I’m so excited the muffin of the month is back on track with another delicious, seasonal and so-good-I’m-just-going-to-have-one-more muffin. Strawberries and rhubarb are now in season so it makes perfect sense that the May muffins are Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble. I have been diligently making (and eating) the Food Network Magazine’s Muffin of the Month for 2018 and reporting to you all with my feedback and the recipe. Although Matt and I are still having a hard time saying anything can beat the March Irish Cheddar, Bacon and Potato Muffins (yes, they were that incredible!), these Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Muffins are one of our favorites so far.

The muffins are soft and the inside is the texture of a super moist cake, which is caused by the juicy strawberries and rhubarb. What took these muffins into the over-the-top delicious category is the buttery brown sugar crumble topping. Slightly crunchy, the topping adds a second level of flavor that pairs perfectly with the fruit.

I have not been making any changes to these muffin recipes from the Food Network Magazine because I want to review them as written, but I did make an exception for the topping on these muffins due to an allergy. The topping calls for 3/4 cup rolled oats and since I am allergic to oats I omitted them so I would be able to enjoy them. The recipe calls for putting the crumble topping on the unbaked muffin batter before putting them in the oven and I already had almost too much crumble without the oats, so I’m sure if you included the oats you would have a fair amount of excess crumble topping. The top of my muffins didn’t look like the Food Network Magazine’s version since my crumble topping seemed to melt and spread. I’m not sure if this was because of the lack of oats or if my butter was too soft, but regardless they tasted so good I’m going to be making them this exact same way the next time I make them.

This was my first time cooking with rhubarb and I found it to be a very simple ingredient to use. The recipe only calls for one stalk and it looks like a stalk of celery. I cut off the ends and chopped the rest up into 1/2-inch pieces before tossing in the sugar with the chopped strawberries. The rhubarb gets completely soft like the strawberries in the baked muffins and provides the right amount of tartness. Since the rhubarb was tossed with sugar and then baked, the tart quality of the rhubarb is very subtle and definitely not bitter, which is how people have described rhubarb to me in the past. If baked rhubarb always tastes this good there’s some more rhubarb-infused baked goods in my future while it’s still in season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Muffins

 

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Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

for the topping

• ¾ cup rolled oats, optional (I omitted this)
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

for the muffins

• 1 stalk rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• ⅔ cup chopped strawberries
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ⅔ cup milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted an cooled slightly
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

for the topping

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats (if using), brown sugar, flour and salt. Add the butter pieces and use a fork or pastry blender to cut in the butter until it creates small clumps. Set aside.

for the muffins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, the baking powder, the baking soda and the salt. Make a well in the center then add the eggs to the well. Whisk to combine then stir in the milk, melted butter and lemon juice until just combined. Stir in the rhubarb mixture, being sure not to over-mix.
4. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups. They will be filled most of the way to the top. Top the muffin batter cups with the topping. There may be some leftover. Bake the muffins for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean and the tops of the muffins are lightly browned. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan then remove to a wire cooling rack. Once completely cool, dust with the powdered sugar.

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 Recipe from January/February 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine.

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Churro waffles! Yes! If you thought waffles couldn’t get any tastier just look at these photos. Crispy outside; soft inside; these waffles have been coated in cinnamon-sugar to channel some serious churro vibes. I stumbled across these insanely delicious waffles because last year for Matt’s birthday my brother-in-law, Nick, was coming to visit and I wanted to come up with a special menu. Matt’s birthday falls on the 5th of the month so I decided to deem the day Cinco de Matto and serve my spin on Mexican food all weekend.

When deciding what to make for brunch, I immediately thought of churros since Matt loves them. I do too, I mean, who doesn’t like fried dough covered in cinnamon-sugar?! When I saw the churro waffle recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers, Half Baked Harvest, I knew I had to make them.

I wanted something to brighten up the waffles and Matt loves raspberries so I went with a raspberry puree. The acidity of the raspberry sauce cuts through the sweetness of the churro waffles and is a great accompaniment. Other than churro waffles, this raspberry puree would work with a lot of other recipes, from drizzling over cheesecake to mixing into plain Greek yogurt. But today, we are using it to amplify these already awesome churro waffles. I used my Perfect Buttermilk Waffle batter for these before coating them in the cinnamon sugar.

Another fun idea for kids, or adults who like to eat like kids sometimes, would be to cut the waffles into strips before coating in the cinnamon-sugar – perfect for dunking into little bowls of the raspberry puree! You could lightly toast the waffle strips after cutting them to make sure they hold up to the dunking. Now all I can think about are waffle strips and how I want to go make some, but I digress. I hope you try these Churro Waffles with Raspberry Sauce soon! Or today since it is Waffle Wednesday, folks!

