Showing posts with label muffins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label muffins. Show all posts
Jam Doughnut Muffins. Like most of the people in my family, my father is really fond of any type of cake containing or filled with jam. Today I wanted to bake my Doughnut Muffins for him.
I also felt it would be a good thing to update the recipe and photographs for this really delicious muffin recipe. These jam filled muffins have been a favorite muffin recipe of the English Kitchen since 2014.
I adapted the original recipe from one which I found in an Easy Cook Magazine. Easy Cook is a magazine put out by the BBC. You can always rely on their recipes. They are excellent.
I adapted it to include North American measurements. I still think however that weighing out your ingredients is the most precise way to bake anything. I have a set of kitchen scales here with me in Canada and I always use them. Always.
I can remember the first time I baked these jam filled muffins. I fell totally and utterly in love. They were hands-down the best muffin I had ever tasted, bar none.
And they were the ABSOLUTE best doughnut muffin recipe! I have baked a lot through the years and these are a huge cut above the others and let me tell you why.
One, they use butter. Melted butter. I just use salted and it works beautifully. Butter gives these a nice rich flavour.
Two, they use yogurt which always makes for a nice moist result. Today I actually used sour cream as I did not have any plain yogurt. You can usually switch sour cream and plain yogurt with each other.
Both have the same consistency and work pretty much the same in baked goods. I could not note any difference in taste. These ones I baked today . . . DELICIOUS!
Most doughnut muffin recipes out there require you to roll the baked muffins in butter and then sugar. This recipe does not. And I'll be honest. I like that much better.
No added calories from butter, and as you can see the sugar adheres just as well without it as it does with it. Maybe even better.
You get a nicer cleaner finish, without any clumping. Also there is no cinnamon in the sugar. You could add it if you wish, but I don't think it adds anything to these muffins.
They are plainly gorgeous without it to be honest. There is nutmeg in the batter anyways. No cinnamon is needed.
Plain cake doughnuts are always flavored with nutmeg. That is a part of what gives them their lush unique flavor. Yes, you can get them also rolled in cinnamon sugar, but I think plain sugar is the best.
One thing I have noticed since returning to Canada is that regular granulated sugar here in Canada is pretty much the same thing as Caster sugar in the UK. There is no difference.
Granulated sugar in the UK is quite coarse by comparison. I can see now why they always recommended Caster sugar for baking there.
Its nice to know that any recipe I have posted that calls for caster sugar, you can use regular North American granulated white sugar in its place. I, really . . . can see no difference.
Making these muffins requires spooning 2/3 of the batter into buttered muffin tins first. You then top with a small amount of raspberry jam, and then spoon the remaining batter over top of the jam.
You may be tempted to add more jam than the recipe requires. One word. DON'T
Jam is one of those ingredients that expands exponentially when heated. Putting in too much jam can mean your muffins will blow out and you risk them sticking to the pan.
Because they are going to be rolled in sugar while they are still warm, you won't be lining your muffin tins with paper liners. So its really important that your jam doesn't blow out of the muffin.
You really don't want to use paper liners. You will end up having to peel them all off to roll the muffins in the sugar. That's too much faffing about.
If you use a good non-stick muffin tin, don't over do the jam, and spray your muffin tin well with Pam cooking spray there is no problem releasing these muffins from the tin. NO problem at all.
You will be rolling them in additional sugar not too long after you take them from the oven. The warmth of the muffin is what helps the sugar to stick properly to the surface. And they are coated on all sides.
You can see from the photograph that these muffins have a beautiful tender crumb. Rich and buttery. Moist.
You can also see that 1 tsp of jam is the perfect amount. Normally I would use a seedless jam, but today I made do with the seeded. Bonne Maman of course.
I was so pleased to see Bonne Maman Jams in the shops here. There is not the wide variety as I was use to choosing in the UK, but at least there is some. Marmalade too.
I do so love Orange Marmalade. Its integral to my Marmalade Cake recipe. I think this is one of the best recipes I have ever used to make it. Its from a Women's Institute book.
Anyways, I do so hope that my father enjoys these muffins when he comes for his supper tonight. He always looks for something a big sweet when he is done, and if jam is involved so much the better. I will probably send a few home with him as well. I dare say he won't say no!
