Showing posts with label Muffins & Scones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muffins & Scones. Show all posts
When I was a child one of the candies I loved most was Lifesavers. There was something really magical about that hard candy with the hole in the middle. You could stick your fingers in the holes and pretend they were odd shaped fingernails, string them up yarn for a necklace, etc. My favorite flavor as a child was Butter Rum.
I don't know why, really. It was just the flavor that I enjoyed most. All buttery, sweet, and almost caramel-like. I did not know what rum tasted like, so I had no comparison. I just knew that I loved that flavor combination. I still do. I also love Rum & Raisin Ice Cream when I can get it.
It has been many, many years since I have seen Lifesavers, although I am sure they are still around. When I saw this Butter Rum Muffin Recipe, it immediately made me think of those candies and I knew I had to bake them!
I added a sugar/butter topping to the finished muffins. A bit of a buttery sugar crust. Just to the tops of them. Its quite optional but very easily done. Simply brush the tops of the warm baked muffins with melted butter and dip into sugar. Very nice. I promise.
These bake up as lovely muffins with a beautiful moist texture. The flavor of the butter combined with the rum is rich and delicious. The aroma of them baking will make your house smell all warm and cozy.
Quick and easy to make, and oh-so-tasty! I will be baking these again!!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BUTTER RUM MUFFINS
All of the usual suspects with the exception of a bit of rum. If you don't have any rum, simply add 1/4 cup of water to which you have added some rum extract. Not quite as good as the real thing, but the muffins will still be delicious. True confessions here, I used Brandy as Brandy is what I had in the cupboard, and I added 1 tsp of rum extract along with 1 tsp of vanilla.
For the muffins:
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour
- 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar (in the U.K. use castor sugar)
- 1 TBS (11g) baking powder (this is correct)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dark rum
- 2 tsp vanilla
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar
I used salted butter and whole milk as that is all I keep in my house. Farm fresh eggs. I make my own vanilla extract. It's very nice.
I think these would be lovely with some plumped up raisins added. Simply soak them for about 10 or 15 minutes in some hot water or rum. About 1/2 cup/75g of raisins (before plumping) will do.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER RUM MUFFINS
These go together in much the same way as any muffin. The sugar coating on top is optional, but very nice.
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin (medium muffins) really well, or line with baking papers.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, rum, vanilla extract and melted butter together in a beaker.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet. Stir together just to combine. Do not overmix. There should be no dry streaks, but the batter will be lumpy. That is quite all right.
- Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups about 3/4 full. (I do it until they are about 1/4 inch from the tops of the muffin cups.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. If not, bake for a few more minutes.
- Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- For the optional sugar topping: As soon as you can handle them brush the tops only of each one with some of the melted butter and roll them lightly in the granulated sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
HINTS & TIPS FOR PERFECT MUFFINS
Here are my hints and tips for making sure that your muffins turn out beautifully every time:
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. To prevent the mix from being overworked, first mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl and mix the dry ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients, carefully pour in the wet ingredients, then stir the mix a couple of times to roughly combine.
2. Don't over mix your muffins. The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. What you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Do not stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, and thick with a few floury streaks.
3. Add your flavors last. While spices should be added with all the other dry ingredients, additions like fruit and nuts should be added last. Give the batter one more light-handed stir once you've added them in just to combine.
4. Line the pans. You can choose to either grease the muffin tin or line it with paper liners. If you choose to forgo the liners, make sure you grease the base and sides of the cups with oil spray or a little melted butter. If you're not going to eat the muffins for a while, do use paper liners as these will keep the muffins fresher for longer.
5. Don't overfill your pans. Aim to fill the cups ¾ full to get muffins with nice round tops and to prevent them from spilling out over the top of the cups. Often if your tins are over filled the muffins will rise to the top and then collapse on themselves.
6. For extra interest, add a flavorful sprinkle on top. Once the muffin cups are all filled, you can choose to sprinkle the tops with more fruit, nuts or a crumble topping, even sanding sugar or cinnamon sugar, for even more taste and or crunch. As the muffins rise these toppings will cook into the tops of the muffin.
7. Protect your baking pan. If there isn't enough batter to fill all the cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins bake evenly and will help to protect your pan from buckling.
8. Cooling them down. Once you remove the muffins from the oven, let them sit in their pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. This is especially important for muffins that aren't in a paper liner, as it will help them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise you risk them going soggy as they cool in the pan.
9. Freeze extras for later. Muffins freeze beautifully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're baked, wrap them in plastic wrap tightly, and put them in the freezer for later. They will keep for about 3 months and reheat wonderfully in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high from frozen.
