Brown Butter Caramel Apple Dutch Baby

  Friends.  It's been a whopping four months since I last posted.  Guess what we have to catch up on?  Well, firstly, my blogiversary was December 16th, so happy two year birthday to Indigo Scones!  You know, I meant to get a post up about it, but it was in the midst of finals for me, sorry about that.  I made a bigger (if somewhat belated) deal out of it last year, that should make up for it.  Goodness knows what next year will be.  Also, college.  That's happening.  Obviously.  And...I've missed this space.  So freaking much.

  Honestly, so much has happened to me in the past few months. So consider this my end-of-the-year/Christmas/blogiversary/catchup/new fall-ish recipe post.  I'm sorry to do this to you, but that's just how it worked out.

  I don't feel like the same person I was when I last hit publish on a blog post.  I made you tiramisu ice cream sandwiches, I rambled on about baking and spared you from the pre-college stresses going through my head.  You're welcome.

  Long story short, the past few months involved some painful first experiences in what is so romantically called "matters of the heart," my first time being away from home weeks at a time, the discovery that we're moving from my childhood home, learning who my real friends are, and finding out that college may not be the answer to my career calling.

  That's a relatively short list, but it's enough.  Each one of those things took up so much of my time, and are a bit sad.  But then I had a thought.  Or, rather, one of my best friends took my depressed head, screwed it back on correctly, and made me look at things differently.

  She only addressed the "matters of the heart" category, but that was enough to get me thinking.  Yes, I got hurt, but it wasn't enough to merit me thinking about it all the time, and it's an experience I will never forget and learned so much from.  And being away from home?  I never really got homesick, actually.  I learned I can handle living mostly on my own.  Moving away from the house/town I grew up in...well, at least I still have the family and memories that went along with it.  I learned who my friends are the hard way a couple times this year, but the benefit of that is you're left with some awesome people.  And there's a possibility I may not return to college next year, but that only means I can explore more opportunities, and go after what I want to.

  That doesn't make everything easier, but it gave me perspective.  I have to try and find it quite often lately, but at least I try.

  I hope that sort of explains where I've been, and I hope you know that I missed all of this dreadfully.  There were many times I'd sit, frustrated with homework in my dorm, when all I wanted was to get my hands on a camera, my fingers typing a blog post, and to be in a kitchen with ingredients.  I almost didn't finish the year, I wanted out so bad.  But I made a last minute decision to stick with it and do spring semester.  And if I'm honest, a large chunk of the reason why was because I couldn't leave the friends I'd made on my floor.  They are some of the best people I've met, and they support me like nobody else but fellow struggling college students can.  They've been there through all the rocky patches this semester, and I intend to finish the year with the rest of them.

  I really am going to miss my postcard of a farm home, and the view from my window.  We've lived here for so long, but I know we're going towards bigger and better things.

Photo credit for top photo to my friend Nellie

  But, in other news, I've been keeping somewhat busy over break with good friends and baked goods galore.  I hope Christmas was as lovely for all of you as it was for me.

  Now...I suppose some of you actually want to talk about this here pancake.  I'm awfully sorry if you're a first timer here and are wondering what you just got into.  My posts are generally never this long, I do apologize, but my absenteeism called for it.

  I came home often in the midst of fall semester, but only had time to make a little something in my kitchen.  I tend to gravitate towards a nice, somewhat quick breakfast in those instances.  I get some crazy dreams, and when I wake up, a morning alone in the kitchen is just therapy for me.  That's what I needed when I made this pancake.  I just wanted to forget, throw everything in a bowl, whip it up, and then bake it.  I'm not always capable of a large appetite, but I eat what I can and leave the rest for wandering family members.

  I came across the idea for this particular dutch baby from this post, and I've meant to make it for quite some time.  It was entirely worth the wait.

  I caramelized some apples, whipped some batter, poured it all into a pan and called it a day.  It was beautiful, and smelled heavenly.  And it tasted like everything you'd expect it to from the pictures.  I love when things just come together, and that's something I really needed to experience when I made this.

  And with that, Happy New Year to the few readers I hopefully still have out there!  Here's to 2014, I have no idea what it will bring, but at this point anything new will do!  I think I can take it.  Thank you for bearing with me in this major time of transition in my life.  I appreciate you.  