I also hope you will forgive me for sharing these with you again. Some things are so delicious, they just bear repeating. And these are just that. Delicious. So delicious I once baked them three times in one week!
Jam Doughnut Muffins
Yield: Makes 12
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 28 Min
These muffins are very much like your favourite cake style doughnuts. Filled with jam. Delicious.
Ingredients
- 140g of granulated sugar (3/4 cup) (In UK use Caster sugar)
- 200g plain flour (scant 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- pinch salt
- 100ml natural yogurt (scant 1/2 cup)
- 2 large free range eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 140g melted butter (1/2 cup plus 2 TBS)
- raspberry jam
- extra sugar for rolling (In UK use caster sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Butter a 12 hole muffin pan really well, or line with paper liners.
- Sift the flour into a bowl along with the soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir in the sugar.
- Whisk together the yogurt, vanilla and beaten eggs. Tip into the dry mixture along with the melted butter.
- Mix together just to combine.
- Divide two thirds of the mixture between the muffin cups. Top each with 1 tsp raspberry jam in the center. Cover with the remaining batter.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until risen, golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly touched.
- Leave to cool in the pan for five minutes before lifting out of the tin and rolling in some extra sugar to coat. Allow to cool prior to eating.
Apple Spice Muffins with Streusel Topping. Can you ever have too many muffin recipes? I think not!
Especially when you are talking about deliciously tender muffins. Chock full of apples and spice and topped with a yummy streusel topping!
This recipe I am sharing with you today has been adapted from a Robin Hood Flour baking book entitled, quite simply, Baking.
Robin Hood is the flour I grew up with and the flour that I used all of my married life until I moved over to the UK.
I have always trusted their recipes implicitly, which is why when I was looking for a good basic baking book to buy when I recently moved back to Canada, I chose to buy one of theirs.
I have been collecting their recipes for years and years. In the old days, a few times a year, they always had a baking booklet inserted into many of the major Canadian magazines, especially near the holidays.
I had a whole collection of them and was sad to have had to leave them behind in the UK. I am sure I will be able to find them someplace. Recipes which are that good surely have a place in most kitchens.
I even had my mother's old Robin Hood Christmas Baking leaflet. I am so hoping that I have it in one of my boxes. Oh great Cosmos, please pretty please with sugar on it!!
In any case I do have a copy of it in my Google Documents as I had scanned and uploaded it as a Christmas Gift to all my readers a few years back. You can access that here if you wish to.
I have a great love for all things Vintage. Vintage kitchenaelia, vintage linens, etc. I have always said I was born too late.
But then in the next breath I have to say I am glad that I was born when I was because if I had been born too much earlier, I probably wouldn't still be here! I am not quite ready to go just yet!!
That is why I am working hard embroidering cotton tea towels for my kitchen to be, knitting/crocheting dish clothes, etc. I know they will bring me joy for many years to come.
I love things like this plate which the muffins are sitting on, which Dan calls the man-plate. A heavy stoneware oval plate my sister picked up at a yard sale once upon a time.
And this very pretty little tea cup from my mother's collection of tea cups, that are now my tea cups. I admired and wished for these cups all the days of my childhood.
This is an especially pretty pattern, hand painted with pink and mauve blossoms, edged with green and gold.
Made in England, the pattern must be called Roslyn. At least that is what is stamped on the bottom. There is only one of them.
I wish I knew its history. Was it a gift to my mother when she got married? Probably because it looks really old. In those days people often gifted others with pieces from their own collections when someone got married.
And here is a closer look at the tea-towel embroidery work. It is from an Aunt Martha Transfer pattern. I have done a lot of those through the years as gifts for other people. Now I will have some for myself.
I thought the apple butter one was a very apt one to use as a prop for my Apple Spice Muffins. I hope you will agree. It is also one my favorite ones from the ones I have embroidered so far! But back to the muffins.
These muffins are begun in a way which is somewhat unusual for a muffin. The dry ingredients are measured into a bowl and then the butter is rubbed into them.
A portion of this is set aside to use for the topping. They are very wholesome using almost as much old fashioned oats as flour.
I love using oats in baked goods. They always give what you are baking a nice, nutty wholesome flavor and texture.
