Pear & Rosemary Buttermilk Muffins

It's a tea and muffin morning on the balcony. The perks of being a member of the pajama-clad workforce. It's nice to enjoy breakfast in the sunshine after working evenings for so long. Someone recently suggested that I needed more socialization. Honey, I've had enough to last a lifetime. I've worked late hours in psychiatric emergency rooms for a long time. Solitude and morning sun is what I crave. For now, it's more than fine.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Oh these muffins! They have a deep, double-chocolate, sinfully good flavor, with melty chocolate chips and a moist texture. They're a chocolate lovers dream because not only do they taste rich and scrumptious, they're made with Greek yogurt, zucchini and unsweetened applesauce. 

Blackberry Corn Muffins

One summer long ago, I tried a blackberry. The sun was setting and the lightning bugs were starting to flicker when I spied a small basket of them in my aunt's fridge. That first bite sparked a love affair with these midnight-hued berries. Naturally, I had to try the blackberry muffin recipe in Romney Steele's beautiful book, Plum Gorgeous.

Toasted Coconut-Lime Muffins

My husband is coming home from a tiring business trip. He spent his birthday on the road. He doesn't have a huge sweet tooth. He doesn't even like cake, which is mind boggling to me. So instead of a birthday cake, I made muffins. He loves muffins. I whip up lots of different kinds, like my Incredibly Moist Blueberry Muffins and French Vanilla Pear Muffins. You can view all of them in the Recipe Index. He's a fan of the cozy, toasted coconut and lime combination in this recipe. I love that there's no mixer needed to prepare them. They have moist centers, slightly crunchy exteriors, with a texture and flavor similar to scones. They're delicious eaten warm, minutes after they're made, with a little butter or tart marmalade. Brew some coffee or tea!

DIY All Natural Vanilla Sugar

For this little homemade project, I use my tried and true vanilla sugar recipe. I've been making this natural vanilla sugar for years. It's deliciously easy! I always keep it in my kitchen. Stir it into coffee. Use it in baked goods or sprinkle on fresh fruit.

Whole vanilla beans infuse the sugar with divine aroma and taste. The sugar becomes a sweet handmade gift when placed in a nostalgic mason jar and tied with a pretty gingham ribbon. Vanilla sugar and pink gingham, what's not to love?

Blueberry Brown Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

Remember the classic oatmeal cookies of your childhood? The kind that tasted like oats and brown sugar, with moist, chewy centers and crispy edges. Your mom, gram or your best friend’s mom made them.  Well these are those cookies. 

Scratch made oatmeal cookies are easy and unsurpassed in their cozy taste. Blueberries and oatmeal are bff's. 

Easy Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

I found this amazing recipe at Tasty Kitchen. It was posted by Lemanda.

These blonde beauties are fantastic. They’ve received rave reviews over at Tasty Kitchen too. What I love about them is how simple and fast they whip up. A few basic ingredients work their magic to create warm-cinnamon- sugared-bliss.

Chocolate Sea Salt Brownies

These brownies are the perfect combination of fudgy and cakey. They're incredibly easy to make too. One bowl, plus one spatula, plus one pan equals chocolate nirvana. No electric mixer needed. No fancy techniques.

This wonderful brownie recipe is minimally adapted from Joy of Baking's brownies. A sprinkling of coarse sea salt is the magic ingredient. Salt makes brownies taste even more chocolaty. 

French Vanilla Pear Muffins

Muffins are a favorite of mine. Simple ingredients are mixed with fruit and in less than thirty minutes home-baked-happiness-happens. 

  

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Berry Muffins

I love muffins! I love making them because they're quick and easy.  Warm with an extra hot cup of coffee in the morning is blissful. I keep a steady supply in my freezer to pop in the microwave for a quick, weekday breakfast. These are a riff on my incredibly moist blueberry muffins. They're made with a combination of whole wheat and regular flour. They're ultramoist, packed with berries and not too sweet (but sweet enough). If you like your muffins sweeter, increase the sugar in the recipe to one cup. Just about any berry will work here. I've made them with frozen blueberries and raspberries too.