Hot cross buns cupcakes

Moist, aromatic, packed with raisins. Almost as good as original hot cross buns. The recipe comes form BBC GoodFood

Ingredients for 12 -14 cupcakes:

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 100ml milk
• 175g butter
• 175g self-rising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 175g brown sugar
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 100g ground almonds
• 3 eggs
• orange zest
• 100g raisins
• 1 medium apple

 Combine the lemon juice and milk and sit aside for 5 minutes. Peel and then great the apple. Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin with paper cases or slightly grease and dust with flour each muffin cup. 

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, spice, almond and pinch of salt into a large bowl. Mix all ingredients together. 

Zest orange and add the zest to thickened milk. Then add the eggs and melted butter. Mix well and pour into dry ingredients. Combine all ingredients together until even. Fold in the raisins and grated apple. 

Spoon the batter into muffin tin, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until well risen and golden. When beaked remove form oven leave the muffins for a few minutes in a tin then remove and transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

While the muffins are cooling down prepare the frosting.

Frosting:

• 1 tbsp apricot jam and splash of hot water
• 50 g full fat cream cheese
• 50g icing sugar
• 25g soft butter
• 1/4 tsp mixed spice

 Put the cream cheese, sugar, butter and spice in a bowl and mix with a spoon until smooth. Transfer to the icing syringe.

Put the jam and hot water in a small bowl and whisk them together. Brush each cold muffin with jam mixture. Then with the syringe pipe the frosting into the crosses. 

Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

 

Sugar - free, chocolate and blueberry muffins

Today I would like to present sugar - free, chocolate and blueberry muffins. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' cookbook. Those muffins are quite tasty, soft, gently chocolaty with juicy bits of fresh fruits. The best when freshly baked, on next day turn a little bit dry. What is interesting the sugar was replaced by orange juice, so real sugar content depends on type of orange juice used. The best of course would be the freshly squeezed  juice. Anyway dark chocolate and blueberries belong to  super foods which, I believe, make those muffins slightly healthier then others. Enjoy !

Ingredients for 10 - 12 muffins:

• 225g flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp allspice or mixed spice
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 175ml orange juice
• freshly grate orange zest (skipped)
• 100g fresh blueberries
• 45g dark chocolate chips

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

Sift the flour into a big bowl. Add the baking powder, allspice, cocoa and whisk them well. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

In separate bowl whisk the eggs, mix them with oil and orange juice. Then add the blueberries. Pour the wet ingredients mixture into a bowl with dry ingredients and stir with spoon until just combined. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases up to 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen. Leave them in baking tin for a few minutes then transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

Enjoy !

Hot marmalade cupcakes

Today I would like to present intense orange cupcakes served with hot orange and ginger marmalade and whipped cream. They were nice, cake was thick and moist with lovely orange scent. This recipe is only for 4 cupcakes. Perfect for afternoon tea.The recipe comes from 'Easy cupcakes' cookbook.

Ingredients for 4 cupcakes:

• 1 medium size orange
• 85g butter
• 85g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 115g self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade (I used orange and ginger marmalade)

Put the orange into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and cover and simmer for 1 hour until soft. Remove the orange from the water and leave to cool for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease slightly the ramekins. 

Cut the orange into a chunks remove the stones. Place the chunks of orange into a blender and blend them until minced. 

Add the butter, sugar, egg and flour and blend until smooth. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier ramekins. 

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. While the cupcakes are still in the oven heat up the marmalade. 

Remove cupcakes from the oven leave them for 2-3 minutes then brush with warmed marmalade.

Serve with whipped cream. You can use the ready one or pour the whipping cream into a bowl and whisk it until forms soft picks. Add 1 tablespoon of icing sugar. 

 

 

Enjoy !

Fig nugget muffins

In my opinion they are the tastiest healthy muffins I have ever baked. They were soft, moist with lovely orange scent, packed with dry fruits and nuts. The recipe comes form EatingWell website.

Ingredients for fig filling:

• 150g dry figs
• 2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp honey

Grate the orange zest and seat aside you will need it for the batter. Squeeze the orange juice and set aside.

Put the figs into blender, add the nuts and blend them until smooth. Then add the cinnamon, orange juice and honey and blend again. Set aside.

Ingredients for muffin batter:

• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 190g brown sugar
• 250ml low - fat yogurt
• 150ml canola oil
• orange zest
• 75ml orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60g oat or wheat bran
• 115g wholegrain flour
• 115g plain flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp chopped nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts) to sprinkle

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

Put the egg, egg white and sugar into a bowl and beat until smooth. Then add the yogurt, oil, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and stir well. At last but not at least add the wheat bran. Set aside.

