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Blueberry Muffins with Lemongrass

Posted by jenny on 02/09/2011
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Blueberry Muffins with Lemongrass

My eyes are always bigger than my stomach, and my plans grander than there is room to keep the results. One Thursday last summer I found myself at three different farmers markets, seduced by escalating richness of the Seattle-area bounty. I try hard to have a plan before I buy something, and after my first stop and purchase of two flats of strawberries, I was still on track. At the second, I bought only a few tomatoes, perfumed and spicy, I knew there was a place for those. At the third, I went off the rails.

You wouldn't imagine that a quarter flat of berries would be one's undoing, but when they're melting with sugars, time is critical. Problem was that time was already critical for the strawberries, and they were destined for a wedding. They couldn't afford to wait. By the time I got back to the quarter flat, we'd picked over the raspberries and blackberries and lo! a pile of fat, juicy, and fruit-fly attracting blueberries stared back.

My brain raced. Blueberry banana pie? Blueberry sorbet? Gelee? How about cooked with duck? Pork? Dehydrated for granola?

No. I pulled Ruhlman's Ratio from the stack, gathered the essentials, and grabbed the blueberries, some lemongrass, and ginger and went to work.


Blueberry Muffins with Lemongrass (guided by Michael Ruhlman's Ratio)
8 oz milk
2 stalks lemongrass (ends only), pounded to expose the interior
1 slice fresh ginger, 1/4" thick
8 oz flour
4 oz sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1 stick butter (4 oz), melted
1 c blueberries

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. In a small saucepan, scald the milk.
  3. Add the lemongrass to the pan, cover and steep for 20 minutes. In the last minute or so of steeping, add the slice of ginger.
  4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
  5. When the milk is cooled, strain the milk into a mixing bowl. Discard the lemongrass and ginger. 
  6. Add the eggs and melted butter to the milk, whisking by hand.
  7. Add the dry ingredients to the milk, whisking until just combined. 
  8. Gently fold in the blueberries.
  9. Spoon batter into baking cups until about half full.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Comments

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Oh, how I relate. Winter

Submitted by Elizabeth @ Saffron Lane (not verified) on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 12:27pm.

Oh, how I relate. Winter actually offers a bit of a reprieve from all the visual temptation for me at the farmers' market but, when spring rolls around, all bets are off for keeping my cool/sanity.

These muffins look great. Have you ever tried using lemongrass essential oil? I use it in savory preparations all the time and it imparts a wallop of lemongrass flavor with just one drop.

Lemongrass essential oil? I can't wait to learn more

Submitted by jenny on Tue, 02/15/2011 - 1:14pm.

Hi Elizabeth,

Can't wait to touch base with you about lemongrass essential oil - what a wonderful idea, I didn't know that existed. I can think of a thousand things I would do with that.

Thanks for the comment, and the suggestion!

jenny

Lemongrass essential oil

Submitted by Elizabeth @ Saffron Lane (not verified) on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 5:06pm.

Hi Jenny,

So sorry for the reply on this one.

Yes! You will probably love baking/cooking with lemongrass essential oil, among others. Just be sure to buy therapeutic (organic) grade oils. Here's a good source for you to check out:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/aroma/f-l.html

Good luck!
Elizabeth