Showing posts with label small batch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small batch. Show all posts
This recipe I am sharing with you today is the best chocolate chip muffin recipe. They bake up nice and light, with tall crowns and a beautiful tender crumb.
Not only that, but they are stuffed to the hilt with lovely semi sweet chocolate chips. You can use either normal sized ones of mini ones. Its your choice.
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Its also a very simple chocolate chip muffins recipe. There are no bells and whistles. Nothing extraordinary to buy or include. No special equipment needed.
It is also a small batch recipe. It makes only six beautifully moist, tender and moreish muffins. Designed for the smaller family, you could certainly double up on everything to make an even dozen muffin if you wished to do so.
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I have always liked to bake us/me a little something special to enjoy at the weekend. Maybe cookies, sometimes a cake or a pie, of delicious muffins such as these.
Just because I now live on my own is no reason for me to stop marking the weekend as being something special in this way. Too many people on their own live on fast food or out of cans or the frozen food aisle.
I am determined not to be that way, which is why I am small batching a lot of what I cook or bake these days.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BAKERY STYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS
Simple store cupboard ingredients. Nothing that you probably don't already have in!
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi sweet chocolate chips
For the wet Ingredients:
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 TBS pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
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I had a big bag of mini semi sweet chocolate chips in the cupboard, which is what I used this time, but you can use regular chocolate chips if you like. Both work very well.
I always use large free range eggs. We actually buy our eggs here from a farmer around the corner from me. You can actually see the chickens running around the yard. The eggs have beautiful hard shells and the yolks are brilliant yellow!
I also only ever use pure vanilla extract. You could also use vanilla paste if you are lucky enough to have some in your cupboard.
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HINTS AND TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST MUFFINS
Muffins are really very simple to make, especially if you follow my hints and tips. They are much easier to make than cakes!
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients together 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 just roughly combine.
2. Don't over-mix the batter
The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. Instead, what you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Resist the temptation to stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, thick and floury.
3. Don't overfill
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.
4. Add an extra sprinkle of flavor and crunch on top
Once the muffin cups are all filled, you can choose to sprinkle the tops with more fruit, nuts, coarse sugar or a crumble topping for even more flavour. As the muffins rise these flavourful toppings will cook into the tops of the muffin.
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5. Fill up your muffin pan
If there isn't enough batter to fill all your cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins to bake more evenly and will protect you from ruining and buckling your pan.
6. Cool 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 to keep them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise they will end up with soggy bottoms. Not a good thing.
7. Freeze for later
Muffins freeze wonderfully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're made, wrap them up tightly plastic wrap and pop them into the freezer for later. These reheat very easily by warming them up for about 30 seconds maximum from frozen in the microwave.
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Today I used my ceramic six cup muffin baker. It bakes beautiful muffins and is perfect for when you only want to bake six muffins. The batter never sticks, and you end up with a lovely crusty exterior, with a light and fluffy middle.
You can use paper wrappers if you like, but I find with muffins that have additions like chocolate chips or raisins, they tend to stick to paper wrappers.
Remember a muffin is supposed to be a type of a quick bread and not a cake.
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I have baked a LOT of muffins on here through the years. Here are some of my favorite and most popular muffins:
FOUR PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS - This recipe makes only 4 beautiful blueberry muffins. Delicately flavoured with fragrant lemon zest . . . and studded with plenty of fat blueberries.
ULTIMATE BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS - This recipe bakes up especially delicious, yielding a muffin that is super moist and tasty, with a well rounded bakery style top. You cannot go wrong with one of these!
STICKY ALMOND MUFFINS - These muffins are very much like an upside down cake, except there is no fruit involved. Only nuts. You end up with sticky nut topped upside down muffins!
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I really hope you will be tempted to bake these delicious muffins this weekend. They are fabulous muffins to enjoy with your morning coffee and/or as an afternoon snack.
Moist, fluffy, rich in flavor, loaded with sweet chocolate chips, and so delicious you will want to devour the whole muffin, not just the tops!!
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins (small batch)
Yield: 6
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Soft, moist and fluffy. Loaded with plenty of chocolate chips. These muffins have a beautiful high dome and go really well with a hot drink!
Ingredients
For the dry ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi sweet chocolate chips
For the wet Ingredients:
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 TBS pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Spray a six cup muffin pan really well with some canola cooking spray, or line with paper liners.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl, combining well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Whisk all of the wet ingredients together to combine well.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Fold both together just to combine, without overmixing.
- Divide between the buttered muffin cups.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes, until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool. These are lovely enjoyed whilst still warm.
Notes
You can make your own buttermilk substitute in one of two ways:
- Add 1 TBS of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill to make your measure of buttermilk. Stir and leave to clabber for 5 minutes.
- Mix together equal parts of full fat yogurt and whole milk to make up your measure and leave to set for 5 minutes to clabber.
