Blueberry Earl Grey Muffins for the Crazy Cooking Challenge

 After sitting the last Crazy Cooking Challenge out, I've had a chance to get back into the swing of things. I'm super excited to be participating in this month's challenge - to make the Ultimate Blueberry Muffin. And I think I've done it - Blueberry Earl Grey muffins with a Lemon Earl Grey Glaze! Yep, a little over the top, but none-the-less, delicious. My sister thinks these taste like a london fog from a fancy coffee shop and my good friend K thinks these taste like "Afternoon Tea".

If you're wondering what the Crazy Cooking Challenge is - every month a group of bloggers gets together and tries to find the Ultimate version of an every-day favorite dish. Some of the past challenges have been chocolate cake, spaghetti with red sauce, macaroni & cheese, and others. If you're interested, head on over to Mom's Crazy Cooking and check out Tina's informative page.

It is really funny - this month I was browsing around and I was inspired by the same blog I was in the month we did the Ultimate Chocolate Cake! I didn't realize it at first until I went to look up the recipe again to write this post. So funny to see how I am constantly drawn to the same style of blogs and recipes. :) Any way, the blog I'm featuring is Raspberri Cupcakes. Its great! Head on over to check out some of the yummy treats she has been baking up.

Blueberry Earl Grey Muffins
Recipe adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 4 earl grey tea bags
• 1 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs lightly whisked
• 1 heaping cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 earl grey tea bag
• juice of one lemon

Method:

1. Warm the milk until nearly boiling. Remove from heat and add first four tea bags. Steep and let cool for one hour. Remove tea bags and discard.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Place the flour and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the milk, vanilla, brown sugar, butter and eggs. Stir gently to combine. Fold in blueberries. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-27 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Don't overbake these muffins or they will dry out.
3. Cool on a rack. While muffins are cooling, prepare the glaze. Mix the icing sugar, earl grey tea and juice of one lemon together in a bowl until it reaches the desired consistency to drizzle on the muffins (you may have to add more icing sugar or more lemon juice, but adjust it til you like the consistency).

This post has been linked up with the Recipe Party at the Sweet Spot. Head over and check out the other goodies bloggers have linked up this week.
Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoy my version of the Ultimate Blueberry Muffin! I know we did. :)
Happy Baking my Friends!

Chocolate Tea Cakes with Earl Grey Icing

I follow a great blog called Food & Whine. She is always posting great recipes for all kinds of things - desserts, main courses, snacks, ketchup, etc! Every time I read a new post I learn something or find another recipe I want to try. When I saw these chocolate tea cakes with earl grey icing, I just knew I had to try them. I'm really excited to share this recipe with you because they were SO good. Its not just me who thinks so! I baked them for a volunteer meeting I was attending and people eagerly devoured them with such comments as "sublime", "delicious", "amazing"... the list goes on! So these are definitely worth a try - even if the idea of earl grey icing freaks you out! Just TRY them. :) I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Chocolate Tea Cakes with Earl Grey Icing

Recipe from Food & Whine

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tea bags Earl Grey tea

Method:

1. Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 18 regular-sized muffin pans with paper liners (or 48 mini-muffin). Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Whisk until smooth, then remove the bowl; keep the water simmering in the saucepan. In another bowl, whisk the sugar, flour and salt; mix into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla until smooth.
2. Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cakes spring back when touched, 15 to 18 minutes (mine took longer, probably about 22 or 23 minutes. Be sure to test with a toothpick regularly so they are neither under or over-cooked. Toothpick will come out clean when they are ready). Remove from the pans and cool on a rack.
3. Meanwhile, make the icing: Whisk the sugar, egg whites, lemon juice and salt by hand in the bowl of a stand mixer. Empty the tea bags and add the loose tea to the bowl, then set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot and the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag (or piping bag fitted with a large round tip if you have one), snip the corner and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.
   
   
   

I especially love the look of these cute little cakes once the fluffy, dreamy looking icing has been piped onto them. They are just so adorable looking, especially once you put them on a nice plate. I had a few people look at me skeptically when I mentioned the icing was Earl Grey... but once they tried the cakes, they lost any skepticism and eagerly took a second cake. :) I would encourage you to try out this recipe (and check out Food & Whine where I found the recipe). Thanks Jen for sharing this great recipe!

Happy Baking my Friends!