Merry Christmas 2012

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Christmas! I hope it is filled with lots of laughs, family and hella food.
- xo, Mary the  Food Librarian and Cidney the Girl Dog


Dear Friends of the Food Librarian, I know Mary writes about me all the time and takes endless instagram photos on the beach, but can you believe this year's costume? It was a few sizes too small and had to be stretched over my head (luckily I have small ears). Then they put antlers on me too. Oh, the things I do for a daily walk and occasional run to the beach. :) I wish you and your furry friends a great holiday season!
- xo, Cidney the Girl Dog

Gingerbread Pancakes - Mark Bittman

Gingerbread Pancakes

I woke up craving pancakes the other day. And gingerbread. Thus, gingerbread pancakes!

This recipe is from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. It's a great book that I need to use more often. Are you a food blogger? I've finally started taking a photo of the recipe I'm using so I can keep track of things!

These pancakes are fluffy and have a hint of molasses and spices. Fresh minced ginger is added to the batter. When I make these again, I might also add some ground ginger to the mix to amp up the spices.

The liquid includes milk (I used almond milk), molasses and egg yolks. The egg whites are beaten until stiff and folded into the batter.

When you wake up with a craving for pancakes and gingerbread...make these!

Recipe:
Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Base: Light and Fluffy Pancakes (page 202) + Gingerbread ingredients


1 cup milk
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger, or 2 teaspoons ground ginger, or 2-3 Tablespoons minced crystallized ginger (I used fresh ginger)
4 eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves

1. Preheat griddle or pan. Cook these pancakes more slowly than others as they can burn.
2. Beat together the milk, egg yolks, ginger and molasses in a measuring cup or bowl.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff but not dry.
5. Combine the dry ingredients and milk/yolk mixture. Fold in the egg whites but don't overmix...you can leave streaks of the egg whites.
6. Butter or oil the pan and add batter. Flip when the pancake shows some bubbles, and cook through.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

I got my first Christmas card yesterday. What?! I'm in denial about the holiday season. But I do love photo cards...always amazed how fast kids are growing. My mom and dad made my brother and I sit for holiday cards until I was 21 years old. Do you make photo cards for the holidays?

Here are some simple pumpkin muffins...and they are dairy-free! (contains eggs so they aren't vegan). They come together in a jiffy. Next time, I think I'll add some crystallized ginger. Everything is better with ginger.

It's my dear friend Helen's Birthday today! Woo hoo! Happy Birthday Helen!

Pumpkin Muffins
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from the American club, in Kohler, Wisconsin via Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I used Trader Joe's pumpkin pie spice)
1 1/4 cups sugar

Topping:
1 Tablespoon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
and/or shakes from the Trader Joe's Cinnamon Sugar Grinder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in 12 muffin cups (I used brown parchment cups - love these. I get mine from Surfas in Los Angeles...they are opening a store in Costa Mesa soon.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar.

Quickly mix the wet mixture with the flour mixture. Don't overmix!

Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl.

Scoop batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar topping. (I topped mine with a few grinds of the Trader Joe's Cinnamon Sugar grinder). Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Apple, Persimmon, Cranberry Crisp

Apple, Persimmon, Cranberry Crisp

I made this crisp for Dave & Phil's Friendsgiving dinner. Rain was falling in Los Angeles so it was definitely fall. Combining my favorite fall flavors with a oatmeal topping was just the ticket.

Fuyu persimmon (make sure it is a FUYU and not a Hachiya persimmon - Fuyu can be eaten firm, but the Hachiya has to be soft and gooey - you can't sub them in this recipe), apples, and fresh cranberries are perfect fall flavors. I was inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Cran-Apple Crisp recipe. I omitted the coconut and added the kaki (persimmon in Japanese).

Warm fruit is one of my favorite foods in the world. I hope you try this crisp on a cold day this winter.

Apple, Persimmon, Cranberry Crisp
Fruit filling:
2 Gala Apples
1 Fuji Apple
2 Fuyu Persimmon (Must be fuyu - cannot use the hachiya variety of persimmon)
1/2 - 1 cup fresh cranberries, cut in half
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 stick (8 T/4 oz) cold butter

1. Lightly butter 8-9 ramekins. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Make the topping by hand or in a food processor until large clumps form.

