For National Muffin Day, February 20th, how cute is this muffin-in-a-jar? Even more, it’s tempting and with the first spoonful, you’ll be happy to have discovered this recipe.

In addition to dessert, we love these for a tea party.

After you try the recipe, you can subsequently vary the flavors of the muffins, jam, and whipped cream for future versions.
 
 
RECIPE: POPPYSEED & ORANGE MUFFINS IN A JAR

This recipe, developed in the U.K., refers to the recipe as “tea cakes” instead of muffins. Nevertheless, they are muffin, made in a muffin/cupcake pan.

Food 101:

 
For this recipe, you’ll need a cupcake/muffin pan and eight 8-ounce/220ml mason jars or other lidded jars.

Thanks to Hero for the recipe.

Prep time is 20 minutes, and cook time is 20 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

For The Black Tea Syrup

 
For The Muffins

 
For The Raspberry Whipped Cream

 
For Layering

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the black tea syrup: In a saucepan combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the tea, cover with a lid, and infuse for 5 minutes. Strain and refrigerate.

2. MAKE the muffins: Preheat the oven to 350°F.180°C. Sift the flour and baking powder together.

3. COMBINE the egg yolks and 5 ounces/140g sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until creamy and fluffy. Add the butter, orange juice, orange zest, flour mixture, and poppy seeds. Mix well.

4. BEAT the egg whites over high speed in another mixing bowl. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar (30g) . Beat to the hard peak stage.

5. ADD half the egg white mixture to the yolk mixture and mix until well combined. Fold in the remaining half with a spatula.

6. ADD to a piping bag for easier handling. Fill the cupcake/muffin molds 3 inches high. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

7. MAKE the raspberry cream: In an electric mixing bowl, combine the cream and raspberry jam. Mix with the whisk attachment on high speed to the hard peak stage. Transfer to a piping bag.

8. ASSEMBLE. Cut each muffin into 3 equal parts and trim them to fit into the jar. With a brush, moisten the top of each muffin slice with black tea syrup.

9. PLACE the first muffin slice into the jars. Pipe in a layer of raspberry cream, and top with a layer of jam. Repeat the layering until the jar is full.

10. COVER and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

________________
 
*You can pulse regular table sugar in a food processor to create superfine sugar.

†It was invented by Samuel Bath Thomas, a Brit who had emigrated to New York City. The history of the English muffin.

[1] This recipe turns muffins into a yummy dessert (photo © Hero Foodservice).

[2] Black tea leaves. You can use tea bags instead (photo © Fava Tea).

[3] Superfine sugar (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[4] Hero raspberry jam (photo © Indiamart).

[5] Zesting an orange (photo © Eva Elijas | Pexels).

[6] Poppy seeds, also spelled poppyseeds (photo © Castorly Stock | Pexels).

[1] Artichoke hearts: low in calories, great in salads (photo © Roland Foods).

[2] Black beans, garbanzos (chickpeas), kidney beans, and other varieties save time (photo © Bush’s Beans).

[3] You can find canned beets both sliced and whole (photo © Libby’s Vegetables).

[4] Fresh corn is at its peak for just 2-3 months a year. Canned corn kernels stand in well in recipes (photo © Libby’s Vegetables).

[ ] Canned pumpkin has both sweet and savory uses (photo © Libby’s Vegetables).

[] San Marzano canned tomatoes: the best tomatoes in a can (photo © San Merican).

[ ] Our favorite canned sardines: Bela Olhao (photo © Bela Brand Seafood).

It’s National Canned Foods Month. Can you name the canned foods in your pantry? Ours contains nutritious and shelf-stable* canned foods which, by definition, also have a longer shelf life* than frozen versions.

In alphabetical order, the list of our personal favorite canned foods follows.

> The history of canned food. Would you believe it started with Napoleon Bonaparte?
 
 
Artichoke Hearts. We pop these into salads and spinach-artichoke dip, casseroles, omelets, pasta, pizza, and scores of other recipes.
 
 
Asian Foods. Bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, coconut milk, water chestnuts, and others easily come together for a quick Asian dinner.
 
 
Beans. Who hasn’t used canned beans? Black beans, garbanzos (chickpeas), kidney beans, pinto beans, and the rest are versatile and packed with protein, fiber, and nutrients—and the cheapest source of protein. We use them in dips (including hummus), salads, sides, soups, stews, and vegan and vegetarian dishes. White cannellini beans are one of our favorites to add to soups and stews. Check out the different types of beans.
 
 
Beets. We love beets, and sometimes we have the energy to peel and cook fresh beets. Otherwise, canned beets work wonders. Buying canned beets allows you to enjoy their flavor and nutrition in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the price. They are also a colorful addition to salads, cheese sandwiches, and vegetable sandwiches. A borscht hack: Blend them with plain yogurt, fresh dill, and salt and pepper.
 
