Topic: What is the difference???

[pumkinlover]

Can someone explain  the difference between the fairy cakes or butterfly buns of my  childhood, the muffins of american origin and today's latest craze -cup cakes. ;D

Also  can a cake recipe be used for the above whatevers or is it best to use a fairy cake/ butterfly bun/ muffin/ cup cake recipe.

Thank you in anticipation  from Confused of Chesterfield :-\

[RenishawPhil]

Can someone explain  the difference between the fairy cakes or butterfly buns of my  childhood, the muffins of american origin and today's latest craze -cup cakes. ;D

Also  can a cake recipe be used for the above whatevers or is it best to use a fairy cake/ butterfly bun/ muffin/ cup cake recipe.

Thank you in anticipation  from Confused of Chesterfield :-\

Well as a local lad from eckington most people wouldnt know a real muffin if it came and hit them in the face!! A real muffin is a lovely winter tea time treanlt.  Cooked on a griddle.  Hmm bring on winter Sundays !!

[brown thumb]

b utterfly cakes, fairy cakes is the same as cupcakes which  americans call them   is  made with a sponge recipe       muffins on the hand is made with vegetable or sunflower oil and is much larger

[Jeannine]

Fairy cakes and cup cakes are the same, a fairy cake is a cup cake..ie baked in a paper cup which is how the US describe them.

A  US muffin is also in a paper cup but the recipes are different.

In a fairy cake you are striving for lightness while in a muffin, moisture and substance is what we are after, muffins sometimes contain oil rather than butter or marg and they are heavier.

When I make muffins, everything gets chucked into the bowl, flour, eggs, oil, bananas, nuts  etc etc,,whicever type I am making, it gets whizzed briefly  till lumpy then in the cups. Oh and they go in much bigger cups.

Fairy cakes, I gently cream, fold in flour etc..

XX Jeannine

[RenishawPhil]

Am I the only one who makes real muffins ;D

[Jeannine]

A griddle cooked muffin is called an English Muffin here and is used as a bread..eg filled with egg and sausage at Macdonalds, or buttered with jam .

I make those too in tuna can rings on the griddle.

XX Jeannine

[brown thumb]

i love the Americans biscuits that they eat with their meals and is there a golden Carrol in Canada jeannine i  loved going and trying differant American foods

[Jeannine]

Biscuits are different again,they are baked not griddled and are less doughy, more like a scone.

Such is the fun

Popovers are Yorkshire puddings.. and flapjacks.. oh don't go there gal!!

XX Jeannine

[pumkinlover]

Thank you for the replies- I'm much less confused now and had a  ;D esp. at Notts phil.
We used to have muffins ffor sunday tea at home, we had a Sunday dinner then, now always eat main meal at night.

Muffins and pikelets (not crumpets) -thats watch posh people called them ;D ;D ;D (and reminded us of Benny Hill and the Sun newspaper -neither of which were allowed in our house!)

Jeannine you always go the extra to explain something - thanks again.

Now which shall I make for the allotment open day???

x Anne

[petengade]

Now which shall I make for the allotment open day???

x Anne

Go for muffins as very profitable it seems,  £4.00 each on the  P&O Dover to Calais ferry last week.

[Alex133]

Fairy cakes are smaller so less fattening!

[Jeannine]

Muffins, they are much easier to make and you can vary the contents. I can give you some real easy recipes if you like. I make banana and walnut all the time, but have tons of recipes.It takes me just a couple of minutes to mix them and have them in the cups. They cook while I am in the shower as we eat them for breakfast.

Drop dead easy.

I don't weigh anything, just use measuring cups.

XX Jeannine

[Alimo]

I'd like the very easy muffin recipes please Jeannine.

Thanks

Alison x

[Bugloss2009]

i've been making loads of damson muffins (bumper crop) and very nice they are too, but i would like them a little more gooey, whilst still being properly cooked. That, to me is the main feature of a muffin. Any thoughts?

[Obelixx]

Muffins can be sweet or savoury.  Cup cakes are sweet and often have fancy decorations.  Muffin tins have larger holes than cup cake/fairy cake tins.