Churro Waffles with Raspberry Sauce

 

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Yield: 8-10 waffles & ¾ cup raspberry sauce

Ingredients

for the waffles

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1½ cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of salt
• Whipped cream and fresh raspberries, for topping

for the raspberry sauce

• 12 ounces frozen unsweetened raspberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

for the waffles

1. Turn on the waffle iron to get it hot and spray with nonstick cooking spray, depending on manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine then create a well in the center for the liquid ingredients.
3. Add the eggs to the cooled butter mixing bowl and beat until frothy. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Beat again until well-combined. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. The buttermilk and leavening will create a batter full of air bubbles. Pour the batter onto your waffle iron in batches and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. If working in batches, place the cooked waffles directly on the rack of your oven or toaster oven on a low heat to stay warm.
4. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a wide shallow bowl. Brush the warm waffles with the melted butter then dip in the cinnamon sugar to coat. I used my hands to sprinkle more on to make sure there was cinnamon-sugar in every nook and cranny. Repeat for all the waffles. Serve with the raspberry sauce, whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

for the raspberry sauce

1. Thaw the raspberries in the microwave or on the stovetop. Once thawed, place a fine mesh strainer over a small saucepan. Press the raspberries through the strainer by pressing with the back of a spoon. Scoop the seeds off the strainer as needed. When all the raspberries have been pushed through and left only the seeds, all the sugar and lemon juice to the sauce pan. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the raspberry sauce is heated through. Serve warm.

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Before you run away thinking I’m a crazy person for putting vegetables in my chocolate I have to tell you that you cannot actually taste the zucchini in this bread. As anyone who has tried zucchini bread before knows, even though there may be a ton of it in the bread all the zucchini does is make the loaf incredibly moist. So take that soft and sweet loaf, add in chocolate chips and cocoa powder, and the chocolate-addict in me is absolutely hooked.

I was a little skeptical of this recipe when I first tried it, but all that went away when I tried my first slice. I found myself eating it for breakfast, snack, dessert – you name it – until the next thing I knew it was completely gone. Based on the ingredients and a note from the original recipe author I know this Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread will freeze well, but I have yet to have a loaf make it to that point. Although you could always make two loaves and freeze one to have on hand, which is an excellent idea.

This recipe calls for instant coffee powder or espresso powder. As with my Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes, you cannot taste the coffee flavor; it just acts purely as an enhancer to the chocolate. You can certainly omit it, but I highly recommend to include it to help bring out that rich chocolate taste of the loaf.

Matt is the only coffee drinker in our house and he drinks espresso every morning. Since I don’t typically have instant coffee powder or espresso powder (which is not really for drinking, it’s a specialty ingredient used in baking) in the house, I found this awesome hack by Bright Eyed Baker to DIY my own espresso powder. Lay used espresso grounds on a baking sheet then bake on your oven’s lowest temperature for about 1 hour, or until they are toasted and crunchy. Then run through your coffee grinder to make a fine powder. Voila! Espresso powder and no wasted grounds!

So espresso powder hacks aside, this Double Chocolate Zucchini bread is perfect for using up all those extra zucchinis everyone tends to have in the summer, but don’t wait until then to try it!

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 

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Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 1½ cups shredded zucchini, about 2 zucchinis, lightly patted dry
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder, or ¼ teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, instant coffee and ¾ cup of the chocolate chips. Stir to combine and set aside.
3. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, yogurt, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with the remaining ¼ cup of chocolate chips.
4. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let bread cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack. Once cooled, removed from the pan. Store in an airtight container for 5 days or even longer in the fridge. Bread also freezes well and can be thawed in the fridge.

Notes

You can be flexible about the yogurt in this recipe. If you would prefer full or low-fat yogurt instead of the nonfat feel free to substitute. You could also use regular non-Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt instead of plain.

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It’s hard to believe we’re already four muffins into the year! It seems like just the other day that I was making the Food Network’s Pomegranate Orange January Muffins and here we are in April. Time flying by is fine by me until we start getting some nice summer weather in Boston. Then it better slow down!

The muffins for April from the Food Network Magazine’s Muffin of the Month are carrot muffins with a coconut twist. Very fitting since Easter was this month (just barely) and carrot cake seems to be the official dessert of the Easter Bunny.

