Got blueberries? Get baking!

I absolutely love grocery shopping (Whole Foods is like the Disneyland of grocery stores).   I’ll often get carried away with the magic of the grocery store, buying way more food than I can actually eat.   Baking is certainly the perfect way to use up fruits and veggies before they go bad!   I freeze a lot of baked goods to have on hand for last-minute meetings, gatherings, and parties.   Everyone loves a good blueberry muffin at an early morning meeting… and Grand Central has the best recipe.



Blueberry Muffins
3 C. flour
¾ C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 C. fresh blueberries
4 eggs
¾ C. European unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add the blueberries and toss gently until coated with the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Then pour the wet mixture into the well of the flour mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl gently. Stir only until just combined (the less you stir, the fluffier your muffins will be).
4. Scoop the batter into the muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and round. A cake tester should come out clean.

It wouldn’t be Easter without…

As a teenager, I rebelled in weird ways such as wearing old lady sweatshirts with the built-in collars, taking up gardening and crafting, and subscribing to the Martha Stewart magazine.   Now I do none of those things, but I have kept one recipe from my crazy “martha stewart phase.”  

This recipe for Carrot Ginger Layer Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting is absolutely one of my favorite recipes… mostly because of the frosting!   Over the years there have been several adaptations to the original recipe.   This version is the best.   I like to bake this cake every year for Easter, but it would be delicious anytime of the year!

 

Carrot Ginger Layer Cake

3 C. flour

1 lb carots, peeled

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/3 C. buttermilk

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 C. sugar

1 ½ C. canola oil

1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter two round 8-inch cake pans with unsalted butter. Line pans with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and the sides of the cake pans. Dust pans with flour.

2. Using the smallest holes of a box grater, grate carrots – about 2 ½ - 3 C. carrots. Place the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and canola oil in a large mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix on low speed. Then add the carrots and ginger to the bowl. Mix until well combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture until combined.

4. Divide the batter between the two cake pans, and bake at 300 degrees for about 50 minutes (test with a toothpick… it should come out clean). Remove pans from oven and allow cakes to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cakes from pans, and cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Frost and assemble the cake using the Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting. Keep cake at room temperature until ready to serve.

 

Ginger Cream-Cheese Frosting

Frosts and fills one 8-inch layer cake, plus about 1 C. extra for snacking on later!

• ¾ C. (1 ½ sticks) European unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 eight-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 C. powdered sugar
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese, and beat until well combined and fluffy, about two minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients and beat 5 minutes.