Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Blueberry Macaron-Muffins

Call them 'macaron muffins' or 'muffin-macarons'


When you have almost FIVE pounds of almond flour you can not make lemonade but you can try.

Since I failed royally at making macarons I thought at least I can make some muffins out of this stuff.


HA!
Like making macarons you beat the egg whites till they peak nicely then fold into the batter = quelle wreck!

It was my idea to add the frozen blueberries to the batter since I didn't have poppy seeds. My idea to cut the sugar in half too (won't be doing that again)...hmmm

The recipe says fill the mini cups 2/3s...ahem
They don't look too bad...
Especially set in the right environment
But the insides were not cooked enough
I would do better to walk on stilts that try my hand again baking.

Back to the drawing board vite!
I'm pretty good at savory cooking like sesame soba noodles or French lentilles or tzatziki thanks to my niece. But baking? Forgedaboutit
BON APPETITE!

36 comments:

  1. The egg whites look to me (who am no baker, but still) like they have been beaten too stiff. They have no shine left on them, even before their breakup. OTOH, you have access to macarons baked by others, so maybe you rest content with that?
    Probably not one of those macaron bakers could blog as superbly as you!

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  2. Judith:
    What do I do with the FIVE pounds of Almond flour?
    That is my connundrum.

    If I could pack it up with the watercolors I would be thrilled :)
    Carolg

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  3. Sorry that recipe didn't work out, but you know I believe that everyone can bake. Including you Carol! : )

    Blueberries will always change the moisture level, so you'd need to adjust the baking time and/or amount of flour.

    Cutting the sugar by half might have been a bit to drastic. Maybe just try cutting it by a third next time? Please don't give up on baking. You can do it!

    If you want to use the almond flour, use it in place of 1/4 or 1/2 of the regular amount of flour in something. I think it's supposed to be very good to use in crusts.

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  4. With your artistic talents..Baking ..would be a cinch:)

    They look great!

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  5. If only they tasted as good as they look Nana...
    A book by any other name would smell as sweet :)

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  6. I'll take that delicious salad anyday to the sweeties!
    xAnnie

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  7. OK, my favorite rice flour recipe and so easy too is from the Tartelette blog. It is Ollieberry tartelettes or little cakes. I don't have Ollieberries so I use raspberries and plop two or three berries in each. It really is quite good and very simple.

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  8. I will try a last-gasp effort at Almond meal pancakes...
    At least you don't have to beat the egg whites with these:)

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  9. Your muffins look amazing ... what a pity you don't share them thru supermarmite web site !

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  10. Carol, your imagination is way too big to fit into a tiny muffin tin! ;-) I would give you a star for trying though.

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  11. What a GREAT idea Raids/Louise!

    All about Super Marmite in the NYTimes

    and the websitHERE!

    MERCI
    carolg

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  12. Probs peeps have told you that you can't horse around that much w/baking...savory cooking, yep. Too rushed to read all the comments. Man,I wish I had 5lbs of almond meal. xo

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  13. ... good effort ... I saw Giada make some cookies with almond flour and have been meaning to try them .. I am sure you've got some more recipes up your sleve .. bon chance

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  14. I've never even heard of almond flour :)
    Too bad that they didn't come out right - that was a lot of work...
    The noodles look great, though!

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  15. Anonymous6:16 PM

    Carol,
    Bakng is an exact science, it's all in the way you hold your tongue x

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  16. Carol, your posts are an inspiration!! xx

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  17. Maybe you can give the rest of the Almond flour away with your next painting you sell. :)) I am finish up a book called Bonjour Happiness by Jamie Cat Callan, I have been reading..which is very good by the way.. and when I looked at the acknowledgements in the back, who should I see mentioned but Paris Breakfasts. You are everywhere. :))

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  18. Donate the almond flour to the squirrels in the park....you have other FINE qualities!

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  19. Hahaaaa! Carol, you kill me. They do look good! I was thinking little tiny bite-sized mac/muffins sound great! You could be on to the latest craze and not even know it!

    You're a riot. I'll give you A++ for persistence.

    Are the muffins good? Bake 'em all and freeze them in little packages, if they are.

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  20. Carol, if our weather stays this cool, I might soon be inspired to try some early autumn baking (without ground up almonds, though.)