There is no oil in this recipe, just butter. And there is no need to melt it either . . . just rub it in.
Once you've done that and reserved some of the mixture for the topping it follows the rules of pretty much any muffin. Whisk together the wet ingredients and add all at once to the dry.
It has ever been so. Do be careful not to overmix your wet and dry ingredients. A gentle hand is needed. It is most acceptable for muffin batter to be lumpy and to even contain a few dry streaks, "few" being the key word here.
Peeled, cored and grated apple form a part of the wet ingredients in this recipe. As the muffins cook the apples release moisture and flavor into the muffin.
Do be sure you pick apples that have plenty of tart juicy flavors. I would recommend Granny Smith and that is what I used.
You will need about 2 medium apples, grated. Cinnamon and nutmeg also add to the flavor.
I always like to grate my own nutmeg. That way I can know it is as fresh as fresh can be! Old nutmeg can taste musty and unappealing, but freshly grated nutmeg? Well that's a different kettle of fish and tastes a-maz-ing!
Once you have the simple batter mixed together you spoon it into prepared muffin cups. I lined mine with paper liners, but if you butter your muffin cups really well, they shouldn't stick.
As you can see, these muffins turned out perfectly. (I'd expect nothing less from Robin Hood.) Slightly domed with just the right amount of holes and tunnels throughout the interior.
Not too sweet, but only slightly so, with the flavor of the spices and the apple shining through. Perfect to enjoy with a morning or mid-morning, or even mid-afternoon hot cuppa!
Best served warm, but they can be frozen for future use. Simply thaw them out for about 30 seconds on high in the microwave. Split and spread with cold butter. Yummity yummity yum yum yum!!
Apple Spice Muffins
Yield: 12
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
These crumble topped oat and apple filled spicy muffins are wonderfully moist and delicious. You can replace the apple with an equivalent amount of grated zucchini (courgette) if you wish.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 cup (90g) old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup (150g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 large free range eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1 cup (about 2 medium) grated apple, peeled and cored
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Alternately butter really well. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove and reserve 1/2 cup (75g) for the topping.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk and grated apple. Add to the dry ingredients all at once. Stir to combine, just until moistened. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Sprinkle the reserved topping over top of each muffin, patting down gently.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
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Cinnamon Roll Muffins. Have you ever had three words set your taste buds to tingling more? I hope not, because these are really good muffins.
They embody all the flavours of your favourite cinnamon rolls, except they are muffins, not a yeast bread. I am of the school that cinnamon flavoured anything is good. It doesn't really matter too much what it is and these are OMG good!
I have posted these before as a full sized recipe. If you are wanting more than just six muffins you may want to click over to here.
The challenge for me at the moment, with all of the changes I have had to overgo in my life, is to present you with fresh content. Its not that I don't want to, but I am very limited at the moment as to what I can and cannot do. Until I am in my own place, I will very much have to try to take a bit of a different route.
I am going to attempt to small batch as many recipes as I can for now. My family just don't want or need me cooking full batch things and it is a waste. I think I am a bit in the way.
So I hope you will bear with me as I go through this transition. I am really hoping it won't be for very long and that I will soon have a place of my own. I have my fingers crossed as I really rely on this page to help to support me. At the moment it is my only source of income.
Telling you this is not designed to make any of you feel sorry for me. I do not want that. I just want you to all bear with me until things can get as back to normal as possible. There will be fresh content for sure.
There just may be a few hiccups along the way. I think as well I am going to have to possibly give up my job writing on Home Chef. I don't think it will be possible for me to continue it as I was and its not fair to them. I am a bit sad about that. Loss of income is loss of income . . . but it can't be helped and I need to be realistic.
Anyways, these muffins are excellent. I just adore the smell of anything cinnamon baking, don't you? To me it smells like home sweet home.
However, with there only being me, baking a full batch of muffins is not practical. As well, these don't actually freeze all that well. I would rather bake them fresh as and when.
This recipe makes six muffins.They are well sized and gorgeously flavoured with plenty of a nutty cinnamon streusel which is stirred throughout the muffins themselves and scattered on top.
I don't think anything smells better than cinnamon goods when they are baking. To me they smell like "Home Sweet Home."
