Death of a Cupcake Queen (13 page)

Recently, for the third time in less than two months I found myself rummaging around in my garage freezer searching for a bag of blueberries so I could make my very popular streusel-topped blueberry muffins.

I grabbed my last bag of frozen blueberries that I had picked the previous summer. Luckily, blueberry season was just around the corner so I would be able to stock up again since I was nearly out thanks to my cat, who also happens to be named Blueberry.

Let me explain.

It all started last spring when Blueberry went missing. It wasn't the first time. Blueberry had a habit of wandering off to his old stomping grounds on Hancock Street where he used to live before I adopted him. Usually, someone would spot him and I would drive over and try to wrestle him into his cat carrier, which was no easy feat since, let's face it, Blueberry is fat. Then I would give up and unceremoniously toss him in the back seat of my car where he would curl up and go to sleep during the short ride home.

So much for the cat carrier.

But on this day, Blueberry didn't go to Hancock Street.

I received a frantic phone call from Lenora Hopkins, who works at Bark Harbor on Main Street, a popular store for canine customers and their owners. Lenora was a bit irritated, breathlessly informing me that my cat was terrorizing her clientele. A few locals had come in that day with their dogs and let them roam around. Within minutes the dogs were yelping and whining and scrambling to get out while slipping and sliding all over the place. A quick investigation revealed Blueberry snuggled deep inside the dog toys stuffed animal bin. When the unsuspecting pooches poked their noses into the bin to find a toy, Blueberry would strike with his paw, claws out, scaring the poor dogs half to death!

With Lenora threatening to call animal control, I begged her to wait until I got there. Before dashing off, I filled a large Ziploc® bag with half a dozen of my streusel-topped blueberry muffins I had baked earlier that were sitting on the counter cooling as a nice peace offering.

That seemed to work. Lenora didn't call animal control. And she loved my muffins.

A few weeks later I got a call from the First National Bank. Blueberry was found sleeping on the bank president's desk. When he tried to shoo him so he could start a meeting with some investors, Blueberry, who doesn't appreciated being disturbed while napping, started growling and hissing and taking swipes at him. I raced over to the bank to retrieve Blueberry, delivering another bag of my streusel-topped blueberry muffins, which the president loved so all was forgiven.

Which leads me to my latest batch of muffins that I am baking right now to take over to the Episcopal minister with my sincerest apologies.

Yes. More Blueberry drama.

And this one was a doozy.

Apparently, Blueberry chose the minister's chair up on the pulpit for his nap. As the children's choir began to sing their hymn, unsuspecting Minister Joe went to sit in his chair and did not see the sleeping cat, who woke up hissing and spitting. He jumped at Minister Joe, claws out and attached himself to his robe. The poor man was so startled and scared he unzipped his robe to escape Blueberry's wrath and ran from the pulpit right down the church aisle past the congregation and out the door. Apparently, it was a sight to behold as I was told later by a friend who was at the service that Minister Joe was wearing only boxers underneath his robe.

I just hope there are enough blueberries in the state of Maine to make up for this cat's antics!

 

 

Today I am sharing my Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins recipe, and I know they're tasty, because at this point half the town has tried them and everyone has been very generous with their compliments.

 

 

 

2 cups all purpose flour plus 2 table-
spoons
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup room temperature butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

 

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

Combine the 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl sprinkle the two tablespoons flour over blueberries mix and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the ½ cup butter, ¾ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the two eggs and vanilla. Fold in your dry ingredients alternately with the ½ cup of milk just until combined.

Gently fold in the blueberries and divide the batter into the muffin tins.

 

 

 

¼ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons diced butter

 

Combine sugar, cinnamon in a bowl, add the diced butter and mash together with fork until mixture resembles crumbles. Sprinkle on the tops of the muffins.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean. Let muffins sit for at least 5 minutes before digging in.

If you're lucky enough to have a few blueberries left over like I did, treat yourself to a wonderfully refreshing Blueberry Smash Cocktail. A friend gave me the recipe and, believe me, it will certainly chase the blues away.

 

 

 

2 ounces vodka
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
15 blueberries
1 mint leaf for garnish

Muddle the blueberries and simple syrup in a mixing glass (end of a wooden spoon works). Add the vodka and lemon juice. Fill mixer with ice. Stir and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the mint leaf. What a way to end any hectic day!