Baking Epiphanies

“When we allow ourselves to be still, things happen internally that allow our lives to move.” – Ravi Singh

There is a whole world of energy that exists inside each of us. Much of the time our focus is on what’s going on in the world around us, in the controlled chaos of our external lives. We’re caught up in our daily routine which has a forceful momentum of its own. Energy feeds on energy, so once we get the ball rolling, it can be a tough call to hit pause and start over, start fresh.

If we get stuck in a rut, or life feels uninspired, it’s probably a good time to put the breaks on. The thing about our inner world is that it can remain stagnant while our external lives are busy. Similarly, our external lives can seem to be at a standstill when there is actually great transformation happening within us.

To bring the inner self and outer self into alignment is not an easy task. But what’s inside is eventually what life becomes, and what life is really about. So if your life doesn’t look like what you want it to be yet, the best thing to do is turn your focus to your inner world. To hear our inner hearts, we have to allow ourselves some stillness apart from the distractions of our daily lives. There are a million hidden surprises waiting to be revealed where the true treasures are if we’ll only pause long enough to listen.

Easy Morning Muffins With Raspberries – makes 12

(adapted from The Art & Soul of Baking)

Do not be fooled by the plain exterior of these easy morning muffins. The hidden burst of tart raspberry flavor will take you by surprise on your first bite!

For the Muffins:

2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons butter

grated zest of 1 lime

2/3 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs @ room temp

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 half-pint basket fresh raspberries, or 1 1/4 cup frozen (do not defrost)

For Crumb Topping:

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2/3 cup flour

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

To make the crumb topping, combine sugar and flour in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir in until evenly distributed. Let sit for 5 minutes, then using fingertips, break into clumps. Set aside.

For the muffins, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the 6 tablespoons of butter with the lime zest. Off the heat, add buttermilk to the melted butter and let cool slightly. Pour butter mixture into a bowl, add eggs and vanilla, and whisk until well blended.

Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Pour butter mixture into the well and stir gently. Mix until batter looks smooth and there are no more streaks of flour. A few lumps is no biggie. Fold in the raspberries.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Top with crumb topping. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until skewer inserted in center of muffin comes out clean. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool slightly. Run a small sharp knife around each muffin and transfer them to the wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temp.