OTHER MUFFIN RECIPES FOR YOU TO ENJOY
SPECIAL K BREAKAST MUFFINS - These are the PERFECT breakfast muffins. Quick and easy to make. Delicious. I highly recommend. Simple and filled with fiber. You can use ordinary Special K cereal, or you can be a bit more extravagant and use one of the varieties which contain fruit. This recipe makes half a dozen fabulous muffins.
SIX WEEK REFRIGERATOR BRAN MUFFINS - There is nothing like having a great muffin batter in the refrigerator, mixed and ready to bake. This is an adaptation of a very old recipe and has been pleasing women and their families for many years. This was the muffin recipe that I had to bake for my female employer every day that I worked at the Manor. She liked them baked in mini muffin tins and would eat three of them every single morning. They are delicious.
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Yield: 12 delicious muffins
Butter Rum Muffins
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
These are fabulous muffins. Soft and light, they have a beautiful flavor. The butter sugar topping is optional, but I will tell you it is very nice! Have all of your ingredients at room temperature before beginning.
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose plain flour
- 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar (in the U.K. use castor sugar)
- 1 TBS (11g) baking powder (this is correct)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (115g) butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) dark rum
- 2 tsp vanilla
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup (57g) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (48g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin (medium muffins) really well, or line with baking papers.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, rum, vanilla extract and melted butter together in a beaker.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet. Stir together just to combine. Do not overmix. There should be no dry streaks, but the batter will be lumpy. That is quite all right.
- Spoon into the prepared muffin tin, filling the cups about 3/4 full. (I do it until they are about 1/4 inch from the tops of the muffin cups.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. If not, bake for a few more minutes.
- Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes before removing to a wire rack.
- For the optional sugar topping: As soon as you can handle them brush the tops only of each one with some of the melted butter and roll them lightly in the granulated sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
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From the moment I saw this delicious Bran Muffin recipe I wanted to bake them. Not only did they sound and look incredibly tasty, but they also sounded like they were really nutritious as well. I adore Bran Muffins. They are my favorite of all the muffins I bake.
I used to have my own coffee shop once upon a time and the Bran Muffin was one of the most popular items on the menu. I would have other kinds in house from time to time, but I always had Bran Muffins. They were a MUST have.
Everyone loves a good Bran Muffin. Healthy, low in fat, high in fiber and just plain delicious! These tasty muffins are all that and more!
I did bake the full recipe this time as I wanted some muffins for the freezer. You can make either 12 large muffins (which I did) or you can make 18 smaller muffins. These are loaded with fiber from the use of both wheat bran and whole wheat flours, giving them an almost nutty flavor.
They are also not overly sweet. Molasses adds a hint of smokiness and brown sugar adds a hint of caramel that is delicious.
Buttermilk ensures that they are deliciously moist. With that much fiber there is the risk always of something not rising well, but the buttermilk combined with baking powder and soda ensures that these rise beautifully with lovely domes.
An optional honey-butter glaze is included. It adds a lovely touch that I think you will enjoy! Note, these smell amazing when they are baking. 😁 Prepare to fall in love.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ONE BOWL BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS
A few simple baking store cupboard ingredients. It looks like a long list I know. These are wonderfully high fiber muffins that I just know you are going to enjoy!
For the muffins:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) light olive oil
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (88g) molasses
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (109g) unsifted wheat bran
- 1 cup (130g) whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup (83g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (76g) raisins
For the honey butter glaze:
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 1 TBS honey
Wheat Bran is usually available in the baking section of the grocery store or in the organics section. Wheat bran is the outer layer of the wheat kernel which is separated from the kernel during the milling process. It is loaded with fiber and nutrient dense. You cannot use bran cereal in it's place in this recipe. They are not the same thing.
Molasses is a byproduct from the processing of sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar. It is dark and thick. Here in the Maritime provinces, it holds pride of place on the kitchen table as it is very popular with every meal. In the U.K. you can substitute it with equal amounts of golden syrup and dark treacle mixed together to give you the same amount as required in the recipe.
You can easily make your own buttermilk in one of two ways. One, add 1 TBS of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup measure and add the milk required to give you the full measure. Whisk together and leave to clabber for 5 minutes. Two, whisk together equal amounts of full fat milk and plain yogurt to give you the full measure of buttermilk needed. Again, leave to clabber for five minutes.
