Blueberry Crumb Muffins

It's official! I have taken my last test as a college student. This can only mean one thing: time to actually start blogging! I have seriously neglected this aspect of my life. However, I no longer have the excuse of "too much homework" or "an essay due in ten minutes." Nope, it's time that I buckled down and started baking.

Since I won't be home for a few days, I've decided to post a recipe that I made a few weeks ago. This blueberry crumb muffin recipe is WONDERFUL. However, you cannot make it without the crumble topping. It is simply not allowed.

RECIPE:

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into bits

Batter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries

Adapted from: Food.com

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line or butter muffin tin.

2 To make topping: put flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl and toss together. Add in the cold butter bits, and toss to coat, then use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have irregularly shaped crumbs. Set aside the mix in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.

3 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the brown sugar.

4 In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla together until well combined.

5 Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and fold together quickly to blend. Fold in the blueberries. The batter will be lumpy.

6 Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups (I used mini-muffin tins), sprinkle some topping over each muffin, and use your fingertips to gently press the crumbs into the batter.

7 Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.

8 Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin.

Until my next post, enjoy.

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THE chocolate chip cookie search...

I must begin this post by confessing something: I am addicted to chocolate chip cookies. However, I don't feel so guilty, seeing as three fourths of the American population has this gooey, buttery, chocolatey addiction as well. Thus, I've confessed my one true addiction.

Due to the fact that I am not able to bake ANYTHING at school (the only thing I detest about college) I've developed a habit. As soon as I make the drive back to my parents house, I literally run to the pantry, grab the sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, take a breath, run to the fridge, grab the butter and eggs, take a breath, and grab the measuring cups. In that order. With three breaths. And I'm not kidding. This happens even before my mother has a chance to say hello or steal a quick hug. But this must be done. After all, I'm an addict.

Alright, enough blabbering. It is time to explain my mission. I MUST FIND THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. Can this be done? Or is this the new mission impossible?

I would say this recipe is the best yet. But, I have many more to try including the NY Times, and Chewy that all the best bloggers are talking about. Here is my verdict of this particular cookie, adapted from My Baking Addiction's "Big Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chewiness: 7.5

Gooey-ness: 8

Crisp Edges: 8

Chocolatiness: 9

...pretty darn good right? However, not perfect.

My search continues.

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients

2 sticks cold and cubed unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon table or fine sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mix in vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

2. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips/chunks.

3. Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients.

4. Spoon out rounded balls of cookie dough (any size you like, I used 1/4 cup)

5. Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven 8-15 minutes depending on how gooey and rawish you like the interior and however big you have created the balls, until very lightly browned, taking care not to overbake.

6. ENJOY!

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