bacon and egg muffins

I have a confession to make. I have fallen in love with the incredible edible egg all over again. I'm not sure that I was ever truly out of love (?) with them come to think about it. Regardless though, our relationship has rekindled and taken a new turn. This may seem like a risky love affair considering the current salmonella outbreak - but I can't help it. I'm pretty sure it all started when I recently learned how to poach eggs. It was eye opening (think poached eggs with roasted asparagus and prosciutto) and honestly fun! Try it if you never have. There are videos online to help you summon your inner Julia Child.

A few weeks and quite a few eggs after the poaching experiment, I stumbled upon the latest issue of Edible Seattle while out for Sunday coffee with a friend. As if my subconscience was leading the way, the first thing I saw when I opened the magazine was the recipe for these muffins. A bacon biscuit with a whole egg baked right into the middle. I practically bee-lined home to try them....and have made them twice since that day. The recipe is perfect as is. They are best served hot, but are great to grab on the run in the morning and still just as satisfying, and filling, cold. I'm headed to the beach with my family in two weeks and will surely be making these for everyone to munch on for breakfast. Think I can smuggle my mega muffin pan through airport security?? -jz

bacon and egg muffins
makes 6 mega muffins

non-stick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 cup whole milk
7 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 6 jumbo muffin tins (or 1 cup ramekins) with the vegetable oil spray and set aside.

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, bacon, chives and cheese in a large bowl. Combine the milk and one egg in a small bowl, then add to the dry ingredients along with the melted butter. Fold the ingredients together gently until no dry spots remain.

Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each of the muffin tins. Using a soft spatula spread the batter up the sides of the tins a bit, leaving a depression in the middle of the batter. Crack an egg into the center of each cup. Divide the remaining batter between the cups making sure you cover the yolk. It's easiest if you work with small dollops of batter.

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes until the visible egg white is set and the muffins are just barely beginning to crack. They won't be very brown. Cool 5 minutes, then run a small knife around the edges of each muffin to release. Serve hot.

Recipe taken from: Edible Seattle

blueberry banana muffins

I've been out of town, and consequently out of my kitchen, for the past week soaking up some much needed sun in Palm Springs, CA. After five beautiful days filled with plenty of time by the pool, margaritas, loads of mexican food and the necessary supplemental peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I was excited to find my way back to the kitchen this morning.

The house was quiet when I awoke. I unpacked (ambitious), got dressed for a run (also ambitious) then set about getting my hands dirty in my favorite way. On the agenda this sunny Seattle Saturday - healthy blueberry banana muffins. I can't believe I made muffins this morning considering the onslaught of enchiladas, ice cream and tequila I tortured my body with in Palm Springs - but hey, what's a girl to do? These muffins were however inspired by a friend of mine who had stopped cooking for awhile due to a "disaster" he had with banana bread. Disaster. His words, not mine! For those of you who love to spend as much time in the kitchen as I do, you know that baking requires more attention to measurement than cooking. In fact, one mishap in this area can result in a "disaster" as my friend unfortunately discovered. Not only did he add extra bananas to his recipe (for that extra banana-y flavor - not recommended) he also included one whole CUP of baking soda. That's right. A CUP! I'll give you a moment to think about that. If you're conjuring up the taste of toothpaste, and having a good chuckle, you're on the right track. The muffins I made this morning have the correct amount of baking soda (powder actually in this case). Promise.

This recipe is considered healthy due to the minimal amount of sugar in it; most of the sweetness comes from the bananas and blueberries. Also, oat bran and very little oil and egg help. So in my friend's honor - banana inspired muffins. Enjoy!

blueberry banana muffins
makes 6 mammoth muffins (or 12 standard sized muffins)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup oat bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (approximately 3)
1/2 cup low fat milk (or soy)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen, unthawed, blueberries
1 - 2 tablespoons raw sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 6 (or 12) muffin cups with paper liners. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.

Place mashed bananas in a large bowl. Stir in milk, egg, oil and lemon juice. Mix in dry ingredients; then fold in blueberries. Divide batter amongst the muffin cups. They should each be almost full. Sprinkle tops with raw sugar. Bake muffins approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out muffins onto a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.