3. Peel and chop fruit to bite size pieces. In a large bowl, mix the fruit with sugar and flour. 

4. Fill ramekins with fruit (almost to the top).
5. Squeeze the topping with your fingers as you place it on top of the fruit, making little clumps.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit juices are bubbling around the edges.
7. Remove from oven and let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.
9. Serve alone, with ice cream, or whipped cream.

Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake - Happy Bundt Day!

Vanilla Bean Malt Bundt Cake

Happy National Bundt Day 2012! I look forward to this year all year!

Hope you are making a bundt for your friends and family. I'm sad I couldn't make 30 Days of Bundt again, but I Still Like Big Bundts.

This is the Vanilla Bean Malt Cake from Baked Elements. Love all the Baked books! The recipe makes a 6-cup Bundt. I love the Nordic Ware 6-cup Bundt pan...so cute.

Nestle Original Malted Milk powder is added to this cake. It is topped with a vanilla glaze. You can use vanilla beans or vanilla paste.

Happy Bundt Day!! - mary the food librarian

You can find the recipe on page 126 of the Baked Elements book by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

  

Harvest Pumpkin Scones

Harvest Pumpkin Scones

Scones + Pumpkin = I'm so there.

Not much to say here. Um, just break out the canned pumpkin and make these! Harvest Pumpkin Scones from the King Arthur Flour website.

I'm NOT saying they are low-fat or anything, but compared to regular scone recipes made of butter and cream, these have slightly less of the bad stuff. One stick of butter, a couple eggs and the pumpkin (a vegetable!! ;) are the main ingredients.

You choose your add-ins: chocolate chips, crystallized ginger, or cinnamon chips. I threw in about 3/4 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

I made 16 smaller scones (recipe yield is 12). I topped mine with my favorite Trader Joe's Cinnamon Sugar grinder, and some sanding sugar.

Click here for the recipe on the King's Arthur Flour website! These would be great for a holiday brunch.

Potatoes Anna - Everyday Food

Potatoes Anna

Need something pretty and easy to bring to a holiday gathering? This is the ticket.

I found this classic French dish in Everyday Food's Fresh Flavor Fast book. There are only two main ingredients: potatoes and melted butter. You probably have the fixings for this in your kitchen right now.

Mandolin the potatoes (the recipe calls for six potatoes, but I made mine with four potatoes so it was shorter than it is should be). I use this Japanese mandoline that is pretty inexpensive (from a Japanese store - it's more expensive on Amazon), and it works great. The lady on the box cover looks so happy to slice vegetables too... ;)

Using melted butter, butter the cast iron pan, and layer potatoes in a pretty pattern. Season with salt and pepper and brush with more butter. Top with another layer of potatoes. Cook the dish on the stove for 2-4 minutes...to get the butter to crisp the bottom layer of potatoes - since the dish is inverted, this will be the top later.

** Update: A librarian came up to me at a meeting and said she made this dish! Love when that happens! However, I wanted to update you...we both though you could easily trim some of the butter on this dish. I thought it was really buttery, but I'm not one to eat much butter on my potatoes. She also thought it was too buttery...and her husband thought it was perfect! So, if you want a less buttery dish, you can cut some of the butter...but if you are serving it to people who like the buttery flavor, then don't mess with it.

It's baked for about an hour in a hot oven until the potatoes are cooked through. When it comes out of the oven, the tops of the potatoes might be browned. Carefully flip it out onto a platter and enjoy the compliments from everyone! 

According to Everyday Food, you can bake this ahead up to eight hours (let it cool, cover and refrigerate and then reheat at 350 degrees before serving).

Recipe:
Potatoes Anna from Martha Stewart

6 medium russet potatoes (2 3/4 pounds total), peeled
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice potatoes as thinly as possible, 1/4 inch thick or thinner. Do not place sliced potatoes in water; the starch is needed to bind the layers.

Brush bottom of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Starting in center of pan, arrange potato slices, slightly overlapping, in circular pattern. Brush with another 1 1/2 tablespoons butter; season  with salt and pepper. Repeat for two more layers (I only had two layers total because I used four potatoes)

Place over high heat on the stove until butter in pan sizzles, 2 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to oven; bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Run a small spatula around edges of potatoes; slide large spatula underneath potatoes to loosen. Carefully invert onto a plate, and cut into wedges.

