So, the flavor of the week seems to be avocado. Avocado hummus, avocado smoothies… avocado cupcakes?
And I’m cringing just as much now, as I did when I took my first taste of avocado ice cream back in 1984, at a 4-H convention… well, at least when it comes to the sweet stuff.
Guess even in food, everything old is new again.
But, it’s been fun watching the food trends over the last 5 months that I’ve been blogging.
First Nutella (wonder if Giada is getting royalties?) Then the healthier snacks, like kale chips and roasted chick peas. The rice and pizza crust replacer, cauliflower (you all are just finally trying this?) Grains made good again, like quinoa and the newly touted super grain farro (my vegan friends are smiling). And don’t forget Srirach, which like the white sauce at a Japanese Hibachi Grill… is “good on everything,” or at least the bloggers have told me so. Sorry people, spice wimp here.
And while I’ve tried not to jump on the food blogging trend bandwagon, there’s one trend that I just know will be here to stay…
my beloved salted caramels.
I adore salted caramels, not just because they’re fun to say, and have an air of sophistication to them. But I truly think they’ve changed the way we think about food, with new and interesting layers of flavors that can work together, deliciously.
A palate changer. Not just a trendsetter, but a taste-setter.
And let me tell you, with the addition of salted caramels to a favorite muffin recipes from my B&B days… your taste buds will thank you- sweet, then salty, then sweet… oh yea!
So, 5 minute muffins? Yep. That’s how long it took me to mix up these moist morsels. I changed out the original milk for buttermilk to add some richness. And reduced the amount of cinnamon just a tad, as to not overpower the salted caramels. And the result? A simple way to add a bit of sweet sophistication to breakfast, or tea, or dessert, or just about any time of the day.
5 Minute Salted Caramel Apple Muffins
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
1-1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 cup peeled and diced apples, I used one large
6 salted caramels (I found mine at Trader Joes), each one cut into 6 pieces- in half lengthwise, then in thirds
More sugar to sprinkle on top as desired
Mix the egg, oil and buttermilk until blended in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix just to blend. Gently fold in apples and caramel pieces. Spoon into a muffin pan lined with paper cups (makes 12) and sprinkle more sugar on top if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until toothpick comes out almost completely clean (they will set a bit more as they cool).
Source: dandeliongreensblog.com (defunct blog)
