muffins – The Herbal Bake Shoppe https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com Bringing herbalism & baking together Tue, 19 Sep 2017 20:20:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Bitters Spiked Plum Jam Muffins https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/bitters-spiked-plum-jam-muffins/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/bitters-spiked-plum-jam-muffins/#respond Mon, 06 Mar 2017 21:33:47 +0000 https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/?post_type=recipe&p=1901
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gin spiked plum jamgin spiked plum jam
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jam peaking throughjam peaking through

As my teenagers spend less and less time at home, the quiet vacillates between feeling peaceful and piercing my heart with loneliness. Music helps but also takes my mind down roads that sometimes compound unwanted dark thoughts. I choose instead spoken words, which softens the quiet and gives feeling that there is someone talking to me. Podcasts provide endless stories, interviews, education, and verbal companionship. My current obsession is the Heritage Radio Network with thousands of podcasts related to food, my passion.

While listening to an interview with a bartender/mixologist/author on the history of classic cocktails, all of a sudden my herbal world collided with hers. Bitters!

One of the absolute first principles I learned related to herbalism was that almost anyone can benefit from a few drops of bitters before meals to support their digestion. A well-made bitters formula is a vital tool of the trade. Equally so in the cocktail world where bartenders refer to bitters as their salt and pepper.

It turns out that cocktail bitters originated from medicinal bitters formulas added to spirits to make them more palatable. Even better, adding a dash of cocktail bitters in cooking enhances flavor and complexity just like it does with mixed drinks. I think this opens a world of possibility for a bit of good medicine and taste.

Bitters Spiked Plum Jam Muffins
Bitters = the salt and pepper of cocktails = herbal medicine to support digestion = culinary flavor and aroma enhancer. Is it possible that a bit of bitter spiked jam in these muffins could offer all that wonderful?
Servings Prep Time
18muffins 40minutes
Cook Time
25-30minutes
Servings Prep Time
18muffins 40minutes
Cook Time
25-30minutes
Ingredients
Bitters spiked plum jam
  • 1/2cup plum preserves
  • 1 1/2tablespoons Bombay Sapphire gin
  • 3/4teaspoon Angostora Bitters
Muffins
  • coconut oil spray for coating muffin pan
  • 2cups (250g) all-purpose organic flour
  • 1/2cup (62.5g) gluten free all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4cup granulated organic sugar
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp baking soda
  • 1/2tsp salt
  • 2cups (16oz) buttermilk
  • 3/4cup avocado oilcan substitute any organic vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 3cups (174g) wheat bran
  • 1/2cup bitters spiked plum jam
  • 3/4tsp ginger powder
Instructions
For bitters spiked jam
  1. Mix jam the day before making muffins to let flavors infuse together. In small bowl or jar, mix together plum preserves, gin, and Angostura bitters. Cover and store in refrigerator overnight.
For Muffins
  1. You will need a 12 cup muffin pan and a 6 cup muffin pan. I have found that the darker gray, non-stick pans make muffins with nice volume on top. Muffins seem to spread more on top in the lighter gray pans, but either will be fine for
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin pan with coconut oil spray so each bottom and sides of each muffin cup is thoroughly covered.
  3. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together to combine. Set aside.
  4. Measure wheat bran into a small bowl. Set aside.
  5. In large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, avocado oil, and eggs until well blended.
  6. Add dry ingredients and wheat bran together and mix gently with a wooden spoon until ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix, though.
  7. With a ¼ cup measure, fill each prepared muffin cup with ¼ cup of batter. With a small spoon, make a little opening in center of each muffin batter by pushing gently on batter.
  8. Fill each hole with 1 teaspoon of spiked plum jam.
  9. Mix ¾ teaspoon ginger into remaining batter. Top each muffin with a small amount of batter to cover jam. Batter does not have to completely cover jam. Gently spread batter over jam as best you can.
  10. Bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick tester comes out clean.
  11. Cool for about 10 minutes in pan then gently lift and transfer to wire racks. These are also delicious warm, right out of the oven.
Recipe Notes

**Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make baked goods all the more nourishing. For these muffins use organic jam, organic flour, organic sugar, organic eggs, organic oil, organic buttermilk if available.

]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/bitters-spiked-plum-jam-muffins/feed/ 0 Walnut Yellow Beet Muffins https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/walnut-yellow-beet-muffins/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/walnut-yellow-beet-muffins/#respond Fri, 16 Sep 2016 18:09:52 +0000 https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/?post_type=recipe&p=1740
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brain-foodbrain-food
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walnut-date-muffins-featuring-beetswalnut-date-muffins-featuring-beets

The mixing of two familiar foods less commonly thought of as herbs. Baking can be magic in that way. Walnuts and beets are both examples of culinary style herbalism.

