Topic: Muffins

[rosebud]

 I need an easy muffin recipe please, anyone. ;D ;D ;D

[GREENWIZARD]

http://www.webterrace.com/muffin/recipes.htm~lots here to choose from r

[rosebud]

Thank you GW. ;D ;D

[Obelixx]

Rosebud, they're all easy unless you get carried away with fancy ingredients.  The secret is to mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl, all the wet in another and then combine with no more than 12 stirs.  It doesn't matter if the mix looks lumpy.

I have a host of recipes from Oz and NZ where muffins are a passion.  My favourites are ham and pesto; pear, walnut and blue cheese; smoked salmon and asparagus; goat's cheese and sun dried tomatoes; raspberry and lemon or raspberry with apricot jam and good old blueberry muffins - oh and there's a chocolate one with a dollop of Nutella in the middle.   The most impressive ingredients I tried were for smoked chicken, brie and avocado muffins but they have to be eaten warm.

I can post recipes if you like.

[busy_lizzie]

Great recipes, and bring them on Obbelix, I too love a good muffin.  :D busy_lizzie

[Doris_Pinks]

Oh yes please Obbelix!   
Have a recipe somewhere for a fab bran muffin....yummmmmmmmmmmm

[jaggythistle]

  I saw a site yesterday....with.....wait for it 14 pumpkin muffin recipes  :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

[Obelixx]

OK.  Here's the first installment.   The recipes marked * are from Muffins, Scones and Breads published by Australian Women's Weekly.  I strongly advise you to buy a copy if you can.  Mine was only £4.99 and it's excellent.  There is a whole series of them and the Cakes, Soups, Thai'style, Vegetable and Vegetarian are particularly good.

Spinach, bacon and feta muffins (my own recipe)

30ml   olive oil
1   onion or 2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves   garlic, crushed
1 packet   lardons nature (diced, unsmoked bacon)
½ packet   baby spinach, shredded
2 cups   plain flour
1 cup   wholemeal flour
20ml   baking powder
200g   sheep's feta, chopped
1   egg
1¼ cups   milk

Heat the oven to 180C.   Grease a muffin tray and sprinkle each cup with flour.   Shake off the excess.

Soften the onion and garlic in the olive oil without browning.   Add the bacon and cook till the fat just starts to brown.   If the mixture gets a bit too dry, add a bit of dry sherry but make sure it's cooked off.   Add the spinach and cook till it just wilts.    Stir the mixture well and allow to cool a little.

Sift the flours and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the chopped feta.   Stir in the bacon and spinach mixture.

Whisk the eggs and milk in a separate bowl then add to the flour mixture and stir till loosely combined - not more than 12 stirs.

Divide the mixture between the muffin moulds.   Bake for 25 mins.


Apricot and Raspberry Muffins

2 cups   plain flour
15ml   baking powder
1/3 cup   caster sugar (S1)
1   egg, beaten
½ cup   apricot jam
60g   butter   , melted
1 cup   milk or buttermilk
200g   frozen raspberries

Prepare a 6 hole muffin tin.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.   Whizz the egg, jam, butter and milk then stir into the flour.   Add the raspberries and stir gently.

Pour into muffin tins and bake 25minutes at 180C.  If you like, glaze with more melted and sieved apricot jam.


*Cinnamon Pear Muffins

425g tin   pear halves in natural juice
2.5 cups   plain flour
20ml   baking powder
½ tsp   ground cinnamon (cannelle)
2/3 cup   tightly packed brown sugar  (light cassonade)
½ cup   ground almonds
90g   butter
1   egg, beaten
2/3 cup   cream

Drain the pears, reserving ½ cup of the juice.   Pat pears dry with kitchen paper and chop finely.

Sift the flour, cinnamon and baking powder into a large bowl.   Stir in the juice, sugar, almonds, butter, egg and pears and then pour the mixture into a prepared 12 hole tin.

Dust with extra cinnamon if liked.   Bake 20 minutes at 180C.

*Blueberry Muffins      

2 cups   self-raising flour
¾ cup   firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup   fresh or frozen blueberries
1   egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup   buttermilk
½ cup   vegetable oil

Prepare a 6 hole muffin tin

Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl.   Combine the egg, milk and oil in another bowl and whisk lightly to combine.  Add the blueberries and liquid to the flour and sugar and stir or fold 12 times to combine.   Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and abke at 180C for 25 minutes.

