Category: Muffins & Individual Cakes

Chocolate Muffins

2 eggs
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk
2/3 cup (160 g) butter
4 oz (120 g) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).

Grease 6 large muffin tins or cups (paper muffin bake cups are recommended).
Beat the eggs with sugar, mix with flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla and milk.
Fold in the melted butter.
Add chocolate chips (please note that these might end up in the bottom of the muffin).
Bake at 350 degrees until a until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes.

Simple Madeleines

(makes 18 – 20 mini madeleines) based on a recipe from Joy of Baking
75g Butter – melted and cool
100g Plain Flour
½ Tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs
90g Granulated Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence / Orange Flower Water – to taste
Pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)

Whisk the eggs and sugar together until they have doubled in size and are light and fluffy. Slowly fold in the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the vanilla or orange flower water. Slowly add in the melted butter, gently folding all the time. When mixed cover the bowl and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins, the batter should be foamy and full of air. Put a dollop of the mixture into a well buttered Madeleine tray, each mould should be about 2/3 full. Place in an oven at 375F/ 190C/ GM 5 for around 7 minutes until risen, golden and shrinking away from the edges of the mould.
Leave for a few minutes and then turn out.

The Madeleines are best enjoyed when still warm and crisp on the outside. They can be stored for a day but will lose that just cooked crisp outside.

Banana Nut muffins

These are Deird’s favourite muffin on here. They’re best made with really ripe bananas- ripe to the point of heading for the bin. If you have old bananas like that, make these, don’t bin the bananas!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1  teaspoons baking soda
big pinch of salt
2 overripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup veg oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup pecans, chopped (can replace with choc chips if you’re avoiding nuts)

Preheat oven to 200C.

Mash the 2 bananas with a fork. Add the mashed bananas with the other ingredients in to a bowl and mix together. (Add the nuts last). Put into muffin papers- filling nearly to the top of the paper, and sprinkle a little sugar on the top.They should rise well during cooking, so that they are doubled in hight, with a nice dome-top to them.

Should make about 6 or 7 muffins.