans, pulled pork, grilled chorizo, grilled shrimp, cheeses such ascheddar or queso fresco & grilled eggplant with tomatoes, caramelized onions as a veggie pleaser. 

Serve with a Chimichurri made from a mix of parsley, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt, fresh ground black pepper

*Note about corn flour: Arepa flour is a pre-cooked corn flour and should not be confused with masa harina. Arepa flour is sold as masarepa, harina precocida, or masa al instante. It can be found in Latin American groceries under the names Harina Pan from Venezuela or Goya Masa de Arepa is a good substitute; either white or yellow.  

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Double Grilled Comfort

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Comfort foods never go out of style. Stuffed baked potatoes are an ideal accompaniment from todays show with meatloaf and pan gravy. Prepared traditionally in an indoor oven or max the flavor on the grill. Either way is a comfort winner.

George’s Grilled-N-Stuffed Potatoes

Makes Four Servings

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6 large Idaho potatoes, scrubbed

¼ cup virgin olive oil

sea salt

½ cup chicken broth

8 cloves caramelized garlic

2 egg yolks

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons chives

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

Pre heat grill or oven to high or 400 degrees F.

Pierce potatoes with a fork, rub outside of potatoes with oil, sprinkle with salt and place on a hot grill. Bake for 45-minutes to one hour, turning every ten minutes. Remove potatoes from grill when they are fully cooked. With a small paring knife, test by piercing through skin, when knife slips out easily they are done. Cool potatoes slightly.

Hollow out potatoes by cutting around the top edge on an angle lengthwise, using caution not to cut through the bottom skin of potato. With a large spoon hollow out the inside of the potato, saving pulp in a separate bowl.

Mash potato pulp with a fork and add caramelized garlic, broth, egg yolks, 1 ¾ cup cheese, chives, hot sauce, and back pepper. Blend all ingredients well and stuff back into four of the hollowed out potato skins, slightly mounding filling over the top. Top potato with remaining cheese and drizzle with a little olive oil. 

Place potatoes back on a hot grill on the top rack and heat until potatoes are hot. 

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The New Chocolate Chip

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These cookies have replaced the chocolate chip cookie in my home. I created this recipe with the intention of having the perfect blend of chocolate cookie crunch, like an old-fashioned cookie and bit of a cakey texture on the inside. Definitely dunkable.

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Makes 3 dozen large or 6 dozen small 

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1 1/3 cups butter 

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup Dutch cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped 

1 cup chocolate, chopped; dark or white chocolate

Preheat oven to 350F (180C).

Cream butter, granulated sugar, brown minute, or until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating lightly after each. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk beating at low speed about 1 minute, or just until blended. Stir in nuts and chocolate chunks.

Drop dough by heaping 2 Tablespoons spoonful on ungreased baking sheet. 

Bake 6 to 9 at a time, leaving about 3-inches between cookies for spreading.

Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies will still appear soft and moist when baked, but firm up on cooling.

Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack.

Tip: Smaller cookies can be made using 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

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warm Apple Pear Tartelette

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Making homemade desserts can be intimidating if you are not a trained pastry chef. Solution, my Apple Pear Tartelette. When the apples and pears are ripe it’s time to pick & prepare. This tart is also a great last minute “I’m entertaining tonight dessert.” And, once you’ve made this a couple times you’ll want to strut your pastry 101 skills and whip it up in front of your guests. Enjoy!

warm Apple Pear Tartlette from George Hirsch

George Hirsch’s Apple Pear Tartelette

Makes six servings

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1/4 cup unsalted sweet butter

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons water + 2 Tablespoons white pure cane sugar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 medium size Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored and sliced + 2 medium size gala or a sweeter apple; peeled, cored and sliced + 2 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and sliced

¼ teaspoon cinnamon 

pinch ground nutmeg 

1 store bought frozen puff pastry shells, baked  

Preheat sauté pan to medium temperature. 

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce temperature and let simmer two minutes. Cool and mix with sliced apples.

Optional: 

Add 2 Tablespoons cranberries or toasted walnuts to apple filling.

In center of baked puff pastry, top with warm apple and pear filling. Serve with freshly whipped cream or ice cream.  

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