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I love, Love, LOVE molasses cookies. I have never met a molasses cookie that I haven't immediately fell in love with. There is something about the combination ginger and molasses that just warms the heart.
Of course my first loves are my own grandmother's molasses cookies. You can find that recipe here. Soft and pillow-like, they have been pleasing my family for generations!
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I have very fond memories of helping my grandmother to roll them out on her countertop, cutting them and baking them when I was four years old. My grandmother was suffering from cancer at the time and did not live much longer than that.
I do not know how she mustered the strength to bake cookies with me, but she did. She always had time for me. I have many fond memories of cuddling with her in her ample lap while she sang the song "you are my sunshine" to me.
I am the only one of my siblings that remembers her. I am so grateful for those memories.
This recipe for Nanny's Molasses Cookies comes from the book entitled, The Lost Kitchen, by Erin French.
This is an Erin French Molasses cookie recipe which comes from the recipe collection left to her by her own sweet grandmother.
There is just something about grandmother's and molasses cookies. The two go together like peas and carrots!
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What makes these that little bit different is that they are studded throughout with bits of candied ginger. Sweet, firey, bits of candied gingerroot.
I love the stuff and can sometimes be found to be munching on a piece. My favorites are the chunks you can buy which has been bathed in dark chocolate.
Ginger is, quite simply, one of my favorite flavors, full stop.
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Not only are they studded with bits of candied ginger, but they are also filled with wonderful spicy flavors. Ginger. Cloves. Cinnamon. Cardamom. And, of course . . . dark sweet molasses.
The cardamom is my own addition. It is a flavor I have come to love in any kind of molasses ginger infusion. It goes very well.
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I also chose to downsize the recipe to make a half batch. She said her original recipe made two dozen, but I halved it and got 18 good sized cookies.
I sent some home with my sister to give to my dad. He likes something sweet after his supper and he loves molasses cookies. I am sure he will be quite happy with these.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE NANNY'S MOLASSES COOKIES
Simple baking ingredients that most of us already have in our larders. Its easy really.
- 1 3/4 cups (245g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup (110g) white vegetable shortening (Crisco or Trex)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup (88g) molasses
- 1/3 cup (80g) chopped crystalized gingerroot (optional)
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I suspect that they would not quite be the same if you were to use butter instead of shortening (white vegetable fat). Part of the appeal of these is the crisp exterior and soft fudgy interior.
I think that butter would make them too crispy, but I could be wrong. White shortening has its uses. Here in North American I would use Crisco, but in the UK, use white flora or Trex, both of which are available in the chiller aisle of the grocery shops.
You can also buy Crisco online in the UK at American grocery supply shops. I used to buy mine from Skyco.
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Other than that everything else is pretty straightforward. Just plain all purpose flour, a variety of baking spices, egg, and some white granulated sugar.
Oh and molasses. In the UK you can replace equal amounts of dark treacle and golden syrup to make up the amount of molasses needed. But again, you can buy molasses at American Grocery supply shops online. I used to buy mine (again) from Skyco.
Look at how fudgy they are. Pure heavenly bliss.
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HOW TO MAKE NANNY'S MOLASSES COOKIES
These are very simple cookies, which go together very quickly with an electric hand mixer.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, soda, and all of the spices.
Cream the shortening with a hand held electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, beating it in thoroughly. Beat in the molasses.
Add the dry ingredients, blending until the dough just comes together. Stir in the candied ginger. Cover and chill the dough for half an hour.
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Using a cookie scoop form the dough into 1 inch balls. Have ready a bowl of sugar. Roll the balls in the sugar to coat and place onto the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between each. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cracks should just be starting to form on the surface. They will actually look slightly underdone, but don't worry, they aren't.
Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
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You can see here that crisp sugar coating and the cracks which are spoken about in the recipe. You can also see the bits of candied ginger. So tasty!
If you are in the mood to bake cookies and these don't strike your fancy, here are some others you might enjoy!
QUARTER CUP COOKIES - Crisp edged, buttery and delicious and filled with lots of chocolate chips. toasted nuts, oatmeal, coconut and raisins.
SOFT AND CHEWY JAM AND SUGAR COOKIES - Sweet sugar cookies with tasty jam centers. These are fabulously moreish.
Happy baking!
Nanny's Molasses Cookies (small batch)
Yield: 18 cookies
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Soft inside, crisp and sugary on the outside. Studded with moreish bits of candied ginger. These are just wonderful.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (245g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup (110g) white vegetable shortening (Crisco or Trex)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1 large free range egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup (88g) molasses
- 1/3 cup (80g) chopped crystalized gingerroot
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, soda, and all of the spices.
- Cream the shortening with a hand held electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, beating it in thoroughly. Beat in the molasses.
- Add the dry ingredients, blending until the dough just comes together. Stir in the candied ginger. Cover and chill the dough for half an hour.
