morning muffins

well, it looks like baking has been a bit of an obsession lately in our house. i guess the warmth of the oven and the smell of fresh baked goods in the morning can be a little addictive. we love berries, and blueberries seemed a fit for these light tasty little treats. these muffins are filled with streusel for a melt in your mouth fluffiness. recently we have been taking the gourmet coffee tour of the city at home, trying to find a favorite, although i think they all taste so good i don't think we will ever pick just one. we have gone through bags of stumptown, counter culture, and now ninth street espresso. between the aromas coming from the oven and the coffee pot, our house smells like morning all through the day.

Blueberry Muffins

makes 1 dozen

for streusel:

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/8 cup oats

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs unsalted butter, melted

for muffins:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

4 tbs butter, melted

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 1 small lemon

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 12 cup muffin tin. in a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients and set aside. in a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder salt and sugar. in a medium bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, milk, cooled butter, vanilla and lemon zest. pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. fold in blueberries until evenly distributed. fill each cup halfway full, then top with 1/2 tbs of streusel and cover with remaining batter filling each cup to the top. bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. enjoy!

coffee & chocolate

chocolate & coffee is one of those perfect combinations. so when i came home from a recent job with some really nice chocolate and saw this recipe while going through old magazines, i knew exactly what to do - run out and buy some haagen-dazs coffee ice cream immediately! this mocha caramel sauce is from a 2006 issue of gourmet and is definitely worth the few extra minutes it takes to make caramel and melt chocolate for an amazing homemade dessert. i'm sure it would be great poured over any flavor ice cream but coffee was just the thing for us. enjoy!

Mocha Caramel Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

3 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder

1/2 cup sugar

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/8 tsp salt

in a small bowl, stir together cream and espresso powder. cook sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. continue to cook, swirling the pan gently, until a deep golden caramel color. remove from heat and let sit 1 minute. very carefully pour in espresso cream - mixture will steam and bubble. then cook over low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. add chocolate and salt and cook until sauce it smooth. serve warm or at room temperature.

restaurant week- friday

as our version of restaurant week rolls to an end, i sit here sipping on a yummy treat that gets your day running.  if you have ever found yourself wondering through the amazing hayes valley in san fran, you might have stumbled upon linden street where a little kiosk is parked in a garage.  this san fran spot, blue bottle coffee, has some of the most lip licking coffee and espresso drinks you will ever sip on.  on a hot day a couple years ago, I came upon this new orleans iced coffee.  it is a strong, sweet, wonderful libation.  the mix of coffee and chicory make for a tasty sipper.  blue bottle has now opened a wonderful cafe right in downtown sf where they have lots of tasty food as well.  you can shop online and order this coffee kit, as well as many of their great other blends.  the new orleans iced coffee kit comes with a pound of beans and a serving of french chicory along with the recipe for making it.  i cant tell you how highly i recommend this steeped treat.