Cookbook Collector

I love perusing cookbooks for new ideas. However, I usually only find one or two recipes per book that appeal to me so last year I began making photocopies of the recipes I want to try and organized them in a now bursting-at-the-seams 2-inch binder. One of my resolutions for 2012 is to try at least fifty of those recipes this year. 

So far I’ve had nearly as many hits as misses, but I did discover a new favorite, Williams-Sonoma’s Blueberry Muffins with Almond Streusel. The buttermilk in the recipe keeps the muffins moist and the almond extract was a nice, unexpected touch. 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Almond Streusel

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups or line them with paper liners. Butter the top of pan.

2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and almond extract, if using. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir together until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

3. To make the streusel, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and butter. Using your fingers, work the ingredients together until just combined. Work in the almonds. Press together into a ball, and then separate with your fingers into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the almond streusel evenly over the tops of the muffins.

4. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out almost clean, 20-25 minutes. (If you’re using frozen blueberries, you may need to increase the baking time by a few minutes to compensate for the colder batter.) Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, them turn out onto the rack.