"Les Petits Macarons" by Kathryn Gordon & Anne E. McBride

I made my first macarons in 2012, having beginner's luck and finding success on my first attempt, and I was on a macaron kick for a while. I bought magazines with macaron recipes, tried the macarons everywhere I saw them, and even bought a macaron cookbook. Then my interest waned, and when I saw this pretty cookbook that had come out at about the same time, I decided I didn't need it.

But when the Salvation Army in Carrollton had their 5-for-$1 book sale, I quickly decided that 20¢ was not too much to pay to check out a mint-condition copy of Les Petits Macarons. Since I haven't made (or eaten) macarons in a while, I'm practically drooling over all the offerings in this book, and I was surprised to find quite a few tea-flavored macaron recipes, including these flavors: green tea, green tea and white chocolate, chai, and lapsang souchong with whiskey (variation: Earl Grey). There are also some flavors I consider tea-related, such as chamomile and lemon curd.

And in what I think is a super-smart move, authors Kathryn Gordon and Anne E. McBride offer tips on recipes you can make with any less-than-perfect macaron shells that you end up with, things like tarts and trifle. There's also a section on trouble-shooting tips, so even though I've had macaron-making luck in the past, I'm please to see tips on how to resolve any issues in the future!

Double Berry & Almond Tea Muffins

I think I see a pattern here. On Sunday afternoons, I like to make a sweet treat to enjoy while watching "Downton Abbey" later in the evening. This week, I saw I had an extra bag of cranberries left over from holiday baking, so I looked online for a simple cranberry muffin recipe. I found one from Ocean Spray here, and I liked the fact it included blueberries as well.

But naturally I ended up tweaking the recipe a bit. I used fresh cranberries instead of dried, I flavored the milk with a berry-flavored tea, and I added slivered almonds. The result was exactly what I was hoping for, and it couldn't have been any easier to whip up. I think even Mrs. Patmore would be pleased with the delicious results!

Double Berry & Almond Tea Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar, divided use
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 berry flavor tea bags (I used Celestial Seasonings' Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland)
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped in half
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with baking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, baking powder and salt. Heat milk for 2 minutes in microwave (or boil on stovetop), add berry flavor tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags, then combine egg, milk and oil in small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Add cranberries, blueberries and almonds. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until brown around the edges. Yields 12 muffins.