RECIPE: RASPBERRY AND COCONUT MUFFINS

A scrumptious combination – raspberry and coconut. Check it out for yourselves!


Ingredients

375g self raising flour
90g butter – chopped
220g caster sugar
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 egg – lightly beaten
30g desiccated coconut
150g fresh or frozen raspberries
2 to 3 tbsp shredded coconut

Method

Preheat oven to moderately hot. Grease a 12 hole (80ml or 1/3 cup capacity) muffin pan.

Place flour in a large mixing bowl and using your fingertips, rub in the butter. The mixture should resemble bread crumbs.

Next, mix in the sugar, buttermilk, egg, desiccated coconut and raspberries. I used a knife to do this. Do not over mix.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan and top with the shredded coconut. Bake for 20 to 25 mins.

When done, stand in pan for 5 mins before turning onto wire rack. Serve warm or cool.

RECIPE: HAM AND CHEESE MUFFINS

Delicious served warm with soup or a salad as a meal during cooler days or as an alternative to the sandwich for lunch. If you think Muffin Break™ sells passable HAM AND CHEESE MUFFINS, wait till you try this! You’ll be spoit forever….


Ingredients

3 spring onions – finely chopped
1 tsp oil
300g self raising flour
75g plain flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of dry mustard (I used Keen’s)
Freshly ground black pepper
175g normal or smoked ham – chopped
125g grated Cheddar, Tasty or Gruyere cheese
2 eggs
250ml milk
125g butter – melted and cooled


Method

Preheat oven to 210°C. Brush a 12 hole muffin tray with melted butter or oil.

Fry the spring onions in the oi for 2 to 3 mins or until soft. Set aside to cool.

Sift flours with salt and mustard in a large glass bowl. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cheese, ham and spring onions. Mix well. Make a well in the centre.

Lightly beat the eggs with the milk and add to the ‘well’ along with the butter. Stir with a metal spoonuntil just combined. Do not overmix – the mixture should be lumpy.

Spoon the mixture equally into the muffin tray. Bake for 20 mins (I baked this in my National conventional microwave oven and it took exactly 20 mins) or until a skewer when inserted in the middle of the muffin, comes out clean. Leave the muffins in the pan for 5 mins before inverting to a wire rack to cool further.

Serve warm with butter.

RECIPE: RAISIN MUFFINS

Serve these spicy raisin muffins warm with lightly sweetened WHIPPED BUTTER as an alternative to plain butter. It is so much nicer (and richer, of course). You may also use sultanas or dates as a substitute for the raisins.


Ingredients – makes 12 medium or 6 Texan Muffins

150g self raising flour
155g wholemeal self raising flour
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
115g soft brown sugar
260g raisins/sultanas/dates
2 eggs (I used XL eggs)
185ml milk – I warmed this for 30 secs in the microwave
125g unsalted butter – melted in the microwave and cooled
Icing sugar to dust
WHIPPED BUTTER to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 210°C and brush muffin tin with melted butter.

Sift both flours and spices into a large bowl, returning any husk from the wholemeal flour back into the bowl. Stir in the sugar and raisins/sultanas/dates and make a well in the centre of the bowl.

Whisk the eggs and milk together and pour into the well, followed by the cooled butter. Using a metal spoon, stir until just combined. Do not over mix – the mixture should be lumpy.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin, filling each hole about ¾ full. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the muffins. Leave in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before lifting onto a wire rack to cool further.

Dust with icing sugar before serving (whilst still warm) and serve with WHIPPED BUTTER and tea/coffee.

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY MUFFINS

A great way to start the morning or to have for morning/afternoon tea. Serve them warm from the oven with a hot cup of coffee or tea. If you can’t get fresh strawberries, you can substitute them with fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries. The texture of these muffins is very cake like and not crumbly, like traditional muffins. As usual with all muffins, DO NOT OVERMIX and use a METAL SPOON!

Ingredients


125 g caster sugar
Grated jest from 1 large lemon
265 g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 eggs – room temp
225 ml milk - warmed slightly in the microwave
115 g butter – melted
1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
225 g fresh strawberries – these were from my garden. They may be small but very2 sweet!