   

Brownie Cookies - Everyday Food

Brownie Cookies - Everyday Food

Did you hear the news? Everyday Food, one of my favorite magazines, is on the chopping block! The Kitchn reports that Martha Stewart's company is laying off staff and the magazine "will be cut from 10 issues a year to five, and will now be delivered as a supplement to subscribers of Martha Stewart Living rather than as a stand-alone publication." NOOOOOOoooooo! I love the magazine - it's simply easy recipes. I don't need to know how to make a 100,000 piece tablescape (with glue gun and upholstery nails) nor the best hair conditioners - stuff you find in other magazines. This was just food. And now I'm sad.

So, to honor Everyday Food, I made some Brownie Cookies. You can find the recipe online or in the great compilation book, Everyday Food Light.

These are round, flat brownies. They are very, very chocolaty. I made half the recipe, and the ratio between chocolate and flour shows that the flour just binds the chocolate and sugar together. :)

These are perfect with a glass of milk (or almond milk) in a UCLA glass. Go Bruins!

Recipe:
From Everyday Food, June 2009

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place chocolate in a double boiler or pan over simmering water. Stir until melted, then let cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until lightened in color.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
With mixer on low, alternately beat in chocolate and flour mixture; mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
Dish dough onto baking sheets. Bake 14-16 minute, rotating trays half-way though. Cool cookies on wire racks.

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Spinach & Peas

Pasta with Goat Cheese, Spinach & Peas

Here is a simple recipe for a quick pasta dish. My friend Sunshine made a version of this (with roasted zucchini) when I visited her in Duluth several years ago. She only had one child then...and now she has her beautiful daughter, B and twin sons O & S. What makes this dish so easy is that you don't need to make a sauce...just melt some goat cheese with the pasta water!

For this dish, simply boil pasta. In the last minute of cooking, I threw in some fresh baby spinach. Pull out a cup of the pasta water and set aside. While it is cooking, nuke some frozen peas until hot (or throw them into the pasta water).

In a large bowl, whisk together the goat cheese (I used 2 1/2 ounces, but you can add the whole 5 ounce package depending on your taste preference) and about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Add the drained pasta and spinach, and throw in the hot peas. Toss to combine and add more pasta water if needed.

This is adapted from Everyday Food's Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus.

To those affected by Sandy, my thoughts are with you, your family and community. The photos are heartbreaking. I hope everyone donates to the Red Cross or assistance organization. - mary 

Happy Halloween from Cidney the Girl Dog

Hello from Cidney the Girl Dog! Cidney and I wish you a very Happy Halloween!

May your day be filled with the best candies, pumpkin carvings, and lots of hot cider and family time.

- mary and cidney the girl dog

Mini Thumbprint Jam Scones - Savory Sweet Life recipe

Mini Thumbprint Jam Scones

I'm going to see the Book of Mormon tonight! I'm sooo excited. It's touring in Los Angeles for a short time, and my friend and I were able to get some tickets. We'll be in the last row...but we'll be there! (This bit of news has nothing to do with these scones...but I'm so excited that I just wanted to tell you. ;)

These scones are from the pages of Alice Currah's Savory Sweet Life cookbook. Oh my! These scones are really soft and lovely. I love this scone and can't wait to try adding other delights like mini chocolate chips, zest or ginger.

These scones are from Alice Currah's Savory Sweet Life cookbook. Do you have it? It is beautifully photographed, and you can actually see yourself making many of the recipes! They look tasty, and yet not complicated. You can always find inspiration on her blog, Savory Sweet Life.

I made the full recipe, but froze half the dough. It's always nice to have some scones ready to bake off when you have a visitor. I made square scones instead of triangles.

These scones are topped with Shannon's homemade Nectarine Jam and Ha's Farm's Strawberry Jam. My friend Shannon makes some lovely jams (blue ribbon winners!), and hosted Gwendolyn and me in making raspberry jam (that post is quite delayed and I'll try to get that up soon).

For these scones, make sure your jam is on the thick side. At first, I made these with the raspberry jam. Um, they came out looking very interesting...the color from the jam bleed out around the circular indentation and left a ring around the jam. Well, because of the color and shape, the scones look like they might need a mammogram when they hit 40 years old. See what I mean?! You might be able to save it with the glaze, but just hear me when I say to use a thick jam.

You don't need to set out jam with these scones...it's built in! 

