Chocolate muffins with nuts, fruits ...

Interesting recipe. Chocolate cupcakes which can be topped up with anything you like. I have already made them with apricots. This time I sprinkled them with granola, almond flakes and cranberries. They are delicious. 

Ingredients for 12 -14 muffins:

• 200g flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100g chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 1 mug of buttermilk
• 125 ml oil
• granola, almond flakes, cranberries and whatever else you would like to put on top 

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

Grate the chocolate and put into a bowl. Add flout, baking powder, cocoa and stir well. 

In separate bowl whisk eggs with sugar until pale and creamy. Add buttermilk and oil and stir well. 

Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones. Mix them all until just combined. Spoon the batter into paper cases. Sprinkle with granola, nuts and cranberries. Bake in preheated oven 20 - 25 minutes.

Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish 

Malted chocolate cupcakes

Lovely, chocolaty with a hint of malt cupcakes. Truly recommend them.The recipe comes from "Cake days. Recipes to make everyday special. The hummingbird bakery".

Ingredients for 12 - 16 cupcakes:

• 150ml oil
• 75 ml milk
• 75 ml buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 240g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 330g caster sugar
• 150 ml boiling water

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

Pour the oil, milk, buttermilk, egg and vanilla into an electric mixer bowl and mix until just combine.

In separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Sift about 1/3 of this mixture into a wet ingredients and whisk them. Then add 1/3 of boiling water and mix again. repeat until use all ingredients.

Spoon the batter into paper cases. Bake in preheated oven for 20 -25 minutes. When ready set aside to cool down. Prepare the frosting.

Frosting:

• 200g dark chocolate
• 240 ml double cream
• 115g malted - milk powder
• 50g soft cheese like Philadelphia
• 35g caste sugar
• Malteasers to decorate

 

 Melt the chocolate ether over the boiling water pot or in microwave. Set aside.

Pour the double cream into an electric mixer bowl add the malted - milk powder and whisk until stiffens. In separate bowl whisk the cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add melted chocolate and mix. Then add whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Frosting is very rich and creamy. Spread the frosting over each cupcake and decorate with Malteasers.

Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Jam doughnut muffins

Easy to make recipe for vanilla muffins filled with jam. They are delicious and taste like doughnuts. The recipe comes form here.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 300g self - rising flour
• 160g sugar
• 80 ml oil
• 1 egg
• 175 ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• jam

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

In a big bowl mix the flour and sugar. In separate bowl mix the oil, egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients mixture into a dry ones. Mix until just combined. 

Spoon about one table spoon of batter into prepared earlier muffin case, then add about 1 tea spoon of jam, cover with batter. Repeat until use all batter.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Baked muffins place on wire rack to cool down. In a meantime prepare frosting.

Frosting:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp milk

Mix until turn into thick paste. Pour over each muffin.

 Enjoy !

Polish translation

German chocolate cupcakes

This is Ina Garten's recipe for German chocolate cupcakes . As usually cupcakes were divine. Spongy, chocolate cake with lovely rich custard frosting packed with coconut, almonds and pecans. I truly recommend it to everybody.

Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:

• 170g butter
• 150g sugar
• 120g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 125 ml sour cream
• 2 tbsp freshly brewed coffee
• 295g flour
• 41g coca powder (should be twice that much but I haven't got more in the cupboard)
• 1 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

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

Place the flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt in a bowl and whisk them together.  In a separate bowl whisk the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.

Butter, sugar and brown sugar beat in an electric mixer until fluffy for about 5 minutes. Add one egg at a time. When egg are well incorporated add the vanilla extract. Then beating continuously add alternately the flour and buttermilk mixture in three additions. 

Spoon the batter into prepared paper cases, 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Transfer baked cupcakes into a wire rack to cool down. In a meantime prepare the frosting.

Frosting ingredients:

• 170g butter
• 410g evaporated milk
• 230 g brown sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 135g dessicated coconut
• 100g almond flakes
• 50g chopped pecans
• 1/4 tsp salt

 Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in the milk, brown sugar and egg yolks. Heat this mixture up stirring continuously. Cook for 15 minutes until thickens. Set aside from the heat and add the vanilla extract and almond essence. Then stir in the coconut, almond, pecans and salt. Set aside for an hour to cool the mixture down.