You might be a bit concerned about them sticking to the pan, but if you butter your pan really well, that shouldn't be an issue. I also like to use a quality non-stick pan.
You could also use muffin papers if you wanted to. To be honest however, I like to bake my muffins without them if I can.
These rise nice and tall in the tin, with beautifully puffed domes/tops. The tops of muffins are my favourite part. I will need to get me a muffin top pan.
I had one in the UK and it worked beautifully at giving me my favourite part of the muffin. Muffin tops are fun to eat, maybe not so fun to wear. I get that.
These are the perfect weekend muffin for when you want to indulge a little bit, without going too far over the top. They have a lovely buttery batter, and that cinnamon nut streusel is to die for.
Not to mention the cream cheese drizzle on the top. That is to die for too.
Its like a frilly petticoat adoring your favourite dress. I remember those days. Oh boy, at the age of 65 they are long gone, my days of petticoats and favourite dresses.
Youth is surely wasted on the young. That is a phrase I never quite understood until I got old.
In any case, I do hope that you will all stick with me. I promise you in the end it will be worth it. And in the meantime, I hope you will enjoy bakes such as these small batch Cinnamon Roll Muffins.
In the end, I truly hope that this blog will become even better than it has been in the past. It is my hope to keep it going for many years to come. Please God, don't let that man have taken everything from me. At least that is my hope.
Cinnamon Roll Muffins (small batch)
Yield: Makes 6
prep time: 10 Mincook time: 15 Mintotal time: 25 Min
There is only one word to describe these and that is wow. Prepare to fall in love.
Ingredients
For the streusel filling and topping:
- 1/2 cup (75g) loosely packed soft light brown sugar
- 1/2 TBS ground cinnamon
- 3/5 cup (90g) toasted pecans, chopped
- 1 1/2 TBS melted butter
For the muffin batter:
- 1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 sp salt
- 1/8 (23g) cup sugar
- 1 1/2 TBS butter, melted and cooled
- 1 large free range egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup (65g) icing sugar sifted
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBS cream cheese
- 1/2 TBS milk, or to thin
Instructions
- Make the filling by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Blend together with your fingers, breaking down any lumps. Stir in the pecans and butter. Combine well and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 6-cup non-stick muffin tin really, really well. Set aside.
- For the muffins, measure the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together to combine. Stir together the wet ingredients. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and stir together just to combine. Gently fold in half of the cinnamon mixture. Divide this mixture between the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full. Top each with a portion of the remaining cinnamon mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until well risen and the tops spring back when lightly touched. A toothpick inserted in the centre will also come out clean. Cool slightly and then whisk together all of the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over the tops of the muffins decoratively.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. If any are stuck (If you have buttered properly, they shouldn't be stuck) then you can gently release by running a round bladed knife around the edges.
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.
I had some raspberries that needed using up this morning, so I decided to bake us some Raspberry Peek-A-Boo muffins. This is a classic recipe, hailing from a Bisquick Cookbook published in the 1960's.
These easy and delicious frosted muffins absolutely overflow with juicy fresh raspberries! I love them!
Its a fairly simple recipe which goes together very quickly. They are as quick to make as stirring a few bits together. The batter is simply bisquick, sugar, butter, and milk.
The filling is just fresh berries, lemon juice, some sugar, as well as a small amount of nutmeg and cinnamon.
There is also a simple icing sugar glaze which gets spooned over top of the finished muffins. This is the photograph from the book I got the recipe from.
I am still struggling to find good light for my food photography. In the UK I had a specific place that worked very well for this purpose. Here its a lot more difficult, as the windows in my sister’s house are not really facing in the right direction.
I adapted the recipe from this cookbook. It was published in 2017 and is a compilation of much beloved recipes from yester-year updated to use today's ingredients and according to today’s tastes.
It is filled with a plethora of tastiness from the Betty Crocker kitchens, and may even invoke some cherished childhood memories, depending on your age!
Bisquick was not something I could find all the time when I was living in the UK. I could sometimes get it from an American Grocery supply company at a premium price.
I learned to make my own. Its not hard to do and works exactly the same as a purchased baking mix.
*Homemade Baking Mix*
Makes 24 servingsThis is mix which comes in really handy to have in the cupboard, ready to use for making muffins, pancakes and all sorts.
