Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook {Review & Bonus Mom-Tested Recipe!}

As a mom who has come to find out through experience that she really needs help in the kitchen, this cookbook is heaven. To her husband who loves breakfast food and her 2 1/2-year-old ever-munching daughter, its beyond a blessing. 😉

My cookbook stash is really too low. I dont even have a basic Betty Crocker cookbook, how sad is that? And Im not really the best at picking out new cookbooks to add to my shelf or I wasnt until the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook set the bar high for me. This very nice, hardcover book with glossy pages is full of everyday breakfast, brunch, and anytime recipes basics like biscuits, buttermilk fried chicken, and split pea soup, and specialty dishes like baked truffled grits or coconut lemon curd cake. All of the recipes are for the kind of foods that cause you head out to a nice restaurant for the good stuff.

Well actually, thats how this book was born. In New York City, theres a very popular restaurant called Clinton Street Baking Company. People wait in line for a long time just to experience their delicious comfort food. But now the secrets are being released in this totally lovely cookbook that I refuse to let anyone even touch. Its full of color photos, hints and tips, and step-by-step instructions that even I cant mess up. 😉

So far my favorite recipe is the Blueberry Crumb Muffins. I made a batch of them one day and the next they were gone. And oh my word, SO good! They truly were the best muffins I have ever made, and were easy enough that Ill never feel that I need to go with a box mix again. In fact, just saying (or typing) box mix makes me feel like Im cheating on these delicious muffins. YUM!

First, the Crumb Mix

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cubed

1. Mix the dry ingredients with the butter by hand until the mixture is pea-sized.
2. Keep the Crumb Mix in a cool place until you are ready to use it. The mix can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

(makes 1 1/2 cups, enough for 2-3 batches of muffins)

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
10 tablespoons crumb mix

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease muffin tins or use paper muffin cups.
2. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, with the paddle attachment cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.
3. Sift the remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Add the egg to the butter mixture and blend until combined.
5. Add 1/4 cup of the sour cream to the butter mixture, then half of the dry ingredients, mixing and repeating with the remaining sour cream and then remaining dry ingredients until the batter is combined. Be sure to end with the dry ingredients.
6. Fold in the blueberries until evenly mixed.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, leaving room on the top for the crumb mix. Top each muffin with 1 tablespoon of the crumb mix. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Cool for at least 10 minutes for best release of the muffins from their tins (if not using paper liners).

(makes 10 standard-sized muffins)

The crumb mixture and sour cream in the batter make these to die for. I cant wait to try out the rest of the recipes!

Where to Buy

You can find the Clinton St. Company Cookbook on Amazon.com for $19.79!

I would like to thank Anna of Hachette Book Group for sending me the book reviewed above in order that I might give you a thorough review. This post is 100% my own opinion, thoughts, and experiences, and was not edited or reviewed by anyone. I do not feel obligated to write a positive review Ill always share my honest thoughts on products.

Tags: cookbook