    Today on my errand rounds, I was on a Madison Avenue number 3 bus, and saw Laduree as we passed by. Too much rain to get off the bus and check it out. Perhaps the sun will return soon, and let the US Open actually continue at a schedule that won't damage the players. Today was a real mess.

    I agree that your little muffins looked great ... sorry that they did not meet your expectations.

    xo

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  21. Carol, when life gives you too much almond flour, make marzipan! many versions without egg whites!
    I am tempted to try your macamuffins, would have to be better than my latest macaron attempt! They look tasty anyway. As do the savory dishes...

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  22. Almond tuilles?
    but that would be baking again.
    I know, use it to thicken sauces, savory sauces!
    xx
    julie

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  23. Oh my! I really am very sorry for your kitchen mishap, but I seriously needed a good laugh today, and you, talented and generous Carol, provided it. Thanks bunches. :))

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  24. Carol, I think we have all learned, through your almond flour experiments, that whatever the price of the macarons (or muffins) it is worth having someone else bake them!
    Thanks for the fun!!!
    ~Jen

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  25. Can your chef-niece, Louisa suggest what to make w/all that almond flour?!

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  26. THAT is a wonderful idea Suzanne!!

    Anything to stop it starring at me in the fridge.

    Julie! I wonder if I can use it for cosmetic purposes...in the bath peut-etre?

    Or make ALMOND MILK out of!!!
    woo woo

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  27. cosmetic purposes- that's it! Make a facial scrub with it by mixing in some almond oil! all natural goodness to nourish your skin! You could even slather a bit on a crossoint for an impromptu snack whilst beautifing!

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  28. stjulienlepauvre9:37 AM

    Carol, I have baked quite a bit for 50 years; my biggest problem is substituting ingredients in an attempt to make them healthier, until they're not worth baking as they're boring rather than yummy. I agree, cutting the sugar in half doesn't work. The best recipe I have for any muffins is RITZ-CARLTON BLUEBERRY MUFFINS. They're easy to find on-line. Be sure to put the sugar on top before baking (don't skip that step) as it takes them from good to outsanding.

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  29. stjulienlepauvre9:40 AM

    Carol, A good way to rescue baked muffins that are not sweet enough--heat in toaster oven, then split open & apply jam. Bonne chance,

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  30. stjulienlepauvre9:45 AM

    Carol, Sorry to keep sending more comments, but my brain wakes up slowly. The almond flour sounds great for chocolate chip cookies. I used to (if I had a food processor, I'd still do it), grind up walnuts to put in chocolate chip cookies, as some of my children would complain about them & I thought the cookies were too sweet w/o nuts.

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  31. Any comments re:Almond meal are most welcome St Julian!!

    Yahoo - I made ALMOND BUTTER this morning!!
    Success at last :)

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  32. Ha! I made blueberry muffins over the weekend, too. Whole wheat flour for me, though, and blueberries fresh from the carton.

    I agree with you on the "fill tins 2/3 full" part. Whatever. Recipe said it yields 12, I got 6. A muffin has to have substance, baby. Real muffins are not for wimps!

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  33. Anonymous8:09 PM

    Yes, the toaster oven idea is the best way to salvage your mini muffins. Or, you can put a dab of butter in a pan, and get it hot, then drop the split through the middle muffins on top until they get hot, dry, and a bit crisp.

    Elana's Pantry is a blog that uses a lot of almond flour. She is celiac as well as her sons, so she uses almond flour. Has written several books on the subject.

    You are a hoot. But keep trying. Yes, you must be exact when you bake. It's not like cooking.

    Marie

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  34. Yes Marie:
    I have discovered Elana's Pantry and am enthralled!
    Beurre d'Almond a demain!

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  35. Jencrafted Journey8:20 PM

    Don't give up! I suggest you continue making macarons with whatever remaining almond flour you've got! Have a macaron-making party at your place.
    Invite me, I'll come! :-)

    P.S I use the French meringue technique. I don't age my egg whites. I use regular granulated sugar (C&H) for the French meringue. I use regular confectioner's sugar (C&H).
    There's nothing really mythical about it; it's about the strength of the meringue, the macaronage and for me, most importantly, oven temp!

    Cheers-Jen

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  36. Sorry about the muffins...what a valiant effort...but I must say your dindin looks delish!

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