Mini Thumbprint Jam Scones
Adapted from Savory Sweet Life by Alice Currah

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur's unbleached)
1/3 cup (65 grams) sugar
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, cold
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (or so) jam (I used Shannon's homemade nectarine jam and Ha's Farm Strawberry jam)

Glaze:
1/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon almond extract (I didn't have any almond extract in the house (or it was missing!) so I used vanilla extract)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt.
3. Cut butter into cubes and scatter over dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, your fingers or two knives, quickly cut the butter into the flour mixture, until a coarse meal forms. You should see pea-size pieces of butter - don't overmix. Of course, you can do this in a food processor.
4. With a fork, mix together the heavy cream, egg and vanilla. Pour over the dry mixture and blend together until the dough comes together. Again, don't overmix.
5. If you wish to make mini triangles, divide dough into 4 balls and, on a floured surface, flatten into discs. Cut each disc into 4 wedges. I made square scones so I just made a square and cut them into 16 squares.
6. Place scones on a parchment paper-lined pan and made an indention in each scone. Spoon jam into each indention.
7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden. Remove and transfer scones to rack to cool before glazing.
8. Whisk together the milk, powdered sugar and extract until free of lumps. Using a spoon or fork, drizzle glaze over scones. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins from Joy the Baker

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

Some days, you just need a muffin that has:

1. Melted chocolate in the batter
2. Chocolate chips
3. Topped with white chocolate

These are the perfect remedy for those situations in life.

Chocolate muffins are so close to cupcakes...but they don't have frosting. You know me...not the biggest fan of frosting.

These muffins are from Los Angeles' own Joy the Baker Cookbook that came out this year. It rocks. I hope you have it in your collection. These muffins are super easy to make, and are beloved by all. Who doesn't like chocolate chocolate and more chocolate?

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
From: Joy the Baker Cookbook - Find it on Amazon or your library

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chunks (I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (I used 96 grams of Nestle white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a muffin pan. Joy's recipe says it yields 12 muffins, but I must have made mine a bit smaller and got 16 muffins.

Create a double boiler (place some water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer) and place the butter (chopped into about 8 pieces) and 5 ounces of chocolate into a heatproof bowl over the simmering water. Don't let the bowl touch the water. Melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring together. Once melted, remove and set aside to cool a bit while you mix the rest of the ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, soda, salt.

Whisk the brown sugar into the chocolate mixture. Follow with the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla. Add the flour mixture all at once and fold together. Don't overmix. Add the chocolate chunks.

Dish into muffin tin. Bake for 18-20 minutes - until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan after 5 minutes and place muffins on wire rack to cool completely.

When the muffins are cool (or as long as you can wait), melt the white chocolate like you did the semi-sweet chocolate. Note that white chocolate melts at a lower temperature. Once melted, have fun drizzling it over the muffins.

Frozen Burritos

Lunch. Dinner. Lunch. Lunch. Dinner. 

I'm working a 4/10 schedule now (four days, ten hour days). I need to leave the house at 6 am and get home around 7 pm. After walking/jogging the dog, I don't have much time in the evening for cooking, baking, or much else. I keep meaning to make a menu plan...but often end up at Chipotle or zipping through the market for some to-go sushi.

Inspired by Tracy at Shutterbean, I made a batch of frozen burritos one Sunday afternoon. I often buy the Amy's Bean Burrito for $3 but they aren't spicy enough and are a little too big.

Wrapped in parchment paper, these are ready to bring to work and nuke for lunch. Do you use blue painters tape in the kitchen? I use it all the time. Blue tape, parchment and a Sharpie (mark the date made) are staples in my kitchen.

I made some brown rice and added salsa. I know, totally not authentic Spanish/Mexican rice with sauteed onions and tomatoes...but I was in a hurry.

I found this Frontera tomatillo sauce from Rick Bayless at my local Sprouts Market (it's very good). And I used these whole wheat flour tortilla. Tortillas come in a zillion shapes and sizes now...so you can make these burritos big or small.

I went to the Farmer's Market in the morning and picked up some fresh veggies. I roasted the zucchini, corn, and red pepper in the oven and let it cool off before making the burritos.

I softened the tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds-1 minute (wrapped in damp towel) or you can steam them - depends on the size and type of tortilla. I filled mine with rice, black beans, roasted veggies, salsa, fresh cilantro (I should have chopped that cilantro a bit), black olives (I just love olives and could put them on anything...I know they usually aren't in burritos but these are MY burritos so they get olives :), and topped it with tomatillo and sriracha sauce (I was out of Cholula sauce). Of course, you can add cheese, meat, and lots of other goodies...just don't overfill or it won't close!

Freeze solid and microwave for 3 minutes on high when you are too tired to make lunch or dinner.

