Better-than-Box Corn Muffins

So hypothetically speaking, over the weekend you made the cinnamon honey scones I posted on Friday, and now you have a half-empty container of creme fraiche in your fridge. I promised a recipe to help you use the rest up and am delivering on that today with these better-than-box corn muffins. A standard 8-oz container of creme fraiche (the size most commonly available in the stores around here) will be just enough to make the full scone recipe and halve this muffin recipe!

And speaking of creme fraiche, thanks to everyone who commented and emailed to let me know that you can make your own at home. I've seen that tip in the Flour cookbook, which essentially requires combining heavy cream and a little buttermilk and then letting it stand until thickened. I haven't tried it personally, mainly because the mixture needs at least 10 hours to thicken and I don't usually think that far ahead :) However, I'm putting it on my to-do list and will report back as soon as I've given it a go!



As you've probably guessed by now, I do 99.9% of my baking from scratch. I make an exception for two things: brownies and corn muffins. I'm sorry, but boxed brownies are delicious and so fast - I'll never give them up. Boxed corn muffins are a much less frequent occurrence around here but I love them too; I think we ate them growing up so they have nostalgic value.

When it comes to homemade corn muffins, my gold standard has been Dorie Greenspan's recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours. I've been making those muffins for years and they never disappoint! However, my leftover creme fraiche gave me the perfect excuse to stray and try an adaptation on the version from Flour. The muffin recipes I've tried from that book have all been phenomenal, and these were no exception.



These better-than-box corn muffins take a few more minutes to whip up than opening a box of mix, but it's worth it! They are so tender while still retaining some of that crumbly texture you expect from a good cornbread. They're also slightly sweetened, a must for me when it comes to cornbread. The melted butter, oil, and creme fraiche work together to give them great flavor and keep them very moist. Don't ask me to decide between these and Dorie's recipe - they're both great in their own way :) Fortunately, you can never have too many go-to corn muffin recipes, right?

Better-than-Box Corn Muffins
slightly adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang

2 3/4 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200 g) yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (240 g) milk, at room temperature (I used whole)
1/3 cup (70 g) canola oil
3/4 cup (180 g) creme fraiche, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the butter and brown sugar together in a small bowl until they form a thick paste-like mixture. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs together until broken up and well combined. Add the milk to the eggs, beating until incorporated, followed by the oil, creme fraiche, and then the butter mixture, incorporating each ingredient before adding the next. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold together just until they are combined (the batter will be thick).

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4-full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed with your fingertip, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing them to the rack.

The muffins are best on the day they're made - to refresh on subsequent days, reheat for 4-5 minutes in a 300 F oven. (If frozen, increase to 8-10 minutes in a 300 F oven.)

Makes 18-20 muffins

Mocha Madness Oreo Ice Cream

The one word I'd use to sum up spring here in Rhode Island so far is rainy. I think we've only turned on our sprinkler system two times total, which is awesome because it means my water bill for the summer isn't going to be nearly as insane as usual. I even ended up bringing my container herbs and veggies inside for a few days last week because I was afraid they were going to drown with all the rain we were getting!

There have only been maybe two or three days that were really, really hot. And of course those were the days I decided it would be a good idea to make ice cream. I guess that part makes total sense - eating ice cream in 90-degree weather is always a good idea! But trying to photograph it before it turns into a soupy mess? Nearly impossible.



I probably had 100 pictures of this ice cream; I think I tried to photograph it three separate times before getting a few I liked. I probably could have saved myself a lot of time and frustration if I'd just turned on the a/c and let the house cool down first :)

I just really wanted this ice cream to look as good as it tastes and trust me when I tell you, it is insanely good! Even though I don't drink coffee, coffee ice cream is right up there with mint chocolate chip as a contender for favorite flavor. I've tried a few homemade coffee ice cream recipes, and while this is technically mocha and not coffee, it is still by far the best. I share a ton of treats with my mom but this ice cream drew rave reviews unlike anything I've given her in a long, long time.