Spread the mixture over each cupcake top.

 Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

 

Date and bran muffins

Moist, dense, packed with fibre, sweet muffins. The batter has to be prepared day ahead. So in the morning you can easily bake them, without preparation mess. Easy to make, healthy ... what else to say.. juts give them a try.

Recipe comes form "The Australian Women's Weekly. Muffins"

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 185g flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon  
• 110g caster sugar
• 105g wheat bran
• 120g chopped dates
• 125 ml oil
• 375 ml buttermilk
• 1 egg

Put all ingredients into a bowl, stir them until all combined. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning. Preheat the oven to 200C.

Line with paper cases or slightly grease the muffin.

Spoon the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. When ready remove form the oven set aside for a few minutes to cool the muffins down and enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Sun - dried tomato, basil and parmesan muffins

Today savoury muffins. This time with addition of sun - dried tomatoes, basil and Parmesan cheese. They were very aromatic, tasty. Although a little bit to dry for me. I have sliced them in half and served with fresh tomato and basil with thin shaving of Parmesan, as a kind of sandwich. To make them look nice I have baked them in this big cardboard muffin cases. I was happy with the presentation but the portion size was too big for me. I would recommend to bake them in mini muffin baking tin. The it would be easier to serve them and shouldn't be too dry. Anyway they were tasty and I think you will find them nice. The recipe comes form here.

Ingredients for 6 big or 12 standard size muffins:

• 140g wholegrain flour
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly grated black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 60g melted and cooled butter
• 90g sun - dried tomatoes
• 30g grated Parmesan + some for garnish
• 5 g fresh basil

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

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Chop the tomatoes and basil and set aside. Great the Parmesan and set aside. 

Mix the flours, baking powder, salt, pepper and set aside.

In separate jug mix the eggs and buttermilk. Pour this mixture into a bowl with dry ingredients add the melted butter and stir until just combined. Then add the Parmesan, tomatoes and basil. Fold them in gently. 

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cases. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake for   20 - 25 minutes until well risen. Transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. They are the best served with fresh, juicy tomatoes and basil leaves. 

 Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Caramelized onion muffins

Although caramelized onion muffins are rather savoury ones they taste sweet thanks to the onion. They are soft, dense a little bit moist and packed with  caramelized onion bits. The best when baked in small muffin cases just for two, three bites. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins'

Caramelized onions:

• 3 medium size onions
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar

Chop the onion finely. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until beginning to soften (about 3 minutes). Then stir in the sugar and the vinegar. Cook for further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Remove form the heat and set aside to cool.

Ingredients for 12 - 18 muffins:

• 5 tbsp oil
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 280g flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• salt and pepper

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

 Whisk the eggs add the oil and buttermilk and mix them well. 

In separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Pour in the wet ingredients mixture and add the onion mixture reserving 4 teaspoons for topping. Stir gently until combined, do not over - mix.

Spoon the batter into muffin cases about 3/4 full. Sprinkle with remaining onion mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until well risen. 

Serve warm or cooled down.

Enjoy ! 

Recipe in Polish.

Gingerbread and banana muffins

Today I would like to present gingerbread and banana muffins. They were really good, moist, dense, spicy .... in my opinion they were just perfect. I have decorated them with white frosting, the same which is used to decorate gingerbread cookies. For additional spice I have sprinkled them with chopped crystallized ginger. What is worth to mention those muffins are egg free and they contain some wholewheat flour. The recipe comes form this website. 

Ingredients for 12 - 16 muffins *:

• 130g wholewheat flour
• 175g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of nutmeg
• 90g Dark Muscovado sugar
• 3 bananas (about 275g mashed bananas)
• 145g black treacle
• 112g buttermilk
• 4 tbsp canola oil

* I have baked mine in muffin cases and cardboard molds.

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

In a big bowl mix together the flours, baking powder, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside.

With a fork mash the bananas. Add the sugar, black treacle, buttermilk, canola oil and mix until smooth. 

Pour the wet ingredients into a bowl with dry ones. Mix until all ingredients just combined. Spoon the batter into paper cases, about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Check with skewer. If skewer inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean the cake is ready. 

Transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

In a meantime prepare the frosting. 

