Mini barnbrack

I have nearly forgotten I have this recipe to publish. I have baked those muffins during Halloween time. If you try to make them  I promise you will enjoy them even now. Barnbrack is traditional Irish Halloween cake usually baked with some hidden surprises so people who find coin, ring etc..could foreseen their future. Anyway it's very tasty. Packed with dried fruits and spices served with butter... yum. The recipe comes form this website . 

 Ingredients for 12 barnbracks:

• 225g dried fruits (raisins and cranberries)
• 2 cups strong tea
• 55 ml warm milk
• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 2 tsp sugar
• 350g flour
• 80g sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 35g soft butter
• 1 tsp salt

 Fruits place in a bowl and cover with tea. Leave them to soak overnight or at least one hour.

Pour milk into a cup add yeast and sugar stir well and set aside for 10 minutes.

In a meantime put the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg into an electric mixer bowl and mix them until combined. Then make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture add egg, butter and salt. Knead with hook attachment for about 10 minutes. After that time dough should be smooth. 

Drain the fruits, chop them into smaller chunks. Add to the dough and knead until fruits are well incorporated. 

Transfer the dough into a bowl, cover with cling film and set aside for minimum an hour to rise. 

Grease muffin tin holes or round baking tin.

Transfer the dough on the worktop and knead it for a few minutes. Then divide into 12 pieces and place each dough ball into muffin tin hole. You can easily place whole piece of dough into round cake tin. Set aside to prove for 30 to 60 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes for muffins or 35 - 45 minutes for cake.

Serve sliced with butter and hot tea.

Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

Kiribath and pol pani

Kiribath ( milk rice) is a traditional Sinhalese dish served at almost all festivals, ceremonies and special occasions. Milk rice is creamy, has delicious richness from being cooked in coconut milk. It's usually served with sweet or sour additions. I am rather on the sweet side so prepared mine with pol pani, which is mixture of honey and coconut with plenty spices.  As this rice cooked in coconut milk it becomes creamy and sticky. It is easy to form it in different shapes. Traditionally is served cut into diamonds or squares. I put mine into silicone muffin cases, filled with pol pani and really enjoyed it. The kiribath recipe comes form my Sri Lankan friend Shiromi and pol pani she found for me on this web site.

While I am writing a tiny bit about Sri Lankan cuisine I would love to recommend you Bree Hutchins 'Hidden Kitchens of Sri Lanka' book. There are interesting stories about Sri Lankan regions, people who live there and type of food they eat. The book is packed with beautiful pictures and very interesting recipes. 

   

Ingredients for kiribath to fill 8 muffin cases:

• 200g basmati rice
• 350g water + 50 g to add later
• 250 ml coconut milk
• salt

 Wash the rice and place in a sauce pan. Pour in 350g water add some salt and cook stiring from time to time until the rice absorbs all the water. Taste the rice if you think it need more cooking or salt add additional 50g water and cook for few minutes longer. When cooked pour in the coconut milk. Cook longer stiring from time to time until the rice absorbs all the coconut milk. The rice should be moist and sticky.  

Here is the movie how to make kiribath.

While the rice is being cooked prepare pol pani.

Ingredients for pol pani:

• 150g golden syrup or honey
• 1 cardamon pod
• 1 clove
• 1/4 cinnamon stick
• 50g dessicated cococnut
• 1/2 vanilla stick
• 25g palm sugar

 Pour the golden syrup into a sauce pan. Add the cardamon, clove, cinnamon, sugar  and cook until sugar dissolves. Do not overcook as mixture will caramelize. Add the coconut and vanilla beans. Stir all well an set aside to cool down.

When the rice is cooked spoon the rice into silicone muffin cases. Press well to the bottom and make a well in the middle. Fill the well with pol pani and cover with remaining rice. Leave for a few minutes to set. Then turn upside down on the plate.  

Recipe in Polish.

Enjoy !

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. 

Mini pumpkin pie

Flaky pastry, made of wholewheat flour  with spicy, creamy pumpkin filling. 

Ingredients for pastry:

• 125 ml unsalted, cold butter
• 290 ml whole wheat flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Cold butter cut into small chunks and set aside for 30 minutes.

Put the flour, sugar, salt into a  bowl and mix all ingredients. Add the butter and  mix it with your fingers until the dough is a rough, crumbly texture.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg, water and lemon juice or vinegar. Then add it to the dough all at once, mixing until the dough comes together. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap into a foil and put into a fridge to chill for at least one hour. I kept mine in fridge overnight.

Remove the dough from the fridge about half an hour before rolling.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Dust a working surface with a flour. Remove the dough from the cling film. Break the dough with your fingers to make it workable then roll it until 3 milimiters thin. Cut 12 circles from the dough. The circles should be big enough to cover the bottom and sides of mini tart molds or ramekins. I used silicone mini tart mold. Place the dough circles into a molds and chill them in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Filling:

• 250 ml pumpkin pure
• 150 ml sweet condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 60 ml whipping cream
• 2 small eggs

To make the filling put the pumpkin pure, milk, spices, eggs and whipping cream in the electric mixer bowl and mix until smooth. Remove the dough form the fridge and pour the filling into each pastry shell. Bake into preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes. Bake until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is set. Cool the pies down and enjoy !

