Category: Muffins

Prune, walnut and pecan Muffins

Oh the misaligned prune!  I had a bag of prunes waiting to be used up, there were given to me by my mum who had announced that they were revolting and can I please take them away.  I’ve tried a few prune recipes in the past and used them in porridge a few years ago, which was a surprise success.

For these muffins I went for the ‘hidden’ prune option and blitzed them into the milk – it meant I could use up a lot of them at once!  The nuts then add the texture and the milk the slight prune taste – and of course all the added benefits of prunes…

These aren’t very sweet, so they taste good cut in half with some spread and jam, or with some fruit and yoghurt and a splash of maple or date syrup.  They freeze well too.

Prune, walnut and pecan muffins

  • 100g spelt flour (or wholemeal)
  • 180g plain flour
  • 100g castor sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 100g pitted prunes
  • 250ml milk of choice (I used soya, but nut milks work well too)
  • 100ml rapeseed oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 50g walnuts (crushed into chunky pieces)
  • 50g Pecan nuts (crushed into chunky pieces)

Method

  • Mix the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder together.  Mix in the nuts.
  • Blend the prunes with the milk.  Then add the vanilla and oil and mix together.  Add this to the dry mixture and mix quickly.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes.  200c/400f/Gas 6.
  • Makes 9 -10 large muffins

prune and nut muffins 2

Courgette Choc Muffins

The courgettes are growing like weeds on the allotment and so courgette experiments are in full swing.  They work really well in cakes and particularly with chocolate!  These muffins are quick and easy to make and freeze well too. They aren’t as sweet as other muffins I’ve made, so you could add a little more sugar.  I like to eat them with some yoghurt, my husbands likes to add jam!

Courgette Choc Muffins

Makes 10 large muffins

  • 280g Plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 heaped tablespoon raw cacao powder (or 2 tbsp. of cocoa powder)
  • 150g brown sugar
  • 120ml sunflower oil (or rapeseed/veg or corn oil)
  • 60ml Almond or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 350g grated courgette (skin on – yellow or green courgettes – I like using yellow)
  • 80g raisins (optional)

Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, cacao, cinnamon and raisins in a bowl. In another bowl mix the oil, milk, sugar, vanilla and courgettes. Then add this to the flour mix and stir together.  Fill your muffins cups and bake at 180C/350f/Gas 4 for 20 – 25 minutes.

Let them cool before tucking in – they are a little too squishy if you eat straight from the oven (however tempting).

 

 

Ginger, coconut and peanut muffins

These are good! I’ve continued to experiment with vegan baking and this time I tried the ‘just leave out the binding agent’ approach, and it worked.  These rose really well without the use of flax egg or other binding agent, just shows the old school methods aren’t always the best!!  The hint of ginger and the crunch of peanut makes a lovely combination.  My favourite way to eat them is to cut one in half and spread it with a little bit of non dairy spread and marmalade.  They are also great with coconut yoghurt and even smeared with a bit of peanut butter, and the flavours go well with some pear slices too.   These freeze well – wrap them up individually in foil and freeze.

Ginger, coconut & peanut muffins

  • 250g plain flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 80g coconut sugar (or any other sugar)
  • A big chunk (about 2″) of fresh ginger finely grated
  • 40g coconut flakes
  • 60g peanuts (non roasted)
  • 40g raw cacao nibs (or other dark chocolate)
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 240ml almond, oat or coconut milk (or other milk of choice)
  • 90ml rapeseed oil

Method

  • Stir the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.
  • Heat a small frying pan and toast the peanuts and coconut flakes for a couple of minutes (constantly tossing to avoid burning). Then put the flakes and peanuts into a food processor and whizz for a few seconds to break them down into smaller bits.  Add this to the flour mix along with the cacao nibs and ground ginger.
  • Mix together the oil and milk and then add this to the flour mixture and stir quickly.
  • Spoon the mixture into muffin tins (lined with muffin cases) and bake for 20 minutes, 180c/350f/Gas 4.
  • Leave to cool before tucking in.

 

Carrot & Coconut Muffins

The snow last weekend gave me a great excuse to stay in the kitchen and bake.  I haven’t baked muffins for a while and I wanted to trial some vegan ones. I admit I wasn’t sure if they would have the same rise and texture and I did get through a few ‘testers’ to check on baking times.  But these worked a treat and I have them stocked in my freezer for a quick brekkie.

Delicious with some coconut yoghurt and maple syrup drizzled over the top.  It has inspired me to try lots more – so watch this space.  You can’t beat a muffin for breakfast.

The Christmas muffin cases added to the snowy feel!

Carrot & Coconut Muffins

  • 125g Spelt or wholemeal flour
  • 125g plain white flour
  • 90g sugar (I used golden caster sugar)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 80g finely grated carrot
  • 50g coconut flakes
  • 80g raisins
  • 250ml Almond milk
  • 90ml Rapeseed oil
  • 1 flax egg – 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water and left for 10mins.