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place 12 tall paper cups in a muffin pan.

In a bowl, mix together the sugar, jest, flour and baking powder.

In another bowl, using electric beaters, combine and whisk the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla for 1 min. Fold in the dry ingredients and stir in the strawberries until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX. Spoon into the paper cases.


Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 mins or until done. Remove from tin and cook on a wire rack for 5 mins. Serve immediately.

RECIPE: WHITE CHOCOLATE AND MACADAMIA MUFFINS

As I have said repeatedly, I am very partial to muffins…..and these muffins appease both of my vices – muffins and chocolate. The recipe makes 6 large/12 medium muffins but they are so yummy that they won’t last long so I’d recommend doubling the mixture. Try it!

DID YOU KNOW that in many countries, white chocolate is not considered chocolate? This is because white chocolate is made from cocoa butter and not cocoa solids which gives normal chocolate its colour and taste. During processing of the cacao bean, cocoa solids and cocoa butter are separated out at an early stage. The two are recombined in the manufacture of regular (brown) chocolate bars. The confection known as white chocolate contains cocoa butter but not cocoa powder. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)

Ingredients – makes 6 large or 12 medium muffins
2 cups self raising flour
2/3 cups caster sugar (I used normal sugar, as long as it is not too coarse)
¾ cups white choc bits
½ cup chopped macadamia - toasted under golden in the oven (I pu it into the oven while it is preheating for the muffins)
60 g butter – melted
¾ cup milk
1 egg – lightly beaten

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 6 hole or 12 hole muffin pan.

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Make a well in the middle and add the milk, butter and egg. Mix with a METAL spoon, making sure that you do not over mix. The mixture should be lumpy.

Bake for about 20 to 25 mins.

RECIPE: BANANA MUFFINS (WITH CARAMEL SYRUP)

You all must be wondering why I am making quite a lot of muffins these days. Well, it is because it is school holidays and the kids are forever complaining that there is nothing to eat at home and also, muffins are easy to make and don’t use as much butter as cakes (so bit less fattening). But secretly, I am actually quite partial to muffins and I like to take them to the office for morning tea or to share it with my team (a form of bribery??!).

Anyway, after the rich chocolate muffin, I thought I’d better tone it done a bit so I made these really simple banana muffins minus the caramel syrup. You could try the sauce if you like. It is actually quite nice (I made it pre blogging days so I don’t have a photo). Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups self raising flour
½ cup caster sugar (I used normal sugar, as long as it is fine and not overly coarse)
1 cup milk
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
75 g melted butter – cooled
1 cup mashed bananas – around three medium sized bananas
Caramel Syrup – 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C and grease a 12 cup muffin tray.
Sift flour into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Mix well and make a well in the centre.

Whisk together the milk, egg and vanilla in a jug and pour into the well. Don’t mix the ingredients yet. Add the butter and banana and now fold the wet ingredients through with a METAL spoon, avoiding over mixing the batter. It should be lumpy.

Divide the batter into the tray and bake for 20 to 25 mins or until the muffins come away from the tin sides. Leave in the tray for 5 minutes then transfer onto wire racks.

Whilst the muffins are cooking, make the syrup by cooking the sugar and water over medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and cook for 8 minutes or until the syrup is golden. Remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup of water. Be careful as the syrup will spit when you add in the water. Leave to cool then pour onto the muffins when the muffins have slightly cooled.

RECIPE: DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

A really, really rich muffin recipe; the texture of the muffins is more like a mud cake. For the true chocolate lover. Should have been called ‘death by chocolate muffin’.

Ingredients – makes 12 regular muffins
310 g self raising flour
60 g good quality cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
165 g soft brown sugar
¾ cup dark choc bits (you could use milk choc)
¾ cup white choc bits
1 ¼ cups milk
2 eggs
100 g unsalted butter - melted and cooled
Extra ¼ cup of each dark and white choc bits

Method
Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease 12 cup regular muffin tray.
Sift flour with soda and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and both the choc bits. Make a well in the centre.

Whisk together the butter, milk and eggs. Add into the well and using a METAL spoon, gently fold the ingredients making sure you don’t over mix the batter. It should be lumpy.