Frosting:

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• chopped crystallized ginger

Place the egg white and icing sugar in a bowl and stir with spoon until smooth and white. Drizzle over each cooled down muffin. Then sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger. 

Pumpkin muffins

This is the last pumpkin muffin recipe in this pumpkin season. I didn't want to bake any pumpkin cakes but I had remaining of pumpkin pure and I found Anna Olson recipe which I wanted to try. Muffin were tender, springy in touch, moist and spicy.

Ingredients for 6 - 9 muffins:

• 65g wholewheat flour
• 50g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
•  1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 190g pumpkin pure
• 60g brown sugar
• 75g buttermilk
• 1 egg white
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp canola oil

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

In a big bowl combine the flours, baking powder, soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice and set aside.

In separate bowl stir together the pumpkin pure, sugar, buttermilk, egg white and canola oil. Pour this mixture into a bowl with dry ingredients. Combine all ingredients until just moist.

Spoon the batter into paper cases up to 3/4 full. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes. When baked transfer to a wire rack to cool down.

Enjoy !

Chocolate muffins with apricots

Those muffins look very pretty: dark cake, orange fruit and white icing. Lovely combination of colours I hope you will share my opinion. This is my favorite type of cake, light and fluffy, not too sweet and, thanks to fruits content, little bit sour. The recipe a little bit change by me comes from this website.  I tried to make them healthier so plain flour was replaced by wholemeal one. 

Ingredients for 16 muffins:

• 200g wholemeal flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100g grated dark chocolate
• 3 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 125 ml canola oil
• 8 fresh apricots
• almond flakes

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

Grate the chocolate on finely shreds and place them in the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa and mix them well. Set aside.

Break the eggs into separate jug add the sugar and whisk until pale and creamy. Add the buttermilk and oil and mix well. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients bowl. Combine until all ingredients are just moist.

Spoon the batter into muffin cases, half full.

before baking

On top of each muffin place half of apricot, sprinkle with almond flakes. 

 

Bake in  preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes. Until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

When ready remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.

In a meantime prepare the icing.

Incing:

• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tbsp milk

Place all ingredients in small bowl and combine with a spoon or fork until smooth and thick.

Spread the icing on top of each muffin.

 

Enjoy !

Honey and lemon muffins

Very tasty, fluffy cake, packed with fibre. Perfect snack on breakfast to go. And of course easy to make. The recipe comes form 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 50g sugar
• 25g butter
• 150ml buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 lemon
• 225g flour
• 75g bran or wheat bran (I used wheat bran)
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp baking powder

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

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down. Put the sugar into a big bowl stir in the cooled butter. The pour in the buttermilk, break in the eggs and add honey and freshly great lemon zest. Mix all the ingredients together. 

In separate bowl whisk together the flour, bran and baking powder. Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until just moist.

Spoon the batter into muffin tin, 3/4 full. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

While the muffins are still in the oven prepare the lemon and honey glaze.

Ingredients for lemon and honey glaze:

•  2 tbsp honey
• freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place the honey and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix them together until combined. 

Drizzle this mixture over each muffin top while they still hot.

Enjoy !

Blackberry streusel muffins

Tasty, not too sweet, spongy cake filled with zesty fruits, sprinkled with aromatic streusel topping.  Very delicious mixture of flavours, perfect addition to cup of tea. The recipe comes from 'The Australian Women's Weekly. Muffins'.

 

 Ingredients for 12 standard or 6 extra large muffins:

• 300g self-rising flour (or 300g plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder)
• 170g frozen blackberries
• 1 medium size apple
• 150g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 80 ml canola oil
• 80 ml buttermilk

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

Peel of the apple and great the apple coarsely. Set aside.

Sift the flour into a big bowl add the sugar and whisk. Then stir in the apple chunks and frozen blackberries. 

In separate jug whisk the eggs, then add the canola oil and buttermilk and whisk again.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and combine them all until just moist.

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin tin and set aside. Prepare the streusel topping.

Ingredients for the streusel topping:

• 50g flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp all spice or cinnamon
• 30g butter

 Place all the ingredients into a small bowl and rub between your fingers. When crumbly sprinkle it over each muffin top.

Bake the muffin about 20 minutes until well risen and golden.

Remove form oven and let them cool for a good few minutes. They are very tasty when worm but the fruits inside are very hot just after baking.

Enjoy !