- Using a cookie scoop form the dough into 1 inch balls. Have ready a bowl of sugar. Roll the balls in the sugar to coat and place onto the baking sheet leaving about 2 inches in between each. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cracks should just be starting to form on the surface. They will actually look slightly underdone, but don't worry, they aren't.
- Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
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I'm really excited to share this recipe with you today for Air Fryer Turnip Fries. A deliciously healthy take on the classic French Fry.
Except these are much lower in fat and are low carb and keto and diabetic friendly. This is also a small batch recipe, sized just for two people.
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I was inspired by a recipe I originally found on Sugar Free Londoner, for turnip fries. She used the smaller white turnips. I have not seen those here so I adapted it to use the larger rutabaga/turnip/Swede.
I also adapted it to make a smaller amount, enough for just two people, and I have to say they are really delicious. They came out crisp and filled with flavor!
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I confess, I don't use my air fryer enough. I have used it successfully to make baked sweet potatoes and regular baked potatoes.
I have also used it to do Twice Baked Potatoes with great success. Its also very good for reheating frozen food such as frozen chips and fish, chicken etc.
All in all though I feel I need to use it more. The use I am getting out of it thus far hardly justifies me having it. I suspect I will use it a lot more in the summer months when I don't want to be turning on a hot oven.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AIR FRYER TURNIP FRIES
Really you only need a very few ingredients. A Swede/rutabaga/turnip, some light olive oil and some seasonings.
- 4 1/2 inch thick center cuts of one medium peeled rutabaga (Swede)
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/8 tsp onion powder (not salt)
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You can certainly play around with the seasonings a bit and use different ones than the ones I have used here. Mexican seasonings such as cumin and chili powder would be very nice.
You could also make curry fries by using a curry powder. Those would be especially nice served with a yogurt dip.
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HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER TURNIP FRIES
These are really very simple to make. The most complicated bit is cutting them up!
I had a medium sized turnip/rutabaga, about six inches in circumference. I peeled it all and then cut it crosswise into 1/2 inch thick rounds/slabs.
I then cut the rounds into 1/2 inch thick slices, giving me sticks that were roughly 1/2 inch thick fries. You do want to make sure all of your vegetable sticks are sized about the same so that cook at the same time and evenly.
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First prepare your rutabaga. Cut the slices crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. You should have wands now which are 1/2 inch square, with the exception of the end pieces.
Place the rutabaga into a bowl and then toss together with the oil and all the slices until thoroughly coated.
Place the wands of rutabaga into a single layer in the basket of your air fryer (You may need to work in two batches)
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Air fry at 350*F/180*C for 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and just cooked through.
If you are having to do this in batches, remove the cooked fries to a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven while you repeat and cook the remaining strips.
Serve hot. For a keto diet you can serve these with sugar free ketchup.
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My air fryer is a Kuraidori which I bought at my local Home Hardware. Its got a fairly large cooking space and actually came with a rotisserie, which I have not used yet. It would have to be a very small chicken or roast to do so, but I am only one person so that is alright with me.
I have found it very easy to use so far and have had success with everything I have cooked in it. I also have a Cuisinart Toaster Oven/Air Fryer which I call the cremator. I have not had much success air frying in that one, although it did come highly recommended by America's Test Kitchen.
You really need to do a lot of research before you buy one and think about it as they are not really very cheap. In the UK I had a T-Fal one and I really loved that one, although it was large and took up a lot of storage space. I had to keep it in my bedroom closet, which meant I often forgot that I even had it and it did not get used very much.
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Another thing you might want to consider when buying one. The food is not like deep fried food. If you think that you are going to end up with chips and things that are the same as deep fried, you are going to be largely disappointed.
The food it cooks is good, but not even close to being comparable to deep fried.
Having said that, if you are in the market for something which is going to help you cut back on time and calories and still produce tasty food, then its just the ticket.
If you have a really large family you will need to buy a really large model and even then you may have to cook in batches. For a small family such as mine, this one works great!
And yes, these Air Fryer Turnip Fries are excellent! I highly recommend!
Air Fryer Turnip Fries
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min
A delicious healthy take on French fries cooked in an air fryer. These are crisp and flavor filled!
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 inch thick center cuts of one medium peeled rutabaga (Swede)
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/8 tsp onion powder (not salt)
Instructions
- First prepare your rutabaga. Cut the slices crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. You should have wands now which are 1/2 inch square, with the exception of the end pieces.
- Place the rutabaga into a bowl and then toss together with the oil and all the slices until thoroughly coated.
- Place the wands of rutabaga into a single layer in the basket of your air fryer (You may need to work in two batches)
- Air fry at 350*F/180*C for 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and just cooked through.
- If you are having to do this in batches, remove the cooked fries to a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven while you repeat and cook the remaining strips.
- Serve hot. For a keto diet you can serve these with sugar free ketchup.
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