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, including the carrot, coconut and raisins.  Mix the wet ingredients together (milk, oil and flax egg).  Add the wet to the dry and mix.

Spoon into muffin cases and bake at 180c/350f/Gas 4 – for 25 minutes. Cover with foil and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

 

Courgette lemon drizzle seedy muffins

I’ve been baking over the bank holiday weekend trying to make a dent in the current crop of courgettes from the allotment. I’ve trialled a few different courgette muffin recipes and I think I’ve finally cracked it with this one.  I was watching the new series of the Great British Bake off – and the drizzle cake challenge gave me ideas!

The drizzle adds an extra layer of flavour and moistness – I did a taste test, some with drizzle and some without, and the drizzle definitely won.  These also freeze well – in case you don’t eat them all at once.

Courgette, lemon and seeds drizzle muffins

Courgette lemon drizzle seedy muffins

  • 280g plain wholemeal flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon bicarb of soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 egg
  • 100ml rapeseed oil
  • 100ml almond milk
  • 250g grated courgette (keep the skin on – I used yellow courgettes, but green are good too)
For the Drizzle
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (brown or castor sugar)

Method

  • In a large bowl combine the flour, bicarb, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest, poppy and chia seeds.
  • In another bowl mix the lemon juice, oil, egg and milk.  Add this to the dry ingredients and combine well.
  • Add the grated courgette and mix in.
  • Divide into muffin tins (lined with muffin cases) and bake for 20-25 minutes – 200c/400f/Gas 6.  They should go golden brown on the top and a skewer (cocktail stick) comes out clean.
  • Make the Drizzle – put the lemon juice in a pan and add the sugar – simmer over a very gentle heat for a couple of minutes to dissolve the sugar.
  • Whilst the muffins are still warm prick the top of each muffin a few times with a cocktail stick.
  • Drizzle around 1/2 teaspoon over the top of each muffin
  • Leave the muffins to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.

 

Rhubarb Spelt Muffins

A lovely way to use fresh rhubarb. The muffin mixture seems quite dry but the rhubarb releases it’s juices during cooking and these muffins turn out to be surprisingly moist.  You could use other flours, but I think the spelt flour complements the tart rhubarb really well.  These are great on the go breakfast snacks – and freeze really well. They are also fab with some yoghurt or crème fraiche and some extra berries or banana on the side.

rhurbarb muffins

Rhubarb Spelt Muffins

  • 200g raw rhubarb – diced into small pieces
  • 280g Spelt plain flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 100g coconut palm sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (about 6 pods)
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 240ml milk
  • 1 egg
  • 100g melted butter

Method

  • Mix the dry ingredients together (including the rhubarb)
  • Mix the wet ingredients together (milk, egg and butter)
  • Add the wet to the dry and quickly stir together.
  • Spoon the mixture into your muffin cases – this makes 10 large muffins.
  • Cook for 20-25 minutes, 180c/350f/Gas 4 – the muffins should be turning golden brown on top.

They keep for a couple of days – or freeze them individually.

rhurbarb diced

Parsnip and Orange Muffins

I love muffins and think they make the perfect on the go breakfast.  It’s easy to grab one from the freezer for a journey to work. However I still want my breakfast muffins to be relatively healthy and not too sugary sweet. I came up with these after having a glut of parsnips on my allotment – there is only so much parsnip soup I can eat. The parsnip adds moisture in the same way as carrot does in carrot cake, and the muffins do not taste of parsnip at all.  The warm spices give a lovely comforting smell.  These are lovely cold or slightly warmed.  I like to eat mine with fruit and yogurt.

I made a batch of these yesterday and enjoyed one for breakfast this morning after another very cold dog walkies.

Parsnip and Orange Muffins

Parsnip and orange muffin

  • 175g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp mixed spice (I usually add 2 because I love the extra hint of spice)
  • 50g raisons
  • 225g parsnips – finely grated
  • 100g soft brown sugar
  • 1 orange – grated rind and juice
  • 3 eggs
  • 150ml sunflower oil

Method

  • Set the oven for 180c/350f/Gas 4
  • Grate the rind and juice the orange. Soak the raisons in the orange juice for 10 mins or more.
  • Mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda, spices, orange rind and grated parsnips in a bowl.
  • In another bowl mix together the sugar, sunflower oil, eggs and raisons (drain them but keep the juice handy). Make sure everything is well mixed together, give it a little beat.
  • Mix both bowls together and then add around 2 tablespoons of the orange juice.  You want the mix look like a smooth batter (with a lot of parsnip), but not runny.
  • Spoon into muffin cases ( I line my muffin tin with muffin cases) – makes 8-10 large muffins.  I fill the cases pretty much up to the top.
  • Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes.  The tops should be firm and bounce back when pressed.  Remove from tin (but not the paper cases) and cool on a rack.

These can be kept for 2 days and still taste fresh. Or freeze individually to grab one when you want.