Fill the muffin cups only ¾ full. Sprinkle with the remaining choc bits, distributing it evenly between the 12 cups.

Bake for 20 to 25 mins or until cooked. Cool in the tin for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with a nice hot cup of tea. Delicious!

RECIPE: BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

I was going to make some Bran Muffins in response to yesterday’s natter but I didn’t think people might get the irony of it ;)

Anyway, two of my little (well not so little) munchkins are ill at the moment (the joys of winter and school holidays, I guess; and Mr G is not impressed) and had requested for blueberry muffins. Blueberry muffins must be one of the most popular of muffins and I am pretty sure that there are plenty of recipes floating around.

The recipe that I use is from the Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection series. I like the recipe cos it’s crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside (I hope this makes sense).

Without further ado, here’s the recipe.

Ingredients (makes 12 medium muffins)
375 g self raising flour
75 g plain flour
115 g soft brown sugar
150 g fresh or frozen blueberries
2 eggs
250 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
125 g unsalted butter – melted
Icing sugar to dust – optional

Method
Preheat oven to 210°C. Brush muffin tin with melted butter.

Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla in a jug.

Sift the flours into a mixing bowl, stir in sugar and blueberries and make a well in the centre. Add in the milk mixture and the melted butter and stir with a METAL spoon until just combined. Do not over mix – the mixture should be lumpy.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin, filling about ¾ of the tin. Bake for around 20 to 25 mins or until skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the muffin.

Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins before lifting onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving if desired.

TIP: If using frozen blueberries, use them straight from the freezer. Do not allow them to thaw or they will discolour the mixture.

RECIPE: LEMON AND WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS WITH ALMOND FLAKES

Absolutely scrumptious. The texture is like a very, very light sponge cake. I am going to try to substitute the lemon with lime next time. I’ll let you know how that version goes.

Ingredients (makes 18 medium muffins)
375 g self raising flour
125 g caster sugar
200 g white chocolate – chopped
2 eggs
375 ml milk
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
160 g butter - melted
45 g flaked almonds

Method
Preheat oven to hot (210°c). Either brush muffin tin with butter or line it with paper cups.

Sift flour into a large bowl, stir in the sugar and chocolate and make a well in the centre.

Whisk the eggs, milk and lemon rind together in a jug and pour into the flour well. Add in the butter and stir with a METAL spoon until the mixture is just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX – The mixture should be lumpy.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin about ¾ full. Sprinkle the almond flakes on top and gently press into the mixture.

Bake for about 15 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Leave to cool in tin for 5 mins before lifting out onto a wire rack to cool.

RECIPE: RASPBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

I felt like baking today so I decided to make muffins and a Malaysian style bread pudding. I’ll post the recipe for the pudding tomorrow.

The muffin recipe is by Ainsley Harriot and it is really yummy. The recipe makes 8 medium sized muffins but I recommend that you make double the mixture because it won’t last long. With all muffins, make sure that you do not over mix and use a metal spoon to mix the ingredients.

I have copied Ainsley’s recipe to the letter but I made my muffins at 190°c for 25 mins. You may need to adjust your cooking time according to you oven. Also I used ordinary caster sugar and frozen raspberries [by the way they are on sale in Coles this week (Creative Gourmet Brand) if you are interested….I bought a kilo each of raspberries and blackberries for the freezer].

Ingredients - makes 8
300g plain flour
2tsp baking powder
150g golden caster sugar (I used ordinary sugar)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (not essence – you may need to put more if using essence)
225ml milk (I heated it for 40 sec in the microwave)
50g butter, melted
100g fresh raspberries
75g chopped white chocolate (I used Nestlé white choc melts and crushed it coarsely in a mortar and pestle)

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°c/400°f/Gas 6. Cut parchment or greaseproof paper into 8x15cm/6in circles and push, creasing the paper to fit, into a muffin tin (I used paper cups).

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Crack the egg into a separate bowl and whisk in the vanilla extract, milk and melted butter.

Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients with the raspberries and chocolate, taking care not to over-mix. Spoon the mixture into the parchment cases and bake for 30 minutes or so until well risen and just firm.