Brown Butter Caramel Apple Dutch Baby
Yield: one 8 or 9-inch pancake, enough to fill up a couple bellies.  Recipe can be doubled using the same pan, or two 6-inch skillets.  

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (if doubling the recipe, don't double this amount, it will still grease the pan(s) just fine)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• pinch of cinnamon
• 10 thin apple slices (about 1/4 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• pinch of freshly ground nutmeg, or to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon apple cider
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons caramel sauce, plus extra for topping if desired
• powdered sugar for topping, if desired

Directions:

Preheat the oven to  425 degrees F.  In an 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet set over medium low heat, melt and brown the two tablespoons of butter.  When the butter is just browned, add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple slices.  Cook until the apples are softened but still slightly firm, you want them to hold their shape in the oven.

While the apples cook, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, eggs, half-and-half, apple cider, vanilla, and caramel sauce in a medium bowl.  Your batter will likely have a few lumps, that's ok.  When the apples are done cooking, pour the batter in the skillet over the apples.  Slide the skillet into the hot oven.

Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until the center looks set and the edges have risen and are golden brown.  It will rise and puff around the pan while in the oven, but will deflate as it cools.  Top with extra caramel sauce and powdered sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.  

Sources: inspired by Things We Make, pancake recipe adapted from Orangette

Tiramisu Ice Cream Sandwiches

  It can't be humanly tired to be this possible.

  I definitely just said that to myself.  Which tells you two things: 1- I talk to myself, and 2- There may be some incoherent ramblings in this post.  Bear with me.

  My across-the-ocean baking bud Irene and I are back at it!  You recall our last collaboration, the earl grey chocolate cake?  That was a good one.  This time round it was Irene's turn to choose our recipe.  Buuuut instead of choosing something specific, she decided to go with a theme.  An ice cream theme.

  The minute I read her email I had bells going off in my head.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

  I've had my eye on Playful Cooking's tiramisu ice cream for awhile.  Good lord, what's not to love?  There's actual mascarpone in it and everything.  I'll admit, I was skeptical, but I tried a fingerful fresh out of the ice cream maker and was blown away.  It was tiramisu, in ice cream form.  Like, exactly.  The coffee, the mascarpone, it was all there.  All that was missing was the lady fingers.  Which got me thinking...how crazy awesome would tiramisu ice cream sandwiches be?

  So the idea was conceived a long time ago, but only last week did I finally do something about it.  You may not know this about me, but I've certainly tried my hand at tiramisu.  I've made it completely from scratch, in cupcake form, and made a festive version for my sister's birthday strewn with chocolate curls.

  How is it that these things have not made it onto my blog?  Honestly, it beats me.  I guess I was nervous about piping ladyfingers or something and decided to just test it out, but honestly it is not hard.  Tiramisu is danged easy, and hella delicious.  It's one of my favorite desserts.

  The only thing is it is a bit time-consuming.  But listen, if it's labeled quick & easy, it's not worthy of your tastebuds.  I'm sorry.

  Anyway, I made my idea a reality.  I only had one shot at this, and while I'd love to say that it was totally spot-on, it wasn't.  They are wonderful sandwiches and we gobbled them quickly, but there are a few minor changes I've made to the recipe below.  Nothing huge, just the amount of soaking the ladyfinger biscuits need and some proportional things.  You can handle it, I have no worries.

  You see I found the ladyfinger bit to be a little dry, thus the increased soaking in the coffee syrup.  Darn, huh?  Plus, the ice cream does tend to squeege out the sides a bit when you bite into it, but I don't know what to tell you there.  It's an ice cream sandwich.  They're messy.  Grab a napkin, lick your fingers, and get over it.  Also, I found that these were infinitely better after sitting in the freezer overnight, and they're less likely to squeege out the sides the longer they've been sitting frozen.  So be warned, it's a good two-day process to make these.

  So these aren't your atypical squishy enjoyable little sandwiches.  They're a bit more refined than that.  Ladyfingers are fluffy, eggy, sponge-like cookies; not the sticky chocolate-y things you're used to having encompass your super creamy vanilla ice cream.

  But that's totally ok.  You're biting into a coffee-soaked cookie of ladyfinger goodness, and into a creamy layer of mascarpone and coffee-infused ice cream.  The bitter cocoa powder will linger on the roof of your mouth for just a second as you delve into the sweet center, and your teeth may freak a bit if they're hyper sensitive to cold things (like mine), but they'll survive.  Eating these in themselves is an art, and a lovely one at that.  I promise that if you like tiramisu, you will love these.