*Chocolate hazelnut muffins

2.5 cups   self-raising flour
½ tsp   bicarbonate of soda
¼ cup   cocoa powder
½ cup   firmly packed brown sugar
125g   butter, melted
2   eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup   buttermilk
1 cup   Nutella

Grease a 12 hole muffin tin and heat the oven to 180C.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs and milk, then pour them onto the dry ingredients and stir and fold to combine.
Fill each muffin hole 1/3 full.  Top with 1levelish tbs of Nutella.  Spoon on the remaining muffin mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes.

*Nutty Pear and Blue Cheese Muffins

2.5 cups   self-raising flour
1 cup   chopped pecans or walnuts
1tsp   cracked or freshly milled black pepper
150g   soft blue cheese, crumbled and chopped – I use gorgonzola or dolcelatte
425g tin   pear halves, drained and chopped
2    eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup   sunflower or grapeseed oil
½ cup    milk

Prepare a 12 hole muffin tin and heat oven to 180C.

Sift the flour then stir in the pepper and walnuts and then the pears and the cheese.

Whisk the eggs, oil and milk then pour onto the dry mixture and stir and fold to combine.  Sprinkle on some extra freshly milled black pepper if liked.

Spoon into the muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes.

*Roasted Pepper and Feta Muffins

1 each   red and yellow peppers, grilled and skinned and deseeded, then chopped
2.5 cups   self-raising flour
100g   feta cheese, chopped
40g   Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
90g   butter, melted
1   egg, lightly beaten
1 cup   milk
1tbs   freshly chopped rosemary
½ tsp   ground black pepper
1tbs   sesame seeds

Prepare a 6 hole muffin tin and heat the oven to 180C.

Sift the flour and then stir in the peppers, cheeses and rosemary and black pepper.

Lightly whisk the egg, butter and milk then stir and fold into th edry mixture.  Spoon into the muffin tin and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Bake for 30 minutes.

[Debs]

Wow Obbelix,

They are fab recipes.

Question: Why do you need to add dry sherry to the spinach, bacon & feta muffins??

Debs

[Obelixx]

To moisten them without adding extra fat while they cook out.  Undercooked onions and shallots spoil the muffins.

[Obelixx]

Here's the second installment.   I can't finsd the fancy chicken, brie and avocado so will have to ask my NZ friend for it.

The Oz Women's Weekly book I mentioned before has 42 pages of muffin recipes and photos - about 60 recipes with several chocolate ones, fruity ones and savoury ones including tandoori lamb and curried chicken.  I haven't tried those two - yet.

Enjoy!

Ham and Pesto Muffins (my own recipe)

2 cups    SR flour
200g   ham, chopped
1/3 cup   pesto
3   eggs, beaten
1/3 cup   sunflower oil
½ cup   buttermilk (ordinary milk will do)
2/3 cup   Cheddar cheese, grated

This is a good recipe for the food processor if you want to use it, in which case, just roughly chop the ham then process it with the flour for a couple of seconds.

Prepare a 12 hole muffin tin and heat the oven to 180C

Combine the ham and flour in a large bowl or the food processor.

Whisk together the eggs, milk and oil then add to the flour and ham and stir and fold to combine.  In the processor, just do 10 to 12 pulses.

Spoon into the tin, sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 20 minutes.


Ham and Cheese muffins – adapted from an AWW recipe

2 cups    SR flour
½ tsp   harissa powder (optional)
150g   ham, chopped
200g   Cheddar cheese, grated
80g   butter, melted
1   egg, lightly beaten
1 cup   milk

Prepare a 12 hole tin and heat the oven to 180C.

This is another one that works well in the food processor as it combines the flour, ham and cheese thoroughly.

Combine the flour, spice, ham and cheese in a bowl or processor.

Whisk the butter, egg and milk the stir and fold it into the flour mixture or pulse 10 to 12 times in the processor.

Spoon into the tin and bake 20 minutes.

*Asparagus, Salmon and Mustard muffins

200g   green asparagus – frozen is fine
2.5 cups   SR flour
100g   smoked salmon, finely chopped
2   eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup   buttermilk (normal milk will do)
2 tbs   Dijon mustard
125g   butter, melted

Prepare a 12 hole tin and heat the oven to 180C.

