Blueberry Muffins (yield: 6 large or 12 standard muffins)

2 1/4 c (315g) AP flour

3/4 c (150g) sugar

1/4 c (53g) brown sugar

2.5 tsp (12g) baking powder

1 tsp (6g) fine salt

2 eggs

1/3 c (66g) vegetable oil

4 oz (57g) butter, melted

3/4 c (170g) whole milk

1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract

1 1/4 c (205g) fresh or frozen blueberries

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together until combined.

3. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together and stop mixing as soon as you can't see any dry flour. If there are some small clumps, that is ok.

4. Gently fold in the blueberries.

5. Divide between 6 large muffins or 12 standard size muffins.

6. Top the muffins with a generous sprinkling of coarse sugar (turbinado, demerara, or sanding).

7. Bake at 375F for 15-20 min for standard muffins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with wet crumbs.

Biscuits (yield: 1 dozen biscuits)

3 c (420g) AP flour

1 tbsp (12g) baking powder

1/2 tsp (3g) baking soda

1 tsp (6g) fine salt

2 tsp (9g) sugar

8 oz (227g) butter, cut in cubes

2 oz (57g) butter, melted

1.25 c (284g) buttermilk

1. Mix together the dry ingredients.

2. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, incorporate the butter into the dry ingredients. If working with room temperature butter, work the butter until the mixture is coarse and the pieces of butter are small cubes. If working with cold butter, press the cubes of butter into flat sheets.

3. Create a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk. Mix until a dough comes together.

4. Pat the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board. Fold the dough into thirds, rotate the dough 90 degrees, pat out into a rectangle and fold in thirds again. Repeat the patting out and folding two more times for a total of four folds.

5. Pat the dough out into a rectangle about 1/2-3/4in (12-19mm) and cut into 12 biscuits.

6. Place the dough onto a parchment lined sheet and brush the tops with melted butter.

7. Bake at 400F (205C) for 15-20 min or until golden on the top.

8. Immediately upon removing the biscuits from the oven, brush again with melted butter.

Brioche Donuts (yield: 12 - 18 donuts)

1/2 c (113g) whole milk

1/4 c (57g) water

2.25 tsp (7g) instant yeast

3.5 c (490g) bread flour

1/3 c (67g) sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp (12g) fine salt

8 oz (113g) butter, softened

1. Add the milk, water, and yeast to a mixing bowl. Let the yeast dissolve for a couple minutes before adding all the remaining ingredients except for the butter.

2. Mix the dough on low speed until it comes together.

3. Turn the speed up to medium-low and mix until the dough has medium gluten development (about 6 minutes).

4. Add chunks of butter a tablespoon or two at a time to the dough while mixing. Wait until the butter is incorporated before adding the next piece.

5. Once all the butter has been added, remove the dough from the bowl and add to a lightly greased sheet pan.

6. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes before giving the dough a fold (bring the bottom of the dough to the middle, top to middle, left to middle, right to middle, and then flip over).

7. Let the dough rise 30 more minutes before wrapping in plastic and placing it in the fridge overnight.

8. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and roll into a rectangle roughly 1/4in (6mm) thick.

9. Cut the donuts with a 2in (5cm) ring cutter and place onto a sheet pan lined with lightly greased parchment paper.

10. Let the dough rise roughly 1 hour or until fully proofed.

11. Fry the donuts in 350F (177C) oil for roughly 60-75 seconds per side or until golden brown.

12. Remove from the oil and let drain on paper towels before filling.

Vanilla Pastry Cream

12 oz (341g) milk

2 tbsp (25g) sugar

1/2 tsp (3g) fine salt

4 egg yolks

3 tbsp (21g) cornstarch

1/4 c (50g) sugar

1 oz (28g) butter

1 tsp vanilla

1. Heat the milk, first sugar, and salt on medium heat until it comes to just below a boil.

2. Mix together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and second sugar in a separate bowl.

3. Temper the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture by slowly adding some of the hot liquid to the yolks while whisking constantly.

4. Return everything to the pot and cook on medium heat until thickened.

5. Off the heat, strain through a sieve and add butter and vanilla, whisking until homogenous. 6. Press plastic wrap directly on the pastry cream and refrigerate until cool.

7. Stir with spatula to loosen when ready to use.

Crunchy Shell

1c (200g) sugar

1/4 c water

1. Mix the sugar and water in a medium size pot and set over medium heat.

2. Let the sugar cook untouched until it reaches a light amber color. Remove from the heat.

Banana Bread (yield: 1 9in x 5in loaf)

1 c (227g) bananas, very ripe and mashed

1/4 c (57g) buttermilk

2 eggs

1/2 c (100g) vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c (150g) sugar

1/4 c (53g) brown sugar

1.75 c (245g) AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 c (59g) mini chocolate chips

1. Mash very ripe bananas until smooth. In the same bowl with the bananas, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients and the sugars.

2. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to wet ingredients and stir just until you can't see any streaks of dry flour.

3. Mix in the mini chocolate chips.

4. Pour into a greased 9in x 5in loaf pan and bake at 350F (177C) for 60-70 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with wet crumbs and the internal temperature reaches 200-206F (93-97C).

Challah (yield: 1 550g/1.2 lb loaf)

1/2 c (113g) water, warm

1.5 tsp (4.5g) instant yeast

2.25 c (315g) bread flour

2 Tbsp (25g) sugar

1 tsp (6g) fine salt

2 Tbsp (25g) oil

1 egg

1 egg yolk

extra egg for the egg wash

1. Stir together the warm water and yeast and leave alone for a minute to let the yeast dissolve.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.

3. Knead the dough until it has reached full gluten development.

4. Add the dough to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled in size (about 1.5 - 2 hrs).

5. Deflate the dough and divide into six equal pieces (roughly 90g each).

6. Roll each piece into a rough cylinder, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

7. Roll each cylinder so that it is larger in the middle and tapered on the ends.

8. Braid the challah.

9. Brush with oil to prevent the dough from drying and developing a skin. Let rise until a slight indent in the dough springs back slowly and halfway (about 1.5 - 2 hrs)

10. Brush with egg wash and bake at 375F for 25-30 min or golden brown.