In separate bowl whisk the flours, baking powder, soda and salt. Whisk them well and add into a bowl with wet ingredients. Stir until just moist. Spoon one tablespoon of batter into paper cases the place one teaspoon of fig paste and cover with batter. Do not overload the muffin cases. Fill up to 3/4 full. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until well risen.

 Enjoy !

Gingerbread cupcakes with orange icing

This is Ina Garten's recipe so it has to be delicious. If only you like moist, spicy filled with fruits cupcakes with sweet and fruity icing you will be delighted. Although  I reduced the amount of raisins as we don't like that many. And unfortunately  instead of thick icing I made thick sauce which was delicious too, but slightly messy.  

Ingredients for 12 big cupcakes:

• 150ml rum or water (originally 250ml)
• 130g raisins (originally 220g)
• 115g butter
• 185g black treacle (originally 16 tbsp)
• 200g sour cream
• 1 orange zest
• 350g flour
• 3/4 tsp soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 70g diced crystallised ginger

Place the raisins in a saucepan pour over the rum or the water and heat up until the liquid starts boiling. Then remove from the heat, cover with lid and set aside. Dice the crystallised ginger.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.  

Into a separate sauce pan pour the black treacle add the butter and heat up until starts boiling. Then pour this mixture into an electric mixer bowl. 

While this mixture cools down prepare dry ingredients. Sift the flour, soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt into a bowl and whisk them together. 

Add the freshly grated orange zest into a black treacle mixture, then add sour cream and beat them together. Beating continuously add the dry ingredients. When the batter is smooth gently fold in soaked raisins and diced ginger. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier paper cases about 3/4 full bake for 20 -25 minutes. When well risen remove from the oven, leave them for a few minutes in the muffin tin then transfer to the wire rack to cool them down.

While the cupcakes are cooling down prepare the icing. Unfortunately mine icing turn into a sauce, was a little bit runny but was really tasty.

Ingredients for icing:

• 225g cream cheese
• 115g soft butter
• 1 orange zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g icing sugar
• crystallised ginger for decoration

Place the cream cheese, butter, orange zest and vanilla extract in an electric mixer bowl and beat until all ingredients well combined. When ready add icing sugar and again beat only for a while. What I did wrong was that I was beating the mixture for too long, that is way it was too runny at the end. 

When cupcakes are cooled down spread the icing over each cupcake top, decorate with ginger and enjoy :)  

Carrot cake muffins

Carrot cake muffins were moist, sweet, aromatic, packed with nuts, raisins and of course carrots. Topped with mascarpone cheese frosting and decorated with walnut looked looked very elegant. The recipe comes from 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 280g flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• pinch of salt
• 115g brown sugar
• 200g grated carrot (about 2 medium size carrots)
• 50g chopped walnuts
• 50 raisins
• 2 eggs
• 175ml milk
• 6 tbsp flavourless oil like grape seed oil, sunflower oil
• 1 orange juice (about 50 ml)

Peel of the carrots and grate them. Set aside. Chop the walnuts and set aside. 

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

Sift the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt into a big bowl. Add the sugar and whisk well. Then stir in the carrots well. Gently stir in the walnuts and raisins.

In separate jug whisk the eggs add the milk, oil, orange juice and whisk well. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Stir gently until just combined. Do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into paper cases. Bake for 20 minutes. After that time poke the muffins with with toothpick if it comes out clean it means that cake is bake din the middle. Transfer the muffins into wire rack and leave them to cool down.

In a meantime prepare the frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 140g mascarpone cheese
• 35g icing sugar

Put the icing sugar and cheese into a small bowl and whisk the with a fork. Be gentle as sugar may dust all around. Whisk until light and fluffy.

When the muffins are cooled place a spoon of frosting on each muffin top and spread. Decorate with the walnuts. Enjoy !

 

Aloha muffins

The Aloha muffins have the flavor of summer. Packed with coconut, orange, pineapple remind about exotic holidays, sun... They are easy to make so everybody can have their exotic taste in home. The recipe come form 'Muffin sampler' by Jan Siegrist.

Ingredients for 12-14 muffins:

• 280g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda 
• 1 egg
• 200ml orange juice
• 70g honey
• 1 tbsp grated orange peel
• 50ml sunflower oil
• 50g dessicated coconut
• 150g or 6 slices crushed pineapple

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

Place the pineapple in blender bowl and blend it until crushed.

