Category: Muffins & Individual Cakes

Raspberry & Vanilla Muffins

This is one of my favourite recipes, and is an adaption of a blueberry muffin recipe I found in an American cookbook. This is an American style muffin- it has less fat in than a UK style muffin/cake- and is a little more bready. These muffins are great when made fresh for breakfast. Let them cool first, because the raspberry juice leeches into the rest of the muffin as it cools. Mmmmm.

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter
1 cup rasberries (fresh or frozen)
vanilla essence
demerara sugar to top

Really easy to make. Mix everything in a bowl except the demerara and raspberries. Once it’s all mixed, fold in the raspberries. If you’re using frozen, you can be a little rougher at this stage- you want the raspberries to stay mainly whole if possible.

Put the mixture into paper muffin cups, and fill nearly to the brim (when they rise up, the mix is nearly twice as high as the cup, and looks really impressive.)

Sprinkle demerara on the top of each, and cook in a hot oven- 200 degrees C for 15-20 minutes- until they’ve risen and browned.

Cinnamon Donut Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk

Combine dry ingredients then add the wet ingredients, mix. Add to muffin tins and bake for 180°C for 20-25 minutes. take muffins out immediately and apply the topping.

Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Dip muffins in the melted butter, and roll in the sugar and cinammon.

Ginger Muffins

Again, this is an American style muffin that is less fatty and a little bready. I was trying to find a recipe a bit like Starbucks’ Skinny Ginger Muffins, and this isn’t too far off.

2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
2-4 tsp ginger powder (depending on how gingery you like it. I go for 4 for me, but 2 for the kids)
1/2 cup crystalised ginger
3 Tbsp golden syrup
100g melted butter
2 eggs
1 cup milk
Stem ginger pieces to add to the mix

Topping
1 cup Icing sugar, water (or ginger syrup) to mix

Combine the dry ingredients.

Melt the butter and warm the golden syrup in the microwave. Add the milk and eggs and mix. Add to the dry ingredients. Beat well. Combine mixtures and lightly mix.Add the ginger pieces.

Put into large muffin cases and cook for 15mins at 200c.

Once cooled a little, ice the top.

Coventry God Cakes

God Cakes are basically a puff pastry mince pie. they are a triangular turnover with 3 cuts on the top. Historically, Godcakes were given to god-children by godparents in the new year or easter. They ranged in size and price, depending on the generosity of the godparent. The triangular shape, along with the three slashes in the top of the pastry may represent Trinity.

In Suffolk, God’s Kitchels are basically the same thing, with the same history/meaning.

 

225g (8oz) Puff Pastry
110g (4oz) Mincemeat
1 Egg White
2 tsp Rum or Brandy [Optional]
Caster Sugar

Pre-heat oven to 220°C: 425°F: Gas 7.
Thinly roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface.
Cut into 10cm (4 inch) squares, cut each square in half on the diagonal to produce two triangles.
Mix the mincemeat with the rum or brandy (if used).
Place a spoonful of on mincemeat one half half of the triangles.
Beat the egg white.
Cover each with another triangle, moisten the edges with a little water and pressing firmly down to seal.
Brush with the beaten egg white, cut three small slits in each with a very sharp knife and sprinkle with caster sugar
Place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until well risen and golden.
Cool on a wire rack and eat as fresh as possible.

Macaroons

These crisp little almond biscuits are a speciality of the Lorraine region in France. They’re easy to make and are particularly nice served with fruit fools or ice cream.

Ingredients
For the macaroons
6 oz (175 g) ground almonds
1 oz (25 g) icing sugar
1 level teaspoon ground rice
8 oz (225 g) granulated sugar
3 large egg whites

a few drops of almond extract some caster sugar
about 12 blanched almonds, cut into strips
some rice paper
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C).
You will also need 2 large baking sheets, lined with rice paper, and a piping bag.

In a bowl, mix the ground almonds together with the sifted icing sugar, ground rice and granulated sugar. Now stir in the unbeaten egg whites and a few drops of almond extract and continue stirring until very thoroughly mixed. Place the mixture in a forcing bag fitted with a 3⁄4 inch (2 cm) plain nozzle and pipe out rounds of the mixture on the the rice paper, allowing room between each one for the biscuits to expand during cooking. Then sprinkle each one with caster sugar and top it with a piece of blanched almond. Now bake the biscuits for about 25-30 minutes or until they are tinged a light golden brown. Leave them to cool then strip off the rice paper surrounding each biscuit (or remove them from the paper). Store them in an airtight tin as soon as they have cooled if you like to eat them crisp or, if you prefer them a bit chewy, leave them overnight before storing in a tin.

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Book of Cakes.