  Check out Irene's post on Pear Frozen Yogurt!  Dang can she make awesome food.

Tiramisu Ice Cream Sandwiches
Yield: about eight, 3-inch sandwiches

Ingredients for the ice cream:*

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/4 cup freshly-brewed strong coffee 
• 1/2 teaspoon Kahlua

*Heads up, you're gonna have leftovers of the ice cream.  Thank me later.

Ingredients for the ladyfinger cookies:

• 3 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting later on

Ingredients for the soaking syrup:

• 1/2 cup freshly brewed very strong coffee (or espresso)
• 3 tbsp. Kahlua
• 6 tbsp. sugar

Directions:

To make the ice cream, pour milk and cream in a saucepan and turn on the heat.  Slit vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the beans out using a small spoon and drop them in the pan along with the vanilla bean pod.  Place mixture over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  In the mean time, whisk the egg yolks and sugar to a creamy consistency in a medium bowl.  Add the mascarpone cheese and whisk until combined.  Continue heating the milk until it is simmering, but not boiling.  Pour 1/4 cup of hot milk slowly into the egg yolk mixture while whisking simultaneously.  Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pan of hot milk and give it a mix.  Cook the mixture on a medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until the custard looks thick and coats the back of a spoon with a thin film.  Pour the mixture in a container and put the container on an ice bath for about an hour or allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight.  

Line a 9 x 13″ pan with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer to chill.  Add the espresso powder, coffee, and Kahlua to the chilled custard mixture.  Remove the vanilla bean pod and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instruction.  When the ice cream has reached a soft serve consistency, spread some of the ice cream into the pan in an even layer about 1 inch thick.  Freeze until firm. 

To make the ladyfingers, pencil eight 3-inch diameter circles onto one side of two sheets of parchment paper (making a combined total of 16 circles).  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with the prepared parchment paper, placing the penciled sides down. This will help the parchment stick to the pan, which you will need it to later on.  Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue beating until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter will deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy. Fit a pastry bag with a large plain tip and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter inside the circles you've drawn, be mindful not to mound them so you don't get huge biscuits, keep it one layer and stay inside the lines.

Sprinkle half the confectioner's sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness. Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar. You may also use a pastry bush to help it along.

Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until they puff up, turn very lightly golden brown and are still soft. Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack. Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

To assemble the sandwiches, whisk together the coffee, Kahlua, and sugar in a small bowl. Take the ladyfinger cookies and soak each side in the sweetened coffee mixture for about 2-3 seconds. They should be moist but not soggy. Transfer to a work surface to await the ice cream. Take a 3-inch circle cutter and cut circles out of the frozen layer of ice cream, sandwiching them between two ladyfinger cookies. Immediately transfer each completed sandwich into a large container or several smaller containers and place in the freezer. Let them sit for an hour or so to freeze together, then remove and quickly sift a not-too-generous layer of cocoa powder over the tops of the sandwiches. Wrap individually if desired, otherwise just return the covered container(s) back to the freezer. At this point it's preferable to let them sit overnight to let the flavors meld, but just be sure to do at least two hours. Enjoy!

Sources: ice cream adapted from Playful Cooking, ladyfingers adapted from SprinkleBakes, soaking syrup adapted from Annie's Eats, and sandwich method also adapted from Annie's Eats. The idea is an Indigo Scones original.

The End of an Era

   Two 12x18 inch layers of fantastic chocolate cake sandwiching a filling of fluffy caramel swiss meringue buttercream, held together by a fudgy cocoa frosting.

  Undoubtedly the biggest project for my party, and maybe the most stressful cake I've assembled yet.  But was it worth it?  Ohhhh yes.  I think a small part of me died when we finally had to cut into it.
Honestly, you should have seen me trying to assemble the thing.  Notice the delightful frosting-streaked table background.  I'm probably the messiest decorator ever...heh.  Seriously, who gets frosting in their hair (which I had tied back, no worries)?

  Also, as my sassy cousin pointed out, I really think I should've piped "Congrats Me."