I’m going to be honest about these muffins since authenticity is very important to me here at Lemon & Mocha. They tasted like really good carrot cake muffins, but with all the specialty ingredients listed, from the coconut oil to the macadamia nuts to the crystallized ginger, I was expecting a wow factor. I wanted the coconut and ginger flavors to punch my taste buds! Unfortunately the coconut seemed to mostly be coming from the flakes sprinkled on top and the spicy ginger-ness was very mild.

I am going to make these muffins again at some point, but I’m going to recipe-test and adapt them to make perfect muffins. Not just really good muffins. I’m thinking continuing with the island theme of the coconut and macadamia nuts, but adding more pronounced flavor and some pineapple. Yum!

If you tried the April muffins, what did you think?

Carrot-Coconut Muffins

 

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Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups grated carrots (about 3 carrots)
• ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for topping
• ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
• ¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, yogurt, melted coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into the well of the flour mixture and stir until combined. Add the carrots, coconut, macadamia nuts, and crystallized ginger then fold until combined.
4. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared lined cups. They should each be about ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the muffin is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then move to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
5. While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl then add the milk. You want it to be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough so it won’t just run off the muffins. If it is too thin, add more powder sugar. If it is too thick, add more milk. When the muffins are completely cool, spoon a little glaze onto the top of each muffin and immediately sprinkle with the shredded coconut. The coconut will make the glaze spread out even more.

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 Recipe from January/February 2018 issue of Food Network Magazine.

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Yes, this recipe has a funny name, but I will get to that in a minute. For now, let’s focus on how absolutely delicious and stunning it looks. Beautiful! The enormous pancake is light and bursting with vanilla and cinnamon-sugar flavors. Crispy puffed pockets and softened doughy pillows cradle the syrupy strawberries and the whipped cream. Are you dreaming in your bed or did you actually just make this in no time at all with a blender and cast iron skillet? Since I just posted it you probably are dreaming, but you could be the later and be the hero of brunch this weekend.

I had seen these Dutch babies on Instagram and cooking shows for a while now, but I never actually read through a recipe. I assumed to look so impressive that they must be complicated. I apologize to the last five years of my life for never reading a recipe because it is the opposite of complicated. Complicated doesn’t even exist on the same continent! The eggs are beaten until frothy then the rest of the ingredients are dumped in for some more mixing. I used a blender to do this to make it even easier. The mixture is poured into a cast iron skillet that’s been getting hot on the stove-top with melted butter. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet any oven safe skillet will work. Into the oven it goes! When it is done in the oven it gets sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, loaded with syrupy strawberries, and dolloped with whipped cream. In come the brunch eaters with their forks to savor the puffiness until the puff deflates, but the Dutch baby stays just as delicious.

I came across this recipe when I was brainstorming for Christmas morning. I wanted something that would be minimally hands-on while also looking impressive. That’s hard to come by in the realm of brunch food. Thank the breakfast heavens for these oddly-named Dutch baby things. I did a bit of research, aka read Wikipedia, about the name and it turns out that this cross between a pancake and a popover isn’t Dutch at all. It is an American food and name said to be coined by a family cafe in Seattle, Washington in 1942. It seems to be their version of the German-style pancakes known as pfannkuchen, which look like slightly thicker crepes and are topped with fruit and sweet toppings. They speculate the Dutch part of the name came from the German word deutsch, which means German, but no word on where the baby part came in. My guess is that it is so delicious when you eat it that your speech becomes incoherent like a baby’s.

Part of the Strawberry Dutch Baby’s deliciousness is that it has the perfect amount of sweetness. Even though the actual Dutch baby has no sugar in it, all the sweetness is coming from the cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top and the syrupy strawberries. So stop dreaming and start planning when you’re going to make this impressively easy popover pancake!

Strawberry Dutch Baby

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• ⅔ cup whole milk, room temperature
• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, tops removed and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Whipped cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Blend the eggs until frothy and pale in a high-speed blender, about 1 minute. Add the milk, flour, cinnamon, and salt then continue to blend until combined.
3. Over medium-high heat, melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, or an oven safe skillet. Once melted, remove from the heat and quickly pour in the prepared batter. Place right into the oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the pancake has puffed, about 18-22 minutes.
4. While the Dutch baby is baking, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle a few spoonfuls of the cinnamon-sugar (reserving some for the Dutch baby) over the sliced strawberries then stir to coat and let sit until the Dutch Baby is ready.
5. When the Dutch Baby is done, remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle it with the cinnamon-sugar. Don’t be shy about it! Add the strawberries and whipped cream. Serve sliced with the extra strawberries and whipped cream.

Notes

If you do not have a blender, you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer.

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