Breads and Muffins Archives

August 20, 2015

Blueberry Lemon Thyme Bread

With the end of summer in sight, we are trying hard to make the most of it by squeezing in as much fun as possible while also being mindful to take each day slowly and intentionally. This past weekend we hosted a backyard morning brunch for our neighbors and it was such a nice way to kick off this end-of-summer season. The kids ran around and played while the adults mingled and my heart was filled with gratefulness once again for this community that we live in. Looking ahead to these next couple of weeks, we’re going to try to fit in a just a few more summer playdates, one last mini-golf outing, a trip to the raspberry farm, maybe one more picnic, and so on. I’ve made this blueberry lemon thyme bread to celebrate the end of summer as well. We’ve gotten beautiful thyme from our CSA and it adds such a fragrant and fresh summer flavor to the blueberries and lemon. The bread is made with white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour for a light texture and yogurt to keep it moist and tender. This is the kind of loaf which is perfect for an afternoon tea or snack. It’s sweet, but not quite indulgent enough for dessert. We aren’t always able to sit down for a snack in the afternoons, but I do enjoy the times when we are able to come together for a few moments to rest, recollect ourselves, and savor a sweet treat together. School is just around the corner and I know I will be missing these times soon.

August 5, 2015

Chocolate Zucchini Coconut Oil Muffins

Things are looking a little different around here today, thanks to the talented Erin and Melissa of Wooden Spoons Kitchen. I am so thankful for them and the opportunity to work with them. They made me feel like more than just another client- they truly cared, they listened, they took time to get to know me, and they patiently worked to develop a design and site which personally reflects me. I could not speak more highly of them and their work. Thank you, Erin and Melissa.

Today I’m celebrating the new site design with these chocolate zucchini muffins. We are right about at the peak of summer squash season and whenever I have more zucchini than I can handle, I’ve been making these muffins. I’m not going to tell you how many batches of these I’ve already made, but I will say that we eat these for breakfast, snacks, and dessert. A combination of whole wheat pastry flour and spelt flour keeps the texture light, they are lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, and the sweet aroma of coconut oil is a nice complement to the chocolate. Studded throughout are pieces of dark chocolate that become melty and oozy when you enjoy them warm. Having loads of shredded zucchini in these muffins qualifies them as healthy enough for breakfast, don’t you think? And adding a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top makes it a most delicious dessert.

June 5, 2015

Rhubarb Apple Baked Donuts

Today is National Donut Day and we are joining in the celebration with these Rhubarb Apple Baked Donuts. Since I’m still pretty new to the food blogging scene, I had never even heard of National Donut Day until Melissa clued me in. (And coincidentally, her blog is also what convinced me to buy a donut pan. Go check out all of her incredible baked donut recipes.) Just for fun, I googled National Donut Day and learned that this has been an official day since 1938 and was created to honor the Salvation Army workers who served donuts to the soldiers during World War I. There you go… your interesting food fact for the day. Anyhow, back to these donuts. I used a combination of white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour to keep the texture light and I sweetened them with coconut sugar and a touch of honey. The rhubarb and apple complement each other well and give these donuts a nice bright flavor. They are sweet, a bit tart, and perfect for this early summer season when rhubarb is plentiful. Happy Donut Day!

Rhubarb Apple Baked Donuts

Serves: 6 regular donuts + 4 donut holes, or 7 regular sized donuts

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup apple juice
¼ cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅓ cup shredded apple
slightly heaped ⅓ cup finely diced rhubarb
natural cane sugar for finishing

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly butter donut pan.
In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add apple juice, coconut sugar, and honey. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add egg and whisk to egg to incorporate.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Do not over mix. Use a rubber spatula to fold in rhubarb and apple.
Pipe the mixture evenly into the donut pan. (I use a small ziploc bag and cut the tip off one corner for piping.)
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until donuts are lightly browned and tops appear dry. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Donuts are best served slightly warm. Dip in natural cane sugar before serving, if desired.

Notes

adapted from The Faux Martha