HOW TO MAKE ONE BOWL BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS
Muffins are probably one of the easiest bakes to make. Dry ingredients mixed. Wet ingredients mixed. The two folded together. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter a 12-hole regular muffin cup really well (including the top of it). Set aside.
Whisk the white and whole wheat flours, bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
Whisk the oil, sugar, vanilla, molasses, buttermilk and eggs together in a large bowl to combine well. sprinkle the dry ingredients over top and mix all together just to combine. It's okay to be lumpy but there should be no obvious dry streaks.
Fold in the raisins.
Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.
Whisk the honey and butter together until smooth. Brush this over the tops of the warm muffins. Enjoy!
HINTS AND TIPS FOR PERFECT MUFFINS EVERY TIME
Here are my hints and tips for making sure that your muffins turn out beautifully every time:
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. To prevent the mix from being overworked, first mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl and mix the dry ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients, carefully pour in the wet ingredients, then stir the mix a couple of times to roughly combine.
2. Don't over mix your muffins. The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. What you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Do not stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, and thick with a few floury streaks.
3. Add your flavors last. While spices should be added with all the other dry ingredients, additions like fruit and nuts should be added last. Give the batter one more light-handed stir once you've added them in just to combine.
4. Line the pans. You can choose to either grease the muffin tin or line it with paper liners. If you choose to forgo the liners, make sure you grease the base and sides of the cups with oil spray or a little melted butter. If you're not going to eat the muffins for a while, do use paper liners as these will keep the muffins fresher for longer.
5. Don't overfill your pans. Aim to fill the cups ¾ full to get muffins with nice round tops and to prevent them from spilling out over the top of the cups. Often if your tins are over filled the muffins will rise to the top and then collapse on themselves.
6. For extra interest, add a flavorful sprinkle on top. Once the muffin cups are all filled, you can choose to sprinkle the tops with more fruit, nuts or a crumble topping, even sanding sugar or cinnamon sugar, for even more taste and or crunch. As the muffins rise these toppings will cook into the tops of the muffin.
7. Protect your baking pan. If there isn't enough batter to fill all the cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins bake evenly and will help to protect your pan from buckling.
8. Cooling them down. Once you remove the muffins from the oven, let them sit in their pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. This is especially important for muffins that aren't in a paper liner, as it will help them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise you risk them going soggy as they cool in the pan.
9. Freeze extras for later. Muffins freeze beautifully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're baked, wrap them in plastic, and put them in the freezer for later. They will keep for about 3 months and reheat wonderfully in the microwave for about 30 seconds on high from frozen.
These are really fabulous muffins. Nice and light. Not loaded with tons of fat and sugar. Just right. If you don't like raisins, I am sure you could replace them with berries or even dried cranberries.
Easy to make with lovely domed tops and a beautiful flavor! Perfect served warm, split, spread with butter along with a hot drink!
Although the glaze is entirely optional, it does make for a lovely finish!
Here are a few other muffins that you might also enjoy. I can promise you both recipes are delicious and very muffin-like, not little cakes. Just right!
GINGERBREAD MUFFINS - I am a hug fan of gingerbread anything. I think gingerbread is probably one of my favorite things to bake and eat! They are moist and delicious with a lovely crumb and beautiful ginger/cinnamon flavor. The recipe makes a full batch of 12 fabulous muffins!
ORANGE MUFFINS - Buttery, moist and loaded with orange from the outside in. These are winners all round! I stud mine with dried currants, but you may like raisins, or nuts, or blueberries, etc. You may even prefer the to be plain. One thing is for sure, you will enjoy these moist and delicious muffins. Fresh orange flavors filled with an optional fruit and sweet glaze. You can't go wrong!
Yield: 12 large muffins
One Bowl Honey-Glazed Buttermilk Bran Muffins
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Moist and delicious with beautifully domed tops. The honey butter glaze is optional.
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) light olive oil
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (88g) molasses
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (109g) unsifted wheat bran
- 1 cup (130g) whole wheat flour
- 2/3 cup (83g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (76g) raisins
For the honey butter glaze:
- 1 TBS butter, melted
- 1 TBS honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Butter a 12-hole regular muffin cup really well (including the top of it). Set aside.
- Whisk the white and whole wheat flours, bran, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
- Whisk the oil, sugar, vanilla, molasses, buttermilk and eggs together in a large bowl to combine well. sprinkle the dry ingredients over top and mix all together just to combine. It's okay to be lumpy but there should be no obvious dry streaks.
- Fold in the raisins.
- Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before removing.
- Whisk the honey and butter together until smooth. Brush this over the tops of the warm muffins.
- Enjoy!
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
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