There's so much to love about this recipe. First, it's super simple. As much as I adore custard-based ice cream recipes made using egg yolks they're definitely more time consuming. There's no cooking at all here - just whisk together a few ingredients, chill and churn! The ice cream is flavored with instant espresso powder as well as cocoa powder and it though it definitely has a subtle chocolate flavor, the coffee shines through stronger. The original recipe noted that this would be one of those homemade ice creams that gets super hard in the freezer so to prevent that and add a little more flavor I threw in some Kahlua too! Alcohol doesn't freeze so even just a small amount keeps the ice cream a little softer - you'll be able to scoop this directly from the freezer without a problem. Just for fun, a few chopped Oreos are thrown into the mix here too. I love adding texture to my ice cream but you could skip the cookies entirely or even go with another mix-in like chocolate chips. Whatever you do, if you're a fan of coffee ice cream you have to make this ice cream - you will love it!

Mocha Madness Oreo Ice Cream
barely adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1 cup chopped Oreos

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, espresso powder, and cocoa powder until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla, and Kahlua until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours (or overnight, which is what I did).

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream reaches soft serve consistency, add the chopped Oreos and continue churning until incorporated, another minute or two. Store in an airtight container in your freezer.

Makes about 1 quart

Cinnamon Honey Scones

Given the number of scone recipes on this blog, you might be fooled into thinking I'm a huge fan. Not true. Don't get me wrong, I like scones, but if you put out a spread of breakfast pastries before me, scones probably wouldn't be a top three selection.



That is, unless these cinnamon honey scones were somewhere on that table. I try to refrain from the hyperbole of labeling recipes the "best ever" but sometimes it just can't be helped and such is the case with these scones. Hands down my favorite scones of all time, no doubt about it! The recipe comes from Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery, and though I've had the book since Christmas and even flipped through it a few times, I'd never noticed these scones. Luckily Josie put them on my radar a few months ago and I resolved to make them asap.



So, what makes these scones so awesome? Butter, and lots of it, of course :) A cinnamon honey butter is made and then cut into tiny cubes which are incorporated into the dough like any other mix-in (think chocolate chips). It's a genius idea, I want to add tiny butter cubes as mix-ins in all my recipes going forward! They give the scones so much flavor, as well as a really neat marbled appearance. Texturally, the scones are impossibly light and tender, thanks to the inclusion of cake flour in the recipe. And in case they weren't already rich enough on their own, the scones are brushed with a honey butter glaze when they emerge from the oven. They're an occasional indulgence for sure, but worth every single calorie!

These cinnamon honey scones would be a perfect weekend project. Though they're easy to make, there are quite a few steps and several require hours of chill time. But once they're assembled you can leave them in the freezer for up to a month, allowing you to pull out and bake a few scones at a time as needed. That's my kind of weekend breakfast!



One quick note: this recipe calls for creme fraiche, an ingredient I rarely buy or use but I do recommend splurging for it here. That said, I know there's nothing worse than a half-empty container of creme fraiche sitting in the back of your fridge, so I found another recipe to help you use it up. I'll be sharing it with you next week!

Cinnamon Honey Scones
just barely adapted from Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel (originally seen on Pink Parsley)

{Note: The recipes in this book are given in both weight and volume measurements. I made the scones using the weight measurements and would urge you to do the same for the best results.}

Cinnamon Honey Cubes
30 g (3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
30 g (2 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
4 g (1 1/2 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
30 g (about 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
20 g (1 tablespoon) honey

Scones
152 g (1 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
304 g (2 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) cake flour
12.5 g (2 1/2 teaspoons) baking powder
2.5 g (1/2 teaspoons) baking soda
91 g (1/4 cup + 3 1/2 tablespoons) sugar
227 g (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
135 g (1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons) heavy cream
135 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) creme fraiche

Honey Butter Glaze
2 oz (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
20 g (1 tablespoon) honey

To make the cinnamon honey cubes: Add the flour, sugar, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and toss until the pieces are coated in the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until no large visible pieces of butter remain. Stir in the honey with a rubber spatula until the mixture forms a smooth paste. Turn the paste out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a 4-inch square. Wrap the mixture and freeze for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 week).

To make the scones: Sift both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed briefly, just until combined. Add the butter pieces, and mix on low speed until no large visible pieces remain, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually pour in the heavy cream, then add the creme fraiche, and continue mixing for about 30 seconds, or until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. A rough dough should form around the paddle.

Remove the cinnamon honey butter from the freezer and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Add them to the bowl with the dough and use a spoon to incorporate them by hand (it's fine if they start to break up a bit).

