Cooking Up a Hooley In The Kitchen: Time for a Cuppa and Something Sweet
By Katie Gagne
Anytime of year, or any time of day, is the perfect time to sit down with a cuppa your favorite tea and something sweet. What is even better is to have some tea inside these tasty treats. These black tea infused muffins have just the right amount of sweetness and the vanilla adds a heavenly touch to them.
Vanilla and Black Tea Muffins
Makes 12 standard size muffins
Ingredients:
8 ounces Unsalted Butter
1 Vanilla Bean
2 bags of Irish Breakfast Tea
2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Baking Soda
½ cup White Granulated Sugar
¼ cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Buttermilk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425*. Place muffin liners in a 12-count regular size muffin tin.
Place the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter begins to melt, scrap the vanilla bean seeds into the pan and add two tea bags. Stir the butter and seeds and tea bags. The butter will start to foam.
You should see some brown bits in the pan as the butter browns and the tea seeps into it. Once it begins to smell nutty and is browned slightly, remove from the heat and let cool slightly. After ten minutes, remove the tea bags.
While the butter cools, in a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the butter, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla together
Make a well in the flour mixture and add in the wet mixture, folding gently until completely combined. Do not overmix as it will make the muffins tough.
Spoon or scoop the thick batter into the muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way.
Bake at 425* for 5 minutes. Then without opening the oven door, reduce the heat to 350* and continue cooking for approximately fifteen minutes. Check the doneness by inserting a knife and if it come out clean, they are done.
Remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes and then remove from the muffin pan.
These are delish with some Kerrygold butter and your favorite jam.
Store the muffins in an airtight container for up to five days. They freeze wonderfully for up to three months.
*Katie Gagne teaches English at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights. She is also the owner of her in-home bakery Sassy’s Sweets and Oh So Much More. You can contact her at (440) 773-4459 or at mk********@ao*.com, or find her on Facebook at @sassyssweetsandmore.