245g milk powder (1 cup)
5 TBS baking powder
50g white sugar (1/4 cup)
1 TBS salt
220g white vegetable shortening (1 cup)
Whisk flour, dry milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Cut shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, about 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Whisk flour, dry milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Cut shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, about 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
To make biscuits/scones:
Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl. Stir in 180ml buttermilk
(3/4 cup) with a fork, Pat out, cut into circles and bake in a
220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7 oven for about 10 minutes. Makes six large
biscuits (scones).
To make Pancakes:
Measure 260g (2 cups) of the mix into a bowl. Whisk in 3 TBS sugar, 2
tsp baking powder, 2 TBS vegetable oil and 2 eggs. Whisk together until
smooth. Cook as per regular pancakes on a greased griddle. Drop 1/4
cupful at a time onto hot greased griddle. Cook until the edges are
dry, flip and cook until golden. Makes about 14.
I always kept a container of it in my freezer. As it was an ingredient I did not use overly often, it only made sense to keep it frozen so that the fat in it did not go rancid.
Its a really handy ingredient to have on hand. What I liked most about it was that it had no preservatives and it didn't contain anything I could not pronounce!
They refer to these in the cookbook as being muffins. I really think they are more like a cross between a muffin and a biscuit/scone type of pastry.
I would think they are more like the biscuit than the muffin, but you can make your own mind up.
I love recipes with a history and containing a bit of nostalgia. In modern times we have a tendancy to look past these types of things and judge them as being archaic and old fashioned.
Young people today are keen to embrace the new, and I don't blame them. New is good. But I think old is often better. (That is my age speaking I guess!)
When we choose to overlook these little gems from the past, I think we are losing out on something really special. Of course not all historic recipes are great!
I have seen some pretty horrific photos of really strange, and obnoxious sounding recipes. Especially from the 50's and 60's. Positively "Barftastic" looking. But there is also plenty of good when you weed your way through them.
This is one of the better ones. I was really pleased with how they turned out. They were light and quite tender.
They are not overly sweet either. The fruit filling is a wonderful combination of sweet and tangy. I loved it. But then I adore raspberries.
It was not always so. I remember gorging myself on some from a neighbours raspberry canes when I was 10 years old. (Very naughty on my part.)
I got a tummy bug combined with being motion sick not too long after the binge. My father was hoovering the seeds from out of the carpeting in the car for years afterwards, and it was a very long time before I could face a raspberry again.
Thank goodness it passed and I can now enjoy them. The seeds can be a bit bothersome a times, especially if you have diverticulitis like I have.
But I can tolerate them in small amounts. Raspberries are low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They may protect against diabetes, cancer, obesity, arthritis and other conditions and may even provide anti-aging effects. They are not considered to be a super-food for no reason!
In any case I hope that you will be inspired to want to bake these lush muffins/pastries for your family. I think they are something which everyone will enjoy.
If you are not fond of raspberries I am thinking you could use blackberries or even blueberries! I think toasted flaked almonds would also be very nice baked on top! And if you used almond flavouring in the batter, they would be almost like a Bakewell type of bake! Yum!!
Raspberry Peek-A-Boos
Yield: 12
prep time: 15 Mincook time: 20 Mintotal time: 35 Min
A delicious cross between a muffin and a pastry. They are filled with fresh berries and topped with a vanilla glaze!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125g) fresh raspberries, washed and drained
- 4 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups (240g) original bisquick baking mx
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter softened
- 2/3 cup (160ml) milk
For the glaze
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1 to 2 TBS milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Butter a 12-cup medium muffin cup really well, or line with paper liners.
- Toss the berries together in a bowl with 2 TBS of the sugar, the lemon juice, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- Combine the bisquick and remaining sugar. Drop in the butter and rub it in with your fingertips to combine. Add the milk all at once, stirring it in just until moistened.
- Spread 1 TBS of the dough into the bottom of each muffin cup. Top each with 1 TBS of the raspberry mixture. Divide the remainder of the dough equally and drop it on top of the raspberry mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the glaze together, adding milk 1 TBS at a time until you have a mixture with a drizzle consistency.
- Drizzle over muffins and allow to set before serving.
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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