 

Pumpkin muffins

Those pumpkin muffins baked of wholewheat flour are very delicious. The cake itself was moist and dense with lovely cinnamon fragrance. The most tasty part was the crunchy crust made of cinnamon, sugar and almond flakes mixture. The idea for that recipe comes form this website. In comparison to the original recipe I have replaced plain flour with wholewheat one. Hoping this sweet treat will be a little bit healthier then regular pumpkin cake.

Ingredients for 6 muffins:

• 2 room temperature eggs
• 220g sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 200g grated fresh pumpkin
• 150g wholewheat flour

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

Grate the pumpkin into small shreds. Set aside.

Break the eggs and put them into electric mixer bowl. Add the sugar and beat until pale and creamy. In separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and cloves. Gently fold the dry ingredients into egg mixture. And last but not least fold in the pumpkin shreds. Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin cases, half full. Set them aside and prepare the crust.

Ingredients for crust:

• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 and 1/2 tbsp flaked almonds

Place all ingredients into a small bowl and stir them together.

Sprinkle each muffin top with dry crust.

Place the muffin tin into preheated oven  for 20 - 30 minutes. Check with a skewer if baked in the middle. When the skewer comes out clean then it is the time to remove muffins from the oven. Cool them down and enjoy !

 

Double chocolate avocado muffins

This recipe comes form the muffin tin mania blog.  It was interesting to find out that there is another person who is addicted to his muffin tin :). When I saw avocado in one of the recipes I have decided to try it out. When I tasted the muffins I was surprised not to taste any avocado. Personally I think hiding vegetables in a cakes is a brilliant way to introduce veggies to the children. I have to say my girls had no clue that something healthy is hiding inside their pudding. Those muffins were tasty, very chocolaty we really enjoyed them.

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 240 whole wheat flour
• 60g cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 medium -sized ripe avocado
• 210g maple syrup
• 175 ml milk
• 70g coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g chocolate chips
• 70g walnuts

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

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cloves, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, salt into a big bowl and whisk well.

Peel off the avocado, remove the stone and put into blender. Add the maple syrup, coconut oil* and vanilla and blend until smooth.

* coconut oil turn into butter in room temperature you have to meld it down to turn it back into liquid

Pour the wet ingredients into dry ones. Stir until just moist. Then fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into baking tin. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove form the oven and cool down a little bit.

Enjoy !

Gingerbread muffins with rum soaked prunes and chocolate icing

Very spicy a little bit dry cake with rum soaked prunes and chocolate on top. Have to say they were very tasty. Slightly different then traditional moist muffins  but good. The recipe comes form here.

Ingredients for 5 big muffins:

• 70g honey
• 40g butter
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg
• 50g icing sugar
• 1 tsp soda
• 200g flour
• 60ml milk
• 100g prunes
• rum

Put the prunes into a small bowl pour over the rum to cover all prunes a leave them for a few hours to soak.

Pour the honey, butter and spices into a sauce pan and heat up until the butter melts down. Stir well and set aside to cool down.

Drain and chop the prunes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Put the egg and sugar into an electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the baking soda into a sauce pan with honey and spices mixture. Stir in well. Pour this mixture into egg mixture. Mix gently. Gently fold in half of the flour, when combined add the milk and remaining  flour. At last but not at least gently fold in the prunes.

 

Spoon the batter into paper cases. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. When removed form the oven transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

Chocolate icing:

• 50g chocolate
• 1 tbsp butter
• sugar sprinkles (optional)

Melt the butter and chocolate in microwave or in a pan over a steaming water. When smooth spoon over each muffin top. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles. 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 :)  

Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins

Very moist, sweet, chocolate rich muffins. The recipe comes form this website.

Ingredients for 12-16 muffins:

• 195g flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 113g butter
• 200g white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 180 ml pumpkin pure *
• 175g chocolate chip 

* to make home made pumpkin pure check here

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

Place the butter and  sugar in an electric mixer bowl and cream them until white and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, soda and spices. Add half of the flour mixture and half of pumpkin pure into a batter in an electric mixer bowl. Whisk all ingredients together until well incorporated.  Then add the rest of the flour and pumpkin and combine all ingredients. At last, but not at least, gently fold in the chocolate chips. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier muffin cases, about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, check with tooth pick if baked in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave in baking tin for  a few minutes, then transfer to the wire rack to cool them down. Enjoy !

Spicy banana muffins with fudge and almonds

This is my last this season Christmas like theme muffins. Those muffins are very moisture, thick and extremely sweet. Not everybody will like them but I think they are quite tasty.

Ingredients for 6-8 muffins:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 220g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 30g vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp powdered cloves
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 80g dark muscovado sugar
• 150 ml buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 6 fudge candies
• almonds to sprinkle

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

Cut the fudge candies into smaller pieces.

In a big bowl mash the bananas, add the buttermilk and egg and stir well. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, sugar, spices. Pour the wet ingredients mixture into a bawl with dry ingredients. Mix them until all ingredients are combined. Do not over stir the mixture. Spoon the batter into paper cases, sprinkle top of each muffin with the fudge and almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until wooden stick picked in the middle of muffin comes out dry. Enjoy !