When September comes, it seems like beets are everywhere. Week after week they arrive in my CSA box. Even if I liked beets (regrettably I don’t) how in the world can someone use all of them? In my nutrition frame of mind I know it’s worth trying. So I roast them, peel them and whirl them in the food processor, then store to use later. Frozen in ice cube trays, they can be added to smoothies. Measure 1 cup portions to mix into batters because beets make amazingly moist chocolate cakes. Pickle them and they last forever this way, besides fermented foods are important and my mom loves them. When huge yellow beets appeared a few weeks ago, I felt muffin inspiration. Because beets add sweetness, the actual sugar amount is proportionally low in this batter. My lovely daughter, a vegetable affectionate yet also not a beet lover, avoids sugar. She approved.

Recent studies have linked eating walnuts with improvement in memory. Eating a handful packs nutrients that our brains need like essential fatty acids and antioxidants. Traditional Chinese Medicine doesn’t ignore walnuts, classifying them as yang tonifying herbs that strengthen bones, tendons and vision. TCM also considers walnuts warming for the lungs and mixed with honey can help chronic coughs. Now there’s a yummy kitchen therapy.

brain-food

Walnut Yellow Beet Muffins
The shape of a walnut resembles a brain and coincidentally studies link eating walnuts to improved memory. Herbalists call this “the doctrine of signatures” a theory pointing to plants that resemble body parts and how these plants can be used to treat ailments associated with them. Beets may not look like the brain, but they too support it by increasing the oxygen that gets there. One study showed that people drinking one cup of beet juice a day had clearer thinking. Everything we eat matters. Cheers to these muffins.
Servings Prep Time
15muffins 40minutes
Cook Time
25-28minutes
Servings Prep Time
15muffins 40minutes
Cook Time
25-28minutes
Ingredients
Beet Puree
  • 2large yellow beetsor 4-5 small
  • 1/2cup water
Muffins
  • 3/4cup dates, pitted and cut into 3-4 small pieces
  • 1cup(140g) all-purpose organic flour
  • 3/4tsp baking soda
  • 1/4tsp salt
  • 1/2tsp cinnamon
  • 1tsp fennel seedpound with a mortle and pestle
  • 1 egg, organic
  • 1/3(75g)cup organic light brown sugar
  • 1/4cup walnut oilcan substitute avocado oil or hazelnut oil
  • 1 1/2cup yellow beet puree
  • 1tbsp orange zest, grated
  • 1/2cup walnuts, broken into medium-sized pieces
Instructions
For beet puree
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash beets and cut into quarters. Place in roasting pan with enough water to cover bottom of pan by about ½ inch. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast for 45 minutes until soft. Cool completely.
  2. Peel beets and cut into medium sized chunks. Place in food processor and blend for 2-3 minutes until pureed, scrape down sides as needed.
  3. Measure 1½ cups of yellow beet puree. Set aside. Reserve any remaining puree for another use. This can be done up to 2 days in advance keeping pureed beets in refrigerator or they can be frozen to use later.
For Muffins
  1. Lightly steam dates. Heat a small amount of water in a saucepan. Place dates in a metal strainer over the simmering water for 10 minutes. Lay out on a paper towel to dry, patting to dry completely.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a muffin pan with muffin liners.
  3. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk in fennel seed. Set aside.
  4. In large bowl, beat egg just to mix. Stir in sugar and then oil until well combined.
  5. Add pureed beets and orange zest and mix well. Stir in dates.
  6. Gradually add dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition only until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in walnuts.
  7. Spoon into muffin pan using a ¼ cup measure to fill about 2/3rds full.
  8. Bake for 25-28 minutes until tops are golden brown and muffins spring back when pressed with a finger.
  9. Remove from pan immediately to cool on wire rack. Store in covered container.
Recipe Notes

**Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make baked goods all the more nourishing. For these muffins use organic beets, organic flour, organic sugar, organic eggs, organic walnuts, organic dates, organic orange for zest if available.

walnut-date-muffins-featuring-beets

]]> https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/walnut-yellow-beet-muffins/feed/ 0 Soothing Herb Blend Mini Crumb Muffins https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/soothing-herb-blend-mini-crumb-muffins/ https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/recipe/soothing-herb-blend-mini-crumb-muffins/#respond Thu, 30 Jun 2016 19:44:10 +0000 https://theherbalbakeshoppe.com/?post_type=recipe&p=1639
soothing herb blend crumb muffinssoothing herb blend crumb muffins
muffin samples at marketmuffin samples at market
three blends for salethree blends for sale
blend of linden, lemon balm, rose, tulsiblend of linden, lemon balm, rose, tulsi
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Interesting human behavior story…

Last weekend, for the first time ever, I sold jars of herbal blends at a local craft market. I wanted to talk to people, to gather ideas and see what people are interested in so I can be more useful. I sold very few jars, but I did learn from people’s reactions. I had samples of baked treats made with the three herbal blends to show diversity of use besides making tea or taking them in a pill. These mini muffins were one of the samples and I displayed them in a cake stand with a clear cover. There were only a couple of people who asked me about them and when I explained what they were, very few people even took one.