 
Broth. Beef, chicken, and vegetable broths are good for everything from sipping to cooking grains, poaching foods, as a base for soups and stews, pan sauces and to lighten cream sauces, in stuffing, noodle bowls, for starters.
 
 
Chiles. You can find mild to hot chile peppers in cans. We add them to burgers and sandwiches, burritos and other Tex Mex, dips, grain bowls, rice and other grain sides, rice dishes (jambalaya, risotto), salads, soups, and stews.
 
 
Chili. When we want a quick lunch or dinner, a can of chili with grated Cheddar, chopped onions or scallions, and a garnish of sour cream or yogurt is one of our go-to’s. But there’s more! Use chili in baked potatoes with sour cream and scallions, for chili burgers and dogs, chili cheese fries, Tex-Mex (burritos, nachos, tacos), chili cheese fries, layered Mexican dip, polenta—even as a pasta and pizza topping.
 
 
Corn. When local corn is out of season, we used canned corn. It delivers the same sweet taste and crunchy kernels for corn fritters, corn muffins, cream corned, mixed with grains, into salads and soups, and as a side dish. Check out esquites, elote-like salad made with corn kernels.
 
 
Fish. What would America’s lunches be without canned tuna? Anchovies, clams, mackerel, mussels, oysters, trout, salmon, and sardines keep those cans of tuna company. For nostalgia (and omega 3-6-9 fatty acids), we like to make our mother’s salmon croquettes (salmon cakes) recipe for an occasional dinner. And when we receive a windfall, we buy the most luxurious canned fish: a tin of caviar.
 
 
Hearts Of Palm. They’re one of our luxury foods, price-wise. But they taste so good in salads, and the calories are so low. Check out our luxury salad recipe.
 
 
Mushrooms. When we’ve forgotten to buy fresh mushrooms, we reach for canned mushrooms. (Another option, though beyond the can: dried mushrooms, reconstituted.)
 
 
Nuts. We keep a can of mixed nuts for unexpected drop-ins for beer, cocktails, and wine. You can also toss them into salads and grain dishes that need a bit of interest.
 
 
Olives. Of course.
 
 
Pineapple. When we’re out of fresh fruit but need something for our cottage cheese or yogurt, canned pineapple chunks do the trick. And, as with so many canned foods, you can pop them into salads, and even atop a pizza with bacon, American ham, or prosciutto.
 
 
Pumpkin. Whether it’s pumpkin purée or pumpkin pie filling†, these are standards in our kitchen. You can also serve the purée as a side, in a pasta sauce, pancakes, or soup, in pumpkin dip (sweetened with sugar and cinnamon for a cookie dip), baking, PSLs, or smoothies. Have some left over? Add it to chili, curry, hummus, or oatmeal.
 
 
Soup. For years we steered away from canned soups. Lentil, tomato, and split pea soups were our favorites. Although a great convenience food, we checked the label and found it to be packed with salt and corn syrup. More recently, we’ve discovered healthier brands that are just tomatos and water. We add seasonings as we like, from a bit of salt and pepper to fresh herbs.
 
 
Tomatoes. Crushed, diced, or whole, canned tomatoes are a boon—not only when fresh tomatoes are out of season, but as a money saver. We use them in pasta sauce, of course, but also in egg dishes (omelet sauce, shakshuka), dips, pasta and pizza sauce, poaching and braising liquid, simmer sauce, and soup base.

While other canned foods, like carrots and peas, are O.K., we prefer frozen to canned. And to us, green beans take on an iffy flavor.

Coming up: March is National Frozen Food Month.
 
 
READ THE NUTRITION LABELS

Here’s what to avoid in canned foods:

________________
 
*Shelf-stable foods are packaged foods that can be safely stored at room temperature, or “on the shelf.” They have been pasteurized or are otherwise non-perishable (e.g. jerky). They include cans, jars, bottles, and other packaging. Shelf life is the length of time that a food may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale (i.e., before it goes bad or loses its flavor).

†Pumpkin pie filling is pur*Shelf-stable foods are packaged foods that can be safely stored at room temperature, or “on the shelf.” They have been pasteurized or are otherwise non-perishable (e.g. jerky). They include cans, jars, bottles, and other packaging. Shelf life is the length of time that a food may be stored without becoming unfit for use, consumption, or sale (i.e., before it goes bad or loses its flavor).e that has been sweetened and seasoned with spices, so it’s ready for the pie shell.

[1] Almond chocolate chip cookies (photo © Baked | NYC).

[2] sliced (slivered) almonds (photo © Pear’s Snacks).

[3] Dark chocolate chips (photo © Bella Baker [now closed]).

[4] Olive oil cake with almonds and oranges. Here’s the recipe (photo © Discover California Wine).