The Sycamore Kitchen, Los Angeles

The Sycamore Kitchen

La Brea, near Third Street

Nothing like waking up and having a delicious meal with an dear friend. This morning, JustJenn and I went to The Sycamore Kitchen in Los Angeles for their pastries and breakfast. Karen and Quinn Hatfield, chef-owners of Hatfield's, opened The Sycamore Kitchen in 2012.

If you are in Los Angeles, you should wake up tomorrow and do this same. It was delicious!

Above, it's a buttercup ($2.75). Described to JustJenn as "It's like a croissant but with more sugar..." (that was an easy sell), it was light and flaky. My pick was the Blueberry Oat Bar ($3.25) filled with fresh blueberries and just the right amount of sweetness. The crust was perfect.

We ordered a few items from the Breakfast menu (until 11:30 M-F and 12:30 Sat/Sun). The Cinnamon brioche French toast, grated apple slaw, and whipped creme fraiche ($10) was sinful. It was quite rich and sweet. I could have that slaw on everything!

The Pork belly hash with roasted peppers and onions, russet potatoes, two fried eggs and spinach ($11.50) was delicious. The eggs were perfectly cooked. The savory dish was a nice balance to our almost-dessert french toast.

There are many more baked goods available...a return trip is definitely in our future. They have comfortable indoor and outdoor seating.

They also have a lunch menu that looks intriguing too. I want to try the Chinoix Salad with chicken, cabbage, apple, almond, puffed rice and muddled ginger vinaigrette, as well the sandwiches such as the Double BLTA with crispy and braised pork belly...next time!

They serve Stumptown Cold-brewed bottled coffee ($4.50) that Jenn picked up. I adore the bottle! And a little something for later? Of course! Salted Caramel Pecan Bobka Roll ($3.50).

The Sycamore Kitchen
(see their website for great photos, all my photos were just taken with my Droid phone)
Breakfast & Lunch (8-5 pm)
143 South La Brea (between Beverly and 3rd Street)
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Spiced Pear Muffins

Spiced Pear Muffins

Do you read The Kitchn? I love the website. They always have helpful tips, recipes and just plain pretty things. I had a few pears on my counter and found Emma Christensen's recipe for Spiced Pear Muffins.

I used lovely bartlett pears from Ha's Farms. They are a farmer's market vendor in Hollywood, Torrance, Palos Verdes and a few other places. They have wonderful apples and even better pears. Unlike other muffin recipes that are more "quick bread" (liquid and dry ingredients combine), this recipe creams the butter and sugar together - more like a cake batter. As you can see, the batter is thick.

The original recipe uses a mix of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. I didn't have any whole wheat flour in the house so I used all a-p flour. Also, I made these quite early in the morning and completely forgot to put cinnamon-sugar on top of the muffins...as well as the ground ginger. It was too early for me. Oops.

I dropped these off, along with some cookies, at my former workplace. Although I enjoy my new place, I was at the old library for five years and miss the folks. I miss hearing about K's beautiful granddaughter, E's smart toddler who never has a bad hair day, J's travels around the globe, V's gardening and her intelligent sons, P's son who is a fire fighter explorer (I wish I could join :), F's March Madness (UCLA Bruins all the way), and H's discussion of White Collar and all things George Clooney.

These were a hit at the library. I hope you make some for your friends and family - especially those that you don't see everyday.

Spiced Pear Muffins
Adapted from Emma Christensen / The Kitchn's Spiced Pear Muffins
See the original recipe here (as well as very pretty photos)


1/2 cup (4 oz) light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (2 oz) white sugar
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (I used whole milk)
2 to 2 1/2 cups pears, unpeeled and diced small (2 medium-sized pears, about 11 oz whole) (I used two Bartlet pears from Ha's Farm)
Cinnamon-and-Sugar for sprinkling on top (You can make a mix of 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon, but only sprinkle a bit of that on the muffin and save the rest for cinnamon toast).

Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare 12-muffin cup pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the sugars and butter until fluffy. Add eggs one at at time and beat for 1 minute after each egg. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Scrape down side of bowl.

With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour until just combined. Don't overmix! Fold pears into the batter.

Fill muffin cups. I use an ice cream disher. I didn't fill mine as high as The Kitchn and got 15 muffins, but you can fill them full to get 12 bigger muffins. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar.

Place the muffins in the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 400°F (don't miss this part!) Bake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are cracked and a toothpick comes out clean.