So here is the interesting behavior… In the middle of the day I left my table for a bit to get a much needed iced coffee. As I walked back through the park where the market tables were set up, I saw my table in the distance. I realized that there was a steady stream of people approaching, lifting the lid of the cake stand and taking muffins. When I got back about 75% were gone! Crazy. When no one was there, people were willing to try even though there was no label as to what they were made with, but when I was there explaining, the no thank-you’s were abundant. I’m not sure if this means that the thought of eating dried herbs baked into a muffin was unappealing or if they were just shy or worried they would not like and then be embarrassed to say so. Which ever, I hope you try for yourself. They have a few steps, none of which is hard and are deliciously different.

Although the tea blend is a mix of calming herbs, I am not sure eating in a muffin will do that, maybe a tiny bit. And would you try them if they were a sample at a craft market table? Please leave me a comment below.

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

Soothing Herb Blend Mini Crumb Muffins
Please don't worry if you don't have all the herbs for the blend, these muffins can be made with any combination such as lemon balm and holy basil or just one single herb. I would be happy to send you the herbal blend, too! Just send me a note at dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com
Servings Prep Time
48mini muffins 40minutes
Cook Time
15minutes
Servings Prep Time
48mini muffins 40minutes
Cook Time
15minutes
Ingredients
Soothing Herb Blend
  • 1tbsp dried linden flower
  • 1tbsp dried lemon balm
  • 1tbsp dried holy basilalso known as tulsi
  • 1/2tbsp dried rose petalsuse only organic roses if drying yourself
Herb infused honey
  • 6ounces soothing herbal tea blend
  • 8ounces honey
For Crumb topping
  • 1/4cup organic granulated sugar
  • 1/4cup organic light brown sugar
  • 1/2tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8tsp salt
  • 1/4cup unsalted butter melted1/2 stick
  • 2/3cup organic all-purpose flour
For Muffins
  • 2 1/4cup organic all-purpose flour281.25grams
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2tsp salt
  • 1tbsp lemon zest, grated
  • 2/3cup organic unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3cup herb infused honey
  • 3/4cup organic whole milk
Instructions
For herbal blend
  1. Combine all dried herbs, mix to blend. Using a coffee grinder, grind to fine powder.
For herb infused honey
  1. Prepare a double boiler with 1 inch of water in bottom. Bring to gentle boil.
  2. Combine powdered herb blend and honey in top of double boiler. Stir with a wooden chopstick. Cover, Turn heat to lowest setting and gently heat for 6 hours.
  3. Strain honey while still warm using a strainer covered in cheesecloth set over a 1 cup glass measure. You may have slightly less than needed amount of 2/3 cup, add plain honey if needed.
For crumb topping
  1. Preheat over to 375°F. Line small baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Combine sugars, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in melted butter. Add flour and stir with a rubber spatula until just moistened.
  3. Spread mixture on lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until dry. Break up with fork into small crumbs if needed. Cool completely before topping muffins.
For muffins
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Line mini muffin pans with mini muffin liners. If you do not have mini muffin pans, these can be made as regular sized muffins.
  3. In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.
  4. In medium mixing bowl, combine cooled melted butter and honey. Whisk to blend. Lightly beat eggs, then add to butter and honey mixture and whisk to blend.
  5. Add milk and whisk to blend well.
  6. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Pour in wet ingredients and stir gently to combine only until there are no remaining dry spots. Avoid overmixing as much as possible.
  7. Spoon by teaspoonfuls into lined muffin pan to fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle on crumb topping to cover top as much as desired.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes. If using regular sized muffin pan, increase baking time to 18-20 minutes. Test with a toothpick.
  9. Allow to stand in pan for 10 minutes then remove to cool completely on wire racks. These freeze well packed in air-tight containers.
  10. Optional: dust with powdered sugar before serving
Recipe Notes

*I would be happy to send you a sample of the herbal blend to try, just send me a note at dina@theherbalbakeshoppe.com

**Using organic ingredients whenever possible will make baked goods all the more nourishing. For these muffins use organic flour, organic sugar, organic eggs, organic butter, organic milk if available.

blend of linden, lemon balm, rose, tulsi
muffins and herbs

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