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 :-\
Quote from: pumpkinlover on August 21, 2011, 21:07:15
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 !!
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
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
Am I the only one who makes real muffins ;D
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
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
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
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
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.
Fairy cakes are smaller so less fattening!
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
I'd like the very easy muffin recipes please Jeannine.
Thanks
Alison x
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?
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.
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
.
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.
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.
(http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/imageBank/cache/r/Rachel-Allens-Fairy-Cakes-14k.jpg_e_34924b237b104989fbca9e2819d17b98.jpg)
Well... that's what our home ec. teacher always told us!
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 :-[
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.
I couldn't be bothered weighing for muffins, nor seperating the wet from dry, all the stuff goes in together,,whizz and done, takes about a minute to mix and that's it. As I say we make them for breakfast.. couild do it before I went to work.
I am making 5 dozen today for a tea tomorrow.. carrot and zuchinni this time
XX Jeannine
Thanks so much for the recipes - they all look fantastic.
This week I'll be mostly making muffins ;D
Alison x
I don't weigh for muffins either. I have a set of cups from Lakeland since most of my recipes come from Kiwi books or Australian Women's Weekly books. I can thoroughly recommend the Oz books and also their cake recipe books. Only a few quid each so quite cheap.
Once you get the idea you can invent your own recipes and variations on a theme as muffins are more forgiving than cakes.
I cannot wait to try out some of these recipes many thanks. I like the sound of the carrot and zucchini ones.
I thought that muffins were a thicher version of what we now call crumpets. My grandmother used to make something she called muffins thick enough to cut them open and put butter in the middle. She had a set of rings to keep the muffin thick. Crumpets you put the butter on top.
That;s an English Muffin, I put a picture on earler,,the Us muffins are baked like a cup cake.
I made my banana one today , chucked a cup of grated carrot and a dollop pf molasses(you can use black treacle) and then put cream cheese frosting on the top when cold.
XX Jeannine
obbelisk, made your apricot and raspberry muffin recipe this afternoon. The raspberries were my own grown and the apricot jam was reduced to 25p because it was out of date by a couple of days. I had all the ingredients in my cupboard so I gave it a go. I made it in a loaf tin and have eaten half of it already. It was the most delicious cake I have tasted in a long time. I will definitely do it again and will also experiment with various other fruit. Anyone reading this it is really worth a try. It is very moist, almost soggy and tomorrow I will make some custard to go with it. Sultanas I think is going to be my next try.
I'm glad you like them Queenbee. Done in muffin pans they are a moist in the middle but, being small, get a slight all round crust that holds them together. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't like them.
I like the idea of a loaf form serve as pud with custard and reckon it would work well too with warm muffins.
Are muffins generally made and eaten fairly quickly?
My mother used to make what she call buns, basically fairy cakes then I was young using victoria sponge receipe. They never lasted long once my brother got going on them. We mostly ate them hot straight from the oven.
Quote from: pumpkinlover on August 31, 2011, 08:12:01
Are muffins generally made and eaten fairly quickly?
depends how nice they are :)
apple and blackberry today I think
Quote from: Bugloss2009 on August 31, 2011, 09:36:29
Quote from: pumpkinlover on August 31, 2011, 08:12:01
Are muffins generally made and eaten fairly quickly?
depends how nice they are :)
apple and blackberry today I think
Hmmm... Note to self-read posts before you post them! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
I will re-phrase my question!
Are muffins like scones- best eaten within a few days of making or even the same day :-[
No, they keep just fine, several days in the fridge, better than cup cakes as they are quite moist.
Try my banana one and you will see . so fast and easy. Just make sure you use VERY ripe banana
XX Jeannine
Muffins are quite different from crumpets, in my view. Crumpets are often like very thick Scottish pancakes. I think of muffins being usually made with fresh fruit or vegetables, rather than with dried fruit, although you can use that as well if you like.
Because there is often big quantities of fresh fruit in them, and I do not use much sugar(for health), I need to keep them in the fridge for a few days, or I freeze for use later.
I have found it quicker and easier to make one large muffin(12"), and cut it up into slices once cool.
It seems we are still confusilng Engliash Muffins with US muffins... I put a pictures of the differences earlier in the post.
XX Jeannine
I've just made Obbelix's raspberry and apricot jam muffins ( but using Gadget's delicious marrow and ginger jam)
anyway they are really nice.
Will work my way through the other recipes ;D
As for Nottsphil's English muffins - well I'd like to try them sometime too as fond memories of them for sunday tea :D
Quote from: Jeannine on August 31, 2011, 18:46:02
It seems we are still confusilng Engliash Muffins with US muffins... I put a pictures of the differences earlier in the post.
XX Jeannine
Even the English get confused about English muffins. There are the generic "English muffins" as illustrated in your picture, which are cooked on a griddle. Then there are "Oven Bottom Muffins" aka Lancashire muffins, which are cooked in the oven. These are a bit like a bagel, but lighter and with a dimple in the middle rather than a hole.
And there are, apparently, also Scarborough Muffins, but I've personally never encountered them.
I've never had much success with English muffins. They always turn out tough and leathery for me. Maybe I should become a convert to your delicious American banana muffins instead. :)