In a big bowl combine the flout, baking powder, soda. In separate bowl whisk the egg, add orange juice, honey, orange peel, oil, coconut and pineapple. Combine the wet ingredients together. 

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

Fill muffin cases about 2/3 full with the batter. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. When ready transfer to the wire rack and enjoy !

Orange muffins with cream cheese topping

This is Helga Lederer orange muffin recipe which I read on  this blog. Those muffins are extremely orangy, they not only smell like one but taste as well. They are very moisture and quite thick. I decided to add cream cheese topping to make them a little bit sweater and lighter in flavour. 

Ingredients for 12 18 muffins:

• 260g flour
• 10g baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 medium oranges
• 250 ml orange juice
• 140g dark muscovado sugar
• 1 egg
• 125g butter
• 40 ml alcohol

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

 

Grate the orange zest, only orange part and set aside.

Peel of the orange skin, remove the white part as much as possible, put the orange bits into blender and pure the orange. Set aside.

In a big bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 

In an electric mixer bowl place egg and sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the butter. Gently fold in the orange zest, orange pure, orange juice, alcohol, and the flour mixture. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases, as much as possible. Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden. When removed form oven keep them for a few minutes in the baking tin, then transfer to the wire rack.

Cream cheese topping:

• 90g soft butter
• 120g icing sugar
• 100g soft cheese Philadelphia

Into an electric mixer bowl put the batter and whisk until pale, then add sugar and Philadelphia. Whisk together until fluffy. Whit spoon or knife spread over each muffin top. Remember muffins have to be cooled down completely before adding cream cheese topping.  

Orange muffins with dates and walnuts

This recipe comes from joy of baking website. They were very easy to make and their taste was delicious. Those muffins were soft, spongy, with beautiful orange scent, sweet with dates and crunchy with walnuts. I think they are worth trying.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 130g flour
• 130g whole wheat flour
• 140g brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bircarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 80 ml orange juice ( I used freshly squized orange juice from 2 oranges)
• 160 ml buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 57 g melted butter
• 90g chopped dates
• 60g chopped walnuts

Wash the orange and grate the zest. Set aside. Squizze orange juice, set aside. Melt the butter and set aside.
Chopp the walnuts and dates and set aside.

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

In a big bowl sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, orange zest and whisk them together. Set aside.

In a measuring jug whisk together the buttermilk, orange juice, egg, vanilla and melted butter.

Pour this mixture into dry ingredients, add the walnuts and dates. Mix all ingredients together just to combine them all. Do not over stir the batter.
Spoon the batter into baking cases. Bake for 20 min. Transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. Enjoy !

Orange and almond cupcakes

This time gluten free cupcakes. It is another cake recipe I used to make lovely cupcakes. The recipe comes from this website. Those cupcakes were very nice, a little bit chewy with strong orange flavour. I found them very tasty. I decorated them with small amount of buttercream, which I used to stick piece of Terry's orange chocolate. 

Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:

• 2 big oranges
• 5 eggs
• 250g sugar
• 200g ground almonds
• 1 tsp gluten free baking powder

Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered for 1 hour. The oranges have to be covered with water all the time. Drain the oranges and cool. THEY ARE VERY HOT. Cut them into smaller pieces, remove stones. Put the oranges into a blender and puree until smooth.  

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. 

Put the eggs and sugar into electric mixer bowl and beat them until pale and thick. Add the almonds, baking powder and orange pure and mix well. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases 2/3 full. Bake for 30 minutes, check after 20 minutes. They are ready when toothpick stick in the centre comes out clean. 

Leave them for 20 min in a baking tin to cool down then transfer them to a wire rack. 

While they cooling down you may prepare buttercream.

Ingredients for butter cream:

• 135g unsalted butter
• 100g icing sugar

In an electric mixer bowl put butter and beat until place and fluffy. Then gradually add icing sugar. 

When cupcakes are cooled down place small amount of butter cream on the top of each and stick piece of Terry's orange chocolate.

Enjoy !

 

Cinnamon muffins with orange

Recipe comes from this web site.

Ingredients for 8 muffins:

• 180g flour
• 50g butter
• 150g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp baking powder
• 40g cream
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Peel off the orange, set aside 8 pieces of orange, dice rest of them, put into bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line muffin tin with muffin cases.

Melt the butter, leave it to cool down. Put rest of the ingredients to the butter and whisk for a while. Gently fold in diced orange. Spoon the batter into muffin cases, put one piece of orange into each muffin. Bake for 30-35 min. Cool them down on wire rack, Enjoy !!