If using fresh asparagus, snap off the tough stems and discard them.  Boil or steam the stems till just tender.  The time will vary according to their size.   If using frozen asparagus, thaw them then trim off the bottom inch or two of the stalks.

When cool, chop the asparagus roughly and combine it in a large bowl with the flour and salmon.  This could be done in the processor but just for a second or to so as not to obliterate the asparagus.

Whisk the eggs, milk, mustard and butter in another bowl the stir and fold or process with the flour mixture.

Spoon into the tin and bake for 20 minutes.

You can sprinkle on grated Parmesan cheese just before baking if you wish.  Sometimes I also add chopped fresh dill to the mixture.

Sage Corn Muffins

225g   plain flour
60g   cornmeal   
1.5tbs   caster sugar
1 tbs   baking powder
½ tsp   bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp   salt
1 tbs   fresh sage leaves, finely chopped or 1 tsp dried sage
125g   sweetcorn
1   chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4    spring onions, white and green parts, chopped
60g   unsalted butter (or use salted but don’t only half the tsp above)
2   eggs, lightly beaten
250ml   buttermilk or milk

Prepare a 12 hole muffin tin and heat the oven to 180C.

Gently soften the spring onions in the butter but don’t colour them.  Cool.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk the eggs, milk and onions and butter in another then stir and fold it into the flour and sweetcorn mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 25 minutes.  Serve warm.

[Debs]

These recipes are mouth watering...

also, think that they would be perfect in small cases for

buffets.

Debs

[Obelixx]

Yes they are.  I do them in small cake tins for kids instead of the bugger muffin tins and get 24 or more and the smaller ones are easier to eat at a buffet.

I can't always get muffin and cake papers here in Belgium so I've recently bought some of those fancy non-stick plastic moulds and they're great.  No papers needed and no sticking and the base gets a bit browned too which looks good. 

[BAGGY]

They had the silicone muffin tins in poundland a few weeks ago.  I wish I had bought one (bought the loaf tin  - thought I would get more use from that), but having seen the above and being off work this week I really want to try the nutella muffins.

[Obelixx]

Go for it Baggy but be warned, they are very moreish!

[Yorkshire Lass]

Never made muffins - they sound moorish, will have to give them a try.

[Obelixx]

Let me know how you get on.    They're really easy "drop of a hat" stuff so less fuss than making a cake, for example.

[Obelixx]

Here's the fancy NZ recipe for when you're feeling luxurious or decadent.

Avocado, Brie & Smoked Chicken Muffins
 
125g    Brie
3 cups    flour
2tbs    baking powder
1/2 tsp    salt
1 tsp    mustard powder
1/2    smoked chicken breast, diced
1    avocado, stoned, peeled and diced
1 cup    grated Cheddar cheese
2    eggs
1 3/4 cups    milk
100g    butter, melted and cooled
 
Dice 1/2 Brie and slice the remainder.
Sift flour, baking powder, salt and mustard. Stir in diced Brie, chicken, avocado and grated cheese.

Whisk the eggs, milk and butter then stir and fold into the dry ingredients

Divide the mixture among muffin tins and top each with a slice of Brie.

Bake at 220°C for 18-20 mins until well risen and golden.
 
The recipe also suggests that for a change you can add 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs e.g. chives, parsley, dill or chervil.
 
Enjoy these warm. 

[moonbells]

How many oz or g is a cup in this context please?

I made a Thai fruits jelly the other day where it said 2 cups; I assumed 8fl oz per cup, and got some luminous gloop that refused to set.  I can only assume that their cup wasn't mine   :(

moonbells

[Melbourne12]

How many oz or g is a cup in this context please?

I made a Thai fruits jelly the other day where it said 2 cups; I assumed 8fl oz per cup, and got some luminous gloop that refused to set.  I can only assume that their cup wasn't mine   :(

moonbells

I'm always very suspicious of recipes that use cups as a measure, especially if they have a mixture of cups for some ingredients with pounds/ounces or grams for others.  An American cup is indeed 8 fl oz (just under a quarter of a litre), but I suspect that some people just use a teacup as a scoop, which could be as little as 5 fl oz.

It's a bit off topic, but perhaps your Thai jelly didn't set because some exotic fruits (pineapple, for instance) have enzymes that stop gelatine from setting.