February 16th is National Almond Day. If you’ve been laying off the nuts because you think they’re not healthy, you need some facts:

 
“Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Here’s more on the health benefits of nuts and the seven healthiest nuts.

Now, we’ll step away from health food to present a recipe for Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies.

> The history of almonds.

> The history of chocolate chip cookies.

> How about a glass of Amaretto, Italy’s famous almond liqueur?
 
 
RECIPE: ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Thanks to Taste Of Home for the recipe.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CREAM the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

2. COMBINE the flour, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.

3. ROLL into 1-inch balls. Place them 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
 
 
MORE ALMOND RECIPES

February 15th is National Gum Drop Day—as if the day after Valentine’s Day needed more candy! However, here’s an easy gum drops recipe that you can make for fun, and for later. Just store them in the fridge.

Gum drops are an American invention, although we don’t know exactly whom to thank. Here’s the history of gum drops.

Gum drops can be flavored with any flavor of extract. When they’re flavored with spices (allspice, cinnamon, clove, licorice, peppermint, and wintergreen, for example) they’re called spice drops.

While this recipe is for raspberry gum drops, you can vary the flavor by varying the extract and the food color. For example:

 
For other flavors, pair an extract with one of these colors.

Thanks to Taste of Home for the recipe.

For Christmas, here’s their recipe for holiday gumdrops.
 
 
RECIPE: RASPBERRY GUM DROPS
 
Ingredients

[1] Homemade gum drops. You can make them in any flavor for which there’s an extract (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Use red food color for raspberry or cherry gum drops. To mix food colors that aren’t in the “basic four” box, use this chart or see this chart (photo © McCormick).

1. SPRINKLE the gelatin over 1/2 cup water in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.

2. BRING the sugar and remaining water to a boil in a small saucepan, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the gelatin and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. REMOVE from the heat; stir in the extract and food coloring. Pour into a greased 8-inch-square pan.

4. REFRIGERATE, covered, for 3 hours or until firm. Loosen the edges of the candy from the pan with a knife; turn onto a sugared work surface.

5. CUT into 1-inch squares; roll in sugar. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until all sides are dry, turning every hour for 3-4 hours. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
 
 

[1] King trumpet mushroom “scallops” atop beet purée (phptp © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Fresh beets. The stems and leaves are also edible. Cook them as you would collards or other greens (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] King trumpet mushrooms* (photo Claire Freierman | © The Nibble).

Our colleague Hannah Kaminsky, of Bittersweet Blog, created this beautiful vegan dish for Valentine’s Day. Instead of scallops from the sea, she turns trumpet mushroom stems into vegan scallops.

“Trumpet mushroom scallops are an uncanny substitute for seafood,” says Hannah, “bearing a similar meaty yet delicate texture, subtle umami flavor, and equivalent rarity that make them a treat for special occasions.

“Forget about fussy preparation though; this vegan version comes together with minimal effort. You don’t even need to worry about them sticking to the pan while attempting that perfect high-heat sear. After marinating them in a simple, savory broth, just pop them into the air fryer, and dinner is served in no time!

“Beautifully golden brown on the outside and buttery all the way through, each mock mollusk is further accentuated by a bright beet purée at the base, spiked with a touch of peppery horseradish. Green peas and pistachios lend both gorgeous color and textural contrast to create the perfect bite.”

Thanks, Hannah. It’s delicious!

> The history of mushrooms.

> The history of beets.

> The history of Valentine’s Day.
 
 
RECIPE: TRUMPET MUSHROOM SCALLOPS

Prep time is 5 minutes, cook time is 25 minutes, and additional time is 10 minutes.

If you’re not vegan, you can substitute conventional fish sauce for vegan fish sauce.
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

For The Mushroom Scallops

 
For The Beet Purée

 
To Serve

1. MAKE the scallops: Combine the sliced mushrooms, stock, 1 tablespoon of oil, vegan fish sauce or soy sauce, lemon juice, onion powder, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to low, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

There will still be some liquid left, so don’t worry if it isn’t completely absorbed. Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile…

2. COMBINE the beets, coconut milk, horseradish or wasabi, tarragon, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender. Thoroughly purée until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If you’d prefer a looser texture, drizzle in a touch more coconut milk.

3. TRANSFER the simmered and still warm “scallops” to an air fryer. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil and air fry at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown all over.

4. TO SERVE: Divide the beet purée between two shallow bowls. Top with the hot mushroom scallops, green peas, pistachios, and scallions. Enjoy right away.
 
 
________________
 
*King trumpet mushrooms, also called king oyster mushrooms and French horn mushroom and eryngii/eringii mushroom and other names, is the largest variety in the oyster mushroom family. It is now being cultivated in the U.S. You can substitute matsutake mushrooms (which may be even harder to find), or any meaty mushroom (perhaps portabellas or baby bellas).