Lime syrup coconut muffins

Very tasty sponge cake with bits of dessicated coconut coated with sweet and sour lime syrup. The recipe comes from 'The Australian Women's Weekly'.

Ingredients for 12- 16 muffins:

• 375g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 90g dessicated coconut
• 220g caster sugar
• 1tsp freshly grated lime zest
• 250ml buttermilk
• 125g butter
• 2 eggs

Melt the butter into a saucepan over a heat or in microwave.  Set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

In a big bowl combine the flour, baking powder, soda, coconut, sugar and freshly grated lime zest. Set aside.

In a measuring jug pour the buttermilk, whisk the egg, add the cooled butter and combine them together. 

 Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones. Stir them together until just moist. 

Spoon the batter into baking tin holes. Fill them up to 3/4 full. 

Bake them for 20 minutes until well risen and golden.

While the muffins are in the oven prepare lime syrup.

Ingredients for lime syrup:

• 110g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• 2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
• 80ml freshly squeezed lime juice

Put all the ingredients into a saucepan. Stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Then simmer uncovered for about 2 minutes without stirring.

Place baked and warm muffins on the tray and spoon hot lime syrup over each muffin top. To soak the cake better make small holes with toothpick in each muffin.   Enjoy !

Lime muffins with ricotta cheese filling

Lime muffins with ricotta cheese filling are very citrusy, moist, sweet and sticky. Sticky because of lime syrup the muffins are coated with. Muffins were very nice but the lime slices were not edible at all. The recipe comes from 'New Italian cuisine. Muffins'.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 4 limes (in original recipe is 5 but I think it is way to much)
• 125g ricotta cheese
• 130g sugar
• 250g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 100g brown sugar
• 200g natural yogurt
• 90 ml sunflower oil
• 250g icing sugar (originally 30g but by mistake I added 250g and I think it is much better that way)

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

Great the lime zest from two limes, squeeze juice from 3 limes and slice the 4th one. Set aside.

In a small bowl with a fork mix ricotta cheese with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Set aside.

Into a big bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk everything together. Set aside.

Put the eggs, sugars, yogurt, oil, lime zest, 6 tablespoons of lime juice into a big bowl and beat them with electric mixer until combined. Then add the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.

Spoon the batter into paper cases about 1/2 full. Then put spoon of ricotta cheese mixture, divide evenly among 12 muffin cases. cover with remaining batter.

Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and spongy.

While the muffins are in the oven prepare lime syrup. Pour the remaining lime juice into a saucepan add the icing sugar and heat up on medium. Bring it to boil and add lime slices. Cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. When the syrup thickens remove from the heat.

Pour the syrup over hot muffins decorate with lime slices. 

Any syrup leftovers are great added to the freshly brewed tea. 

  

Pistachio and lime muffins

Pistachio and lime muffins are very tasty. Quite moist because of nuts addition, sweet with hint of lime. I like them but have to say that the pistachio cream which I used for decoration is a key ingredient. I don't know how to make this cream as I brought a jar from my Sicilian holidays. If only you have access to this cream it is really must have.The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' book.

Ingredients for 12 mini muffins:

• 110g flour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 55g chilled butter
• 70g caster sugar
• 1 lime 
• 30g minced not salted pistachios
• 1 egg
• 50 ml buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases or grease with butter. This time I used silicone square mini muffin mould.

Into a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Dice chilled butter and add to the flour. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the minced pistachios and finely grated lime zest.

In a large jug whisk with for the egg and beat in the butter milk and lime juice.  Pour the wet ingredients into dry ones. Stir gently until just combined. Do not over - mix.

Spoon the batter into prepared baking tin. Bake for about 20 minutes, until well risen and golden.

Transfer the muffins to cool down a a wire rack. Decorate with pistachio cream and pistachios. Enjoy !