Turn the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press it together to form a cohesive mass. Place a second piece of plastic wrap on top, and shape the dough into a 7 1/2 by 10-inch rectangle, smoothing the top and sides the best you can (if the dough becomes soft and difficult to work with, just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes). Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until firm.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and using a sharp knife, cut it lengthwise into thirds and crosswise into quarters so you end up with 12 equally sized scones. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1/2 to 1-inch of space between them. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and freeze the scones until they are frozen solid - at least 2 hours, but even better if you can leave them in there overnight (the scones can be frozen for up to 1 month at this point).

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the scones you want to bake from the freezer to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch of space between them. Bake for about 28-30 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and slightly firm.

Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking the butter and honey together until combined. When you remove the scones from the oven, immediately brush the tops with the glaze. The scones are best the day you make them, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day.

Makes 12 large scones

Whole Wheat Pretzel Bites with Roasted Jalapeño Cheese Sauce

I came this close to sharing another ice cream recipe with you today. It's a new favorite and I'm kind of obsessed with it right now, so I totally wanted to jump it in the blog drafts queue to post it sooner. However, it includes some chocolate, and between yesterday's chocolate macaroon bundt cake, and Monday's mocha cupcakes, I figured maybe you'd already had enough chocolate this week. Or is that completely crazy? Can there ever be too much chocolate? :) Anyway, I'm only going to push the ice cream out until next week so you won't have to wait long!



Instead, today I bring you a completely addictive, fun to make snack: pretzel bites! I already know you guys are huge fans of pretzel bites because this recipe I posted over three years ago continues to be one of the most popular on the site. I love it too, it makes the best pretzels! If you're wondering why I needed another recipe having said that, the main reason I tried this new recipe was because of the inclusion of whole wheat flour. I've been trying to include more whole grains in my baking when possible, and more than half of the flour in this recipe is whole wheat. It makes it easier to justify just a few more pretzel bites, they're "healthy" right? :)



Besides, I needed something to dip in this amazing roasted jalapeño cheese sauce. You will want to drizzle this cheese sauce over everything once you've tried it. So thick, creamy and cheesy, with just a little bit of heat from the jalapeño, it's really good.

A lot of times when I use white whole wheat flour in recipes I'll mention that you won't even be able to tell there's whole wheat flour. That's not the case here - the pretzel bites definitely have a bit of that nutty depth of flavor that whole wheat flour imparts. I've come to really love it as I've been baking with whole wheat more and more. And don't worry, the texture of the pretzel bites is still just as wonderfully soft and chewy on the inside as you'd expect.

These pretzel bites are the perfect finger food for parties and game day. I'll definitely be whipping up a batch before Saturday's game in hopes of turning our luck around (anyone else dragging today after last night's game going to 3 OT?) :)

Whole Wheat Pretzel Bites with Roasted Jalapeño Cheese Sauce
pretzel bites adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, sauce adapted from Smells Like Home

Pretzels

Dough
1 3/4 cups (7 oz) white whole wheat flour
1 cup water, at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 oz) bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon honey

Water Bath
8 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda

Finishing
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt (for egg wash)
pretzel (or kosher) salt (for topping)

Jalapeño Cheese Sauce
1 large jalapeño
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk (I used whole)
6 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the white whole wheat flour and the water using a wooden spoon until combined. Cover the bowl and let rest for 20 minutes. Add the butter, bread flour, salt, yeast, and honey, and again mix with the wooden spoon until a rough dough comes together. Place the bowl on the mixer and fit the mixer with the dough hook. Knead on low speed for about 5 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl again and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.

When the dough nears the end of its rise time, preheat oven to 450 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Add the water to a large pot and set over medium to medium-high heat. Let it come to a boil as you shape the pretzel bites.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, measuring about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make pretzel bites. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Return to the water bath and once the water is boiling, reduce the heat so it simmers and stir in the baking soda. Add about 10-15 pretzel bites at a time to the water bath and cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon or spider strainer and place the pretzel bites on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they are spread in a single layer. Repeat until all of the pretzel bites have been boiled. Brush the pretzel bites with the egg wash and sprinkle liberally with the salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. The pretzel bites are best served warm.

