Slow mornings & blueberry swirl yogurt muffins
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| Blueberry Swirl Yogurt Muffins |
Some people wake up drowsy. Some people wake up chirpy. I wake up drowngry - which is an inconvenient cross between "drowsy" and "hungry". And when I do wake up, I wander around dripping reverie dust all around the house for the first 30 minutes before sluggishly emerging from Dreamland's stupor. I'm the kind of person who'll self-tortilla in her blankets when the alarm goes off, silently negotiate for an extra grrrmblgg-minutes and imagine that she's started the usual dawn rituals while actually falling back into the sweet lull of sleep. Concurrently, I'd be vaguely aware of my stomach whining in protest, a weak grruiik of disappointment (Fun fact: did you know that the medical term for a stomach rumble is "borborygmus"? I found it hilarious the first time I heard it and thought that it sounded like the name of a character in Monster.inc). Often, I'll have had enough time to go as far as finishing an imaginary breakfast before my alarm clock kicks back for the second round of reality. Then, I might attempt to snooze-parley again (23 years of living on the edge). I really should kick off the snooze button habit, but... that specific moment when you realize that your ringtone has quelled in admitting defeat? (As in - you managed to unlock your phone and successfully hit the right spot with half-open eyelids)? Ahhhh. Luxurious silence. ...Of 9 minutes. 9 minutes of bliss.
There is an expression for that: my mom calls it "ngủ nướng". Metaphorically speaking, it's the Vietnamese idiom for "sleeping in". Literally translated, however, it means that you've slept past the ideal time so much that you're frizzling - you know, like a slice of bread crisping up on a griddle. If I snooze past noon she'll be running past my door singsonging "Cháy! Cháy! Cháy!", meaning that I'm "sleep-toasting" my way to turning into burnt food ("cháy" means "burning"). Well, if I fail at being an early bird I'll be the best toast there ever was.
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| Blueberry Swirl Yogurt Muffins |
Winter’s head snapped around
these last mornings of March, and the days have returned to being grey and
still. Before noon, a fine sheen of sugary frost persists in quilting the
windowpanes. For an Easter weekend, the landscape looks quite lonely, bare of spring’s
first blooms, the bone structure of the earth not yet plumped back from winter’s
cold drag. Breathing outside feels like popsicles vaporizing into snaps of cool air in your mouth.
Days like these, I'm sure mornings slow down for everyone (I can't be the only the toasting my life away am I?). Days like these, I need a better cup of coffee, one that can tell me "I got you, you got this". Days like these, I need a longer hot shower, the perfect ratio of milk to oatmeal, and a cat that loves me (or a cat at all actually; any cat, but munchkin of preference).
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| Blueberry Swirl Yogurt Muffins |
Alternatively, waking up to the smell of baked goodies could work too. And days like these, the smell of blueberry muffins baking in the oven are just like the warmest, opportune hug.
I won't claim that these are the best blueberry muffins ever. As a blueberry muffin lover, I enjoy and appreciate all blueberry muffins equally. But. Is this one plush and sweet and tender? Yes. And is it dotted with crystals of cinnamon-sugar crumble? Yes, yes it is. And, and, and do they happen to burst with blueberries-in-every-bite innards?
I really like them. You might too.
...There is one way to find out.
Blueberry swirl yogurt muffins
Ingredients:
2
½ cups frozen blueberries (do not thaw them)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
(Optional) 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4
cup white granulated sugar
1
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1
cup cake flour
2
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1
teaspoon salt
2
large eggs, at room temperature
1/3
cup vegetable oil
1
cup blueberry yogurt
2
tablespoons milk
1
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon-sugar crumble topping
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons warm melted butter
30 ml oats
Preparation:
1. Start with the crumble topping: In a food processor, blend the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt together. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the oats and pulse briefly, crushing only about 50% of them. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and set aside until needed.
2. Blueberry swirl: In a small pot, add 1 1/2 cup of blueberries, lemon juice, lemon zest if using, and 1 teaspoon of granulated white sugar. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently with a silicone spatula and mashing the berries as you go. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until most of the blueberries have broken down. You should get a nice, jammy mixture. Take off the heat and set aside, loosely covered.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line your muffin pan with paper cups.
4. Muffins: In a bowl, whisk together the 2 types of flours, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining white sugar and the eggs, and beat together with a whisk until thick.
6. Slowly add the oil and beat well, until homogeneously combined. Then, add the blueberry yogurt, milk and vanilla extract.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mix, and gently fold until the dry ingredients are just moistened. They may be some small flour lumps remaining in the batter, and that's okay (break down the bigger ones a bit).
8. Fold in the remaining 1 cup of frozen blueberries - Be careful not to overmix.
9. Divide the batter equally between the muffin cups, filling them up to 3/4 full. Drop a dollop of the blueberry swirl mixture on top of each cup of batter, and swirl using the edge of a tea spoon. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon-sugar crumble.
10. Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust becomes golden-brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean (few crumbs attached is alright).
11. Remove from oven and let the muffins cool in their pan for at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let muffins complete their cooldown.
12. Enjoy!
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