Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I am sending all of you my best wishes for a safe and secure Thanksgiving. We will have a small Thanksgiving with just six of us. All of us have been very careful. I made these Cranberry Orange Muffins for breakfast to enjoy, either between the two of us or shared with our limited family members. They freeze well.

There is lots of orange zest, orange juice and a small hit of citrus flavoring in the batter along with frozen cranberries that burst in the oven and lend their tart essence to the mix.

You can find the recipe here. Let the holidays begin. It has been a tough year. Let us hope for a better New Year.

One of my Christmas presents from my Daughter-In-Law Kristen was a small bottle of citrus flavoring that can miraculously transform many kinds of baked goods.  The flavor is subtle with warm and zesty overtones.  It is described as a combination of vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet.  You will want to use it in everything.

Fiori de Sicilia is sold by King Arthur Flour.  This Italian flavoring is used by Italians to scent their panettone and pandoro.  But it can be used in cookies, pound cake, pies, meringues and sweet breads.  It is strong, so no more than 1/2 teaspoon is needed to flavor your baked goods.

Fiori di Sicilia certainly woke up my blueberry muffins.  The recipe I used came from Bobby Flay’s new cookbook, Bobby at Home.  His recipe only called for lemon zest and vanilla extract for flavoring.  I’m sure the original recipe would be just fine if you don’t have the Italian flavoring.  That option will be in the following recipe.

We are happily settled in our Florida cottage for the Winter.  The muffins will go in the freezer for all of our guests and friends over the next few months.

CITRUS INFUSED BLUEBERRY MUFFINS (Adapted from Bobby Flay)

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 cup frozen blueberries
(1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) or (1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp fiori di sicilia)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.  Whisk the egg in a medium bowl until smooth, then add the buttermilk, melted butter, oil and vanilla (or vanilla and fiori di sicilia combination).  Add lemon zest if using.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until the batter just comes together.  Fold in the frozen blueberries.  Evenly divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with a few moist crumbs attache 18 to 20 minutes.  Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from the tin and let cool 5 minutes longer.

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Nonnettes are tender little muffins originating in Dijon, France.  What sets them apart is the warm spice (pain d’epices) which is a blend including cinnamon, ginger, star anise, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and coriander.  It is easy to make and I will include the recipe at the bottom of this post.

In addition to the spices, the Nonnettes have a filling of orange marmalade, orange zest and Grand Marnier.  They are perfect for the Fall weather to come.  It is still summer on Lake Lure even in these early days of October.

I made these Nonnettes a few months ago and photographed them.  The leftovers were frozen.  I forgot to add the drizzle to them before I froze them.  The muffins above came from the freezer.  I added the glaze and enjoyed them just as much as when they were freshly made.

ORANGE MUFFINS (NONNETTES) WITH GRAND MARNIER (Adapted from The French Life)

3/4 Cup Water
7 Tbls Butter
3/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbls Pain d’épices spices
2 Tbls Grand Marnier
3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup All-Purpose-Flour
1 Tbls Baking Powder
Zest of 1 Orange
6 tsps. Orange Marmalade
3 Tbls Orange Juice
1/3 to 1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar

Heat water, butter, honey and sugar, just until butter is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the spices and Grand Marnier. In a large bowl whisk the flours and baking powder. Add the orange zest and stir to combine. Pour in the syrup (it should still be fairly hot). Stir until combined. Flour and butter a 12-hole muffin tin. Divide the batter over the holes. Chill for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a teaspoon, make a little well in the center of the batter and fill with half a tsp of marmalade. Bake the nonnettes for 20 minutes. The nonnettes should be tender and spring back when pressed. Allow to cool completely before unmolding. Place the nonnettes on a rack, making sure there is a sheet of tin foil underneath it. Make a thin glaze by whisking the orange juice into the powdered sugar. Drizzle over the nonnettes and leave to set.

Pain d’épices Spices:
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
4 whole star anise ground
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp coriander

Use 1 tablespoon of this mixture in the muffins and save the rest.

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One of my favorite “low-carb conscious” recipe websites is Kalyn’s Kitchen.  She has creative recipes for South Beach, Paleo and Keto diets to name a few.  David has been on the Keto diet for long enough for it to have become a lifestyle choice.  Sometimes he craves more than bacon and eggs for breakfast.  These muffins made with mostly almond flour fit the bill.  There is a small amount of flour in the mix, but not enough to give him pause.  The muffins are spiked with bacon crumbles, green onions and Parmesan cheese.  I love them too.

I thank Kalyn for this wonderful recipe.  I may serve them when the whole family comes for the Labor Day Weekend.  They are quick to assemble and will be an easy breakfast for 14 people all on different schedules.  Let the fun begin!  Happy Fall.

COTTAGE CHEESE AND BACON AND EGG BREAKFAST MUFFINS (Slightly adapted from Kayln’s Kitchen)

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

I love financiers.  They are little cakes shaped like gold bricks and first sold in the financial district of Paris in patisseries to moneymen with their morning espressos.  They are distinctive because of the ingredients; browned butter, almond flour, egg whites and plops of fruit.  I have made them with raspberries and even did a savory batch with ground walnuts and sage.

Of course you need special rectangular molds to make them authentic.  Here is a source for silicone molds.  I was given some tin fluted molds by a friend. I love how pretty the financiers look with the scalloped edges.  But you can also make financiers in mini-muffin tins if you don’t want to invest in yet another pan.

The summer has become humid with afternoon thunderstorms in our area. The only time that is pleasant on the porch is early morning before the heat and boat traffic take control.  It is a good time for a cup of coffee and one of these small treats.

BLUEBERRY FINANCIERS

6 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400° F and butter the financier molds. Sprinkle the molds with flour, tapping away any excess. Allow the butter to melt on a low heat, wait until it turns a light brown color and begins to release a nutty scent, then remove from the heat. Mix the flour, ground almonds and confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg whites and the vanilla extract and combine everything well using a whisk. Add the melted butter and whisk vigorously again. Fill the moulds with the batter and place three berries on each mold. Bake the financiers for 5 minutes before lowering the heat to 350°F and allowing them to bake for another 10 minutes. Transfer the financier moulds to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Makes 18 Financiers.

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