To make the cheese sauce: Roast the jalapeño until blackened on all sides - I did this on my gas stovetop, but you could also use your oven's broiler if you'd rather. Once blackened, place the jalapeño in a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, then peel the blackened skin from the pepper. Remove the ribs and seeds from the pepper (unless you want to leave them for the extra heat) and cut the pepper into 1/4-inch pieces.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Let the butter melt, then mix in the jalapeño pieces, tossing to coat with the butter. Add the flour, whisking constantly and cooking for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Whisking almost constantly, continue cooking until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Take the pan off of the heat and add the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth. You can adjust the consistency as necessary here - my sauce was a little thicker than I wanted so I thinned it with a tiny bit of milk. Season to taste with salt.

Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake

I've been struggling to come up with a clever story or some funny anecdote to relay before I tell you about this chocolate macaroon bundt cake, but can I be honest with you? My mind is just somewhere else today. I could blame it on a variety of things I guess. On the top of the list is probably the fact that the sun was actually shining when I woke up! It's been raining all week, with more of the same on the way for tomorrow and Friday so all I can think about is the long list of things I want to accomplish with this one gorgeous day. Priority number one is definitely getting out of the house to enjoy it!



Also, I'm equal parts ridiculously excited and super nervous because the Stanley Cup Finals start tonight with the Bruins facing off against the Blackhawks. I never imagined we'd be back here so soon after winning just two years ago, it's crazy. My days have been consumed with hockey for the past month and a half - be it the games themselves, sports talk radio, newspaper articles, etc; I wouldn't have it any other way :) Best time of the year!



Baking actually helps to calm my nerves so I've been doing quite a bit of it as the playoffs have gone on. This chocolate macaroon bundt cake happened in the midst of our crazy stressful first round series. Apparently chocolate macaroon cake is a popular vintage recipe - one that many of our grandmothers were likely to have had in their repertoire, but it's completely new to me! I loved the concept though - take a coconut macaroon mixture and bake it inside of a chocolate cake: a delicious flavor combo and also a fun visual surprise when you cut into the first slice.



I won't lie, this is one of those recipes that is going to leave you with a giant sinkful of dirty bowls. It's absolutely worth it though! The combination of the rich chocolate cake with the chewy coconut center was fantastic, and the thick ganache glaze upped the chocolate factor even further. You definitely need to be a coconut fan to enjoy this cake, but if you are, it's one of the most unique ways that I've seen to enjoy it!

Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake
slightly adapted from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

{Note: you can halve this recipe and bake the cake in a 6-cup bundt pan.}

Cake
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cups (14 oz) sugar, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract, divided
2 cups (8 oz) sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups (10 oz) plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup (2 oz) Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot coffee
1/2 cup (4 1/2 oz) sour cream (light is fine)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons canola oil

Ganache
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

toasted coconut, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

One at a time, crack the eggs, and separate the yolks from the whites, placing the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the mixer bowl to the mixer, and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the egg whites. Starting on low and gradually increasing the speed, beat the egg whites until they achieve soft peaks. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually stream in 3/4 cup of the sugar and continue beating until the mixture reaches stiff peaks. Transfer 1 cup of this meringue to another bowl and fold in 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, the coconut, and 1 tablespoon of the flour - this is the filling for the cake. Set this filling aside, along with the remaining meringue you didn't use (you might want to transfer the remaining meringue to a separate bowl as you'll need your mixer bowl later in the recipe).

Whisk the cocoa powder, coffee, and sour cream together in a measuring cup. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 cups of the flour together with the baking powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the remaining 1 1/4 cups of sugar, the butter, the oil, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Mix on low just to combine, then increase the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. Add 2 of the egg yolks and beat until incorporated, then add the remaining 2 yolks, again beating until combined. With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the coffee mixture in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until combined. Finally, add the meringue mixture you set aside earlier (not the filling!) and fold until incorporated.

Transfer just slightly less than half of the batter to the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Top with the coconut filling, doing your best not to let it touch the sides or center of the pan. Top the coconut filling with the remaining cake batter, covering it completely.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for about 15-20 minutes, then turn it out of the pan (carefully, it's a little fragile!) and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.

To make the ganache: Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer then pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes without stirring, then gently whisk together until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside for about 20 minutes to allow the ganache to thicken (you can do less time if you want a thinner ganache, I wanted mine to be thick), then drizzle over the cooled cake. Garnish with toasted coconut if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.