  The little hats are a tradition that started with my oldest sister's graduation party, and here they are making their third appearance in our household.  They're fussy, and a pain when it's humid, but do you see how adorable that is?  A mini Reese's cup, a chocolate-covered graham, peanut butter for glue, and fruit roll-ups cut into little strips held by a mini m&m.

  A friend of mine pointed out that those peel-y licorice string things might be a little less time-consuming if used as the tassel, and I don't know why we never thought of that before...should save some sticky fingers and annoying scissor-ing next time round. :P

  All-in-all, this chocolate caramel delight got raving reviews, and I like to think that my word piping has improved immensely.

Photo credit for this and the next four pictures goes to my sister Carol

  The day was perfect, I found the perfect dress, and with my grandma's cameo around my neck, I can safely say that everyone I truly care about was there.

  And naturally I was in the kitchen until the very last minute :)

  But let me tell you, don't ever wear sandals to a bonfire.  I don't care if it's summer or not.  Mosquitoes like ankles, and suffice it to say that I practically bathed them in calamine lotion every day for a week before the itching ceased.

  Still, again, it was worth it.

  Thanks to all who have given me support and encouragement through my high school years, both on this blog and off of it.  I appreciate you, truly.  I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things.

Photo credit to Anita Klumpers

Earl Grey Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

  I hope you all know of Irene from A Swoonful of Sugar, she's an awesome Australian blogging friend of mine that I've gotten to know this past year.  Recently I decided that just because we're on different continents, it doesn't mean we shouldn't be able to bake together!  And seeing as my motivation here has been lacking, I thought that this would be a good way to refresh baking and blogging for me.  Irene makes delightful things, and I'm looking forward to doing many more Across the Ocean baking sessions with her!

  Speaking of which, check out her take on the cake I picked for our first recipe here.  She totally gets creativity points this time!  Wowza.

  This cake is one I found from Shutterbean, and I actually have a funny/not-so-funny history with it.  You see, in the days before I got my beautiful bundt pan, there were some darker hours in which I'd repeatedly get bunked bundts.  Meaning whenever I turned over the pan to slide my pretty cake out, half of it would stick, and the result would be a crumbled (but still delicious) mess.

  You can imagine my joy when this came out unscathed.  It always feels good to go back to a recipe you previously failed on and come out with flying colors.  So worth it.

  Let's talk about the cake now!  The one thing I knew from my previously failed attempt was that this cake was delicioussss.  I know so many people hate the word moist, but I don't know how else to put it.  So just bear with me.  It's moist, has just the right amount of density thanks to the sour cream, it's lightly perfumed with Earl Grey, it's chocolate-y, but no so much that it's too rich for an afternoon tea.  And you don't have to love Earl Grey to like this cake, but it helps.  The texture itself is worth every bite.

  I'm freezing the rest of this baby to enjoy with my sister later, and I'm looking forward to that!  Stay tuned for my graduation cake post, I can't wait to share pictures with you!  It was a labor of love, as always, but entirely worth it.

  Can't wait to see what Irene picks out for our next baking session!

Earl Grey Chocolate Sour Cream Cake
Yield: serves about 10-12

Ingredients:

• 6 Earl Grey tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea leaves
• 1 cup hot water (I heated mine in the tea kettle)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted & cooled (I melted mine in a double boiler, but a microwave works too)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-cup (or more) bundt pan.

Brew the tea in the hot water for 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags or strain the leaves and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

  

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Blend in the melted chocolate.  Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until almost combined, then alternately add the tea and sour cream until combined.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Turn out of the pan and onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Sources: adapted from Shutterbean, originally from Real Simple Magazine 

Peanut Butter Nutella S'mores Bars

  Listening to crickets, gazing at fireflies, swatting at mosquitos, poking at glowing embers, and letting yourself get lost in the flames.  I have some of my best thoughts by a bonfire.  I don't know what it is about them that makes everything seem slightly magical, and somehow safe, but it really pulls at you.  People open up to each other, find the courage to sing, run off into the darkness at random until they're lured back by the enticing crackle of the fire and the smell of burning marshmallows.

  By the end of the night I'm always filled with a strong sense of serenity, and I don't always realize that something bad has happened until the next morning.  Texts come pouring in about who did what, there are missed 2 AM phone calls, and a plethora of indirect facebook statuses.

