Dry Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
(I used 1 cup Red Mill “1 to 1 Baking Flour” plus 1 & 1/2 cups Maine Grain Wheat Organic Pastry Flour)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup avocado oil (or oil of your choice)

1 cup greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk of your choice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Other ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
optional sugar for muffin tops

Directions:

preheat oven to 375 F

mix together wet and dry ingredients

fold in blueberries

put in muffin tin (I use a large ceramic one – makes 6 very large muffins)

Optional: Sprinkle tops with sugar

place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes plus. Check with a chopstick to make sure the middle is dry.
Mine take about 40 minutes (they are large).

Enjoy!

This is my favorite fall and winter tea. It is warming and delicious.
Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste. Don’t forget to find a cozy spot, sit and enjoy!

Masala Chai Concentrate
(Warming spices and tea with milk)
adapted from masalaandchai.com

for one batch of chai (serves 4)

Ingredients
1 inch of fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
5 cloves
1 Tblsp. dried rose petals
14 cardamom pods
5 black peppercorns
1 tsp. fennel seeds (optional)
½ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
5 cups water
5-6 tsp. black tea leaves
¼ cup maple syrup

Directions
In a mortar & pestle crush the ginger, then place in a saucepan.
Add lightly crushed cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, rose petals, cardamom pods,  peppercorns, & (optional) fennel.
Grate the nutmeg and place in pot.

On medium heat dry roast all the spices for a minute, until you smell the fragrance.

Pour the water in with the spices and bring to a light rolling boil for 3 – 5 minutes.

Add in the black tea leaves and mix well.
Simmer the spices with the black tea for 5 minutes.
Do not over boil or the tea will get bitter.

Remove the pot from the heat and pour in maple syrup.
Allow spices and tea to steep fifteen minutes with the maple syrup.

At this point you can either
1. Cool and strain the spiced tea concentrate and place in the fridge for later use. When ready for a cup add part concentrate and part milk and heat. Grate a little nutmeg on top.

Or

2. Add 3 cups milk of your choice to the spiced tea.
Bring to a rolling boil. Watch carefully, it will start to bubble and froth. Just before it is about to spill over, remove the pan from the heat, wait 5 or 10 seconds put back on burner and bring to another boil. Then shut off the heat and let cool to your desired drinking temperature, strain, add grated nutmeg, and find a cozy spot to enjoy.  Or strain and refrigerate for later.