Muffins are made by mixing all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then adding all the wet ingredients which have been combined in another bowl.  You then stir abut 12 times to bring them roughly together and then bake.  Silicone muffin trays are good as they don't need paper cups.    Cakes are usually made by creaming the butter and sugar togther then adding eggs followed by flour and flavourings.

Muffins can be light or heavier, depending on ingredients.  Here's some to try:-

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.   Whiz 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.

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.

[Jeannine]

Drop Dead Easy..

Banana Muffins

Piy your oven on to 350f-180c-Gas 4

Grease a 12 compartment large muffin tin OR use paper cups.. I used to buy them in Tescos marked American muffin cups. You will get 12 very big muffins or about 16 regulr size, you can also bake it in a bread tin for banana bread 9x5x3 greased tin.

All together in a bowl. I use en electric mixer so whiz it for a minute or so, it should be lumpy, you can do it in a food processor or by hand, just mix it well but leave some lumps. By hand I would put the bananas in first and mash them, in a machine it doesn`t matter.

3 very very overripe bananas(the ones you thought you should chuck out)
Half cup, butter, marg or oil, I use oil if you use the others melt it in microwave
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
 half teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb of soda)
1 and three quarters  cup plain flour
1 cup finely chopped walnuts..  I chop a bag full ahaead of time so I always have them ready

Muffins take 25 minutes to bake, the loaf taked 1 hour.

Cup measures   anything that will hold 8 fluid ounces or 250 ml will do, don`t worry about it.. you can buy the cup sets in Tescos very cheap. I can`t be doing with measuring when doing muffins.

Spoons..also available in Tescos, in a set, very cheap, teaspoon is 5 ml, tablespoon is 15ml or use a 5 ml medicine spoon and always level quantities.

As I said drop dead easy,  I mix them while the oven is heating,pop then in and go and shower etc.

All mufins are this easy, very forgiving.

I have recipes for tons more flavours.

Look on Amazon for a book called  Companys Coming Muffins and More  by Jean Pare and pick up a secondhand copy for a penny..plus postage

XX Jeannine
.

[Obelixx]

A few more:-

*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.


Avocado, Brie and Smoked Chicken Muffins

125g    Brie
3 cups    flour
2T    baking powder
1/2 t    salt
1t    dried mustard
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
 
1. Dice half the Brie and slice the remaining half.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and mustard. Stir in diced Brie, smoked chicken, avocado and grated Cheddar cheese.
3. In a jug, blend together the eggs and milk and mix into dry ingredients, folding in the melted butter as you go.
4. Divide mixture among 12 well-greased muffin tins and top each with a slice of Brie.
5. Bake at 220°C for 18-20 mins until well risen and golden. Cool in tins for 5mins.  Eat warm.
BANANA NUT MUFFINS

2 or 3   bananas, mashed
1 cup   grape seed, safflower or sunflower oil
2   eggs, beaten
1 cup   sugar
2 cups   plain flour
2 tsp (10ml)   baking powder
1 tsp (5ml)   soda
1 tsp   salt
1/4tsp   mace
1 tsp   vanilla extract
1/2 cup   chopped walnuts or pecans

Add oil and sugar to bananas the beat in the eggs a little at a time.   Sift the flour, baking pow-der and soda then gradually add the dry ingredients to the batter withe the vanilla.   Finally, fold in the nuts.

Line a muffin tin with paper cups , pour in the batter and bake 30 - 35 minutes at 180C.

For variation, you cans sprinkle chocolate chips on top before baking.

*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.

[schmelda]

The difference between fairy cakes and cupcakes: fairy cakes should have the top scooped out and filled with cream/butter icing/jam etc.  The scooped out part is chopped in two, and put back in as 'wings'.  Same recipe for the sponge for both.



Well... that's what our home ec. teacher always told us!

[pumkinlover]

Oh that looks so nice- I used to call them butterfly buns.

Thanks for the recipes everyone- going to have a go tomorrow. 

I love American recipes with cups and ounces, I still have my brass old fashioned scales bought at a Village hall sale.

OH ( circa 1942) uses metric electric scales- Shame on him :-[

[Alex133]

Very pretty - we used to call them butterfly cake versions of fairy cakes - absolute favourite was chocolate with vanilla buttercream - haven't had for years but yum thought.