  Just like that the magic is disgruntled.  You wash the smoke and bug spray out of your hair and you deal with the inevitable drama that people create.  I hate how things get ruined.  Summers are built up to be these perfect streaks of warmth and happiness, but it's still real life.  You don't do anything unless you plan it, you don't get a boyfriend unless you actually want to work at a relationship, you don't have money if you don't you get a job, and to-do lists just don't do themselves.

  That may not be the best of ways to start a post, but it's honestly where I'm at right now.  I'd like to tell you that things have been running smoothly since I graduated and am getting ready for college, but that'd be a lie.  But it'd also be a lie to say that I'm unhappy.

  Yes, crap happens.  That will never stop.  But it's all about how you look at it.  I'm very guilty of trying to take the world on my shoulders, and it never ends well.  I like to think that I'm getting better at letting things fly by.  

  I don't know what I expected from my last summer before college, but it's been unlike any other I've experienced so far.  I haven't picked up a book since maybe April, I can count on one hand the things I've baked, and you yourself know just how much I've been posting here.  I guess I'm not sure about a lot of things right now, but I'm figuring it out.

  What I do know is that I still friggin love s'mores.  And even though it took an ungodly amount of motivation, I fixed up a pan of irresistible gooey summertime.  And I know that when I focused in on that melting glob of still-warm marshmallow cream, I remembered just exactly why I do this.  I get on here and share with you guys the most recent thing to be concocted in my kitchen, I ramble on in a way that helps me sort out my thoughts and let you know where I'm at, and then we both leave with the satisfying image of something delicious, and just maybe some gumption to go and make it for the first time/again.

  Again, crap happens.  But just because everyone around you is making a big deal out of nothing, that's no good reason for you to not enjoy a decent s'more.

  I've made these bars a couple of times, and just recently decided that peanut butter would be a stellar edition.  I'm glad I finally took pictures, because they really need to be shared.  You can sit back, catch a whiff of the smoke still lingering in your hair, and with each bite recall the stillness of a bonfire when you were unaware of anything but the warmth of the flames and the stars in the sky.

Peanut Butter Nutella S'mores Bars
Yield: 12 bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 7 ounces marshmallow creme
• 1/2 cup nutella
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8″ baking dish with foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Mix in the egg and vanilla until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients on low speed until just combined.

Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Warm up the peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until it's thinner and easier to spread.  Spread evenly on top of the dough.  Dollop on the marshmallow creme and spread evenly.  Warm the nutella as well for about 30 seconds, then spread on top of the marshmallow creme.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the nutella.  Scatter the remaining cookie dough in large chunks on the top, this leaves some crevices for the marshmallow creme to seep through while baking so it gets nice and toasty.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting into bars.

Sources: adapted from Sugarcrafter

Banana Berry Muffins

  Here are a couple of things you may not know about these muffins at first glance.  For one thing, they're healthy, as they contain quite a punch of fiber from 1/2 cup of ground flax seed.  The original recipe calls for oat bran, which is totally acceptable.  I've also used wheat germ.  Pretty much whatever healthy grain you've got, throw it in.  You'll never know!  Same goes for the berries, whatever you have, use it!

  Secondly, these have no added sugar.  Let me tell you right off that this is very unlike me.  I adore sugar, and pretty much all the unhealthy things ever.  But I've been trying to get my breakfast act together here, and these muffins are a healthy, yet tasty way to start one's day.

  I'm not kidding, I really like these.  The orange juice and honey really compliment the banana, and berries are always a good idea.

  These guys really pleasantly surprised me with their deliciousness.  And since they're good for you, having a second one isn't as guilt-inducing as eating two of those muffins that are on that fine line between muffins and un-frosted cupcakes.

  Dense, berry-filled, and fruit-y sweet.  I love 'em.

Banana Berry Muffins
Yield: 10-12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup oat bran, wheat germ, or ground flax seed
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2½ tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• 1½ large bananas
• 1 egg white
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup orange juice
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

(Note: If using frozen berries, don't bother thawing, just dump them into the batter frozen.  You're also welcome to use any berry you have on hand.)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oat bran (wheat germ, or flax seed), salt, milk powder, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir together with a fork; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash together the banana and egg white until the mixture is well blended and slightly frothy.  Stir in the honey, butter, and orange juice, and mix to blend.   Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Gently fold in the fresh or frozen berries with a spatula until evenly incorporated.

Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin liners.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sources: adapted from Annie's Eats, who adapted from Cooking on the Side