Wednesday, August 7, 2013

It’s just too hot to cook.

This week is the hottest week yet we’ve experienced in Warsaw with near record highs of 33 and 35C (91-95 F). Living without AC like most Poles means sleeping is quite uncomfortable, so we’re hightailing it to a hotel for the next two nights. Yesterday, I even leisurely strolled the aisles in a grocery store for nearly an hour because it was the coolest place I could find.

But last week, when temperatures weren’t near as hot, I baked a batch of mini muffins with Polish wild blueberries for hubby to take to work for our Turkish friend’s final week in Poland.

Wild blueberries have been in season for nearly two months, and I cannot get enough of them! They are much smaller than cultivated varieties and have a distinct, almost winey, sweet flavor. I’ve eaten handfuls of the wild blueberries just by themselves as well in cereal, yogurt and in my Independence Day Berry Cobbler. I even made a batch of blueberry-ginger jam and blueberry cheesecake ice cream.
Sadly, the wild blueberries at Hala Mirowska seem to be disappearing, and normal-sized blueberries have replaced them. Luckily, I stashed away a kilo or two of the wild blueberries in the freezer so I can make another batch of these muffins when our Istanbul friends arrive next month.

These muffins are a combination of lemon-poppy seed and blueberry – a perfect pairing! Hope you enjoy them as much as our friend, Ozerk, did!

Smacznego! (Bon appétit in Polish)
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Mini Muffins with Wild Polish Blueberries
Yields: 48 mini muffins

Ingredients:
1 ¾      c.         all-purpose flour
½         c.         granulated sugar
2          tsp.      baking powder
¼         tsp.      salt
1          ea.        lemon zest, freshly grated
1          tsp.      poppy seeds

1          ea.        large egg, beaten
¾         c.         milk
¼         c.         sunflower or vegetable oil
1          c.         fresh or frozen wild blueberries

1.         Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Also, line mini muffin pans with paper baking cups.
2.         In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and poppy seeds.
3.         Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
4.         In a second bowl, mix together the egg, milk and oil. Add this mixture into the well of the previous bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir just until moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
5.         Lastly, fold in the wild blueberries. If you are using frozen, I like to toss them with a little flour to help prevent them from sticking together.
6.         Using a spoon, fill the paper cups about 2/3s of the way full. Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Optional: sprinkle a bit of raw sugar on top of the muffins before baking.
7.         Of course, you also can bake these muffins in standard-sized baking cups. Just increase the baking time by five minutes or bake the muffins until lightly golden on top. 

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2 comments:

BacktoBodrum said...

I got my fill of blueberries in Sweden, massive ones. Why don't we grow them in Turkey, I wonder?

Joy said...

@Annie, Yum! In Istanbul, I'd find them now and then randomly at one of the pazars. I was told, if I understood correctly, some farmers in the Karadeniz region have started growing them, but it will take a few years before there are good crops. That would be great!