Ginger muffins with plums whole spelt flour and oats

This is very aromatic autumn recipe. The cake is spicy, moist and deliciously sweet wit sour bits of plums. The recipe comes from BBC GoodFood wall calendar. 

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 140g butter or margarine
• 100g brown sugar
• 100g golden syrup or honey
• 6 plums (about 250g)
• 140g whole spelt flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp crystallised ginger
• 85g oats
• 2 eggs

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

Put the butter, sugar and golden syrup into a sauce pan and heat it up until all ingredients melt together.

In a meantime chop the crystallised ginger and set aside.

Cut the plums into quarters. Set aside. 

When all ingredients are melted add the flour, baking powder, salt,, ginger, chopped ginger, oats and eggs. Stir all ingredients together until well combined. Spoon the batter into paper cases up to 3/4 full. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of batter.

On top of each muffin place chunks if plums.

Ingredients for the crumble:

• 25g flour
• 25g oats
• 2 tsp chopped ginger

 The flour, oats and ginger place in a small bowl add the remaining batter and stir well. Sprinkle over each muffin top. Mine crumble was too dry :(

 Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Recipe n Polish

 

Pear, walnuts and ginger muffins

Those muffins were delicious ! The cake itself was fluffy, light for me perfect. I think I will try to bake this cake again but this time plain. The ginger, per and nuts were lovely combination. Those muffins were packed with them. Although next time I would rather skip the ginger, it was little bit too spicy for me. Anyway you may expect to see this recipe again as I think this cake would be perfect with other fruits, nuts or chocolates. 

Ingredients for 12 - 14 standard size or     6 - 7 big muffins:

• 2 big pears
• 60g ginger from a jar*
• 250 g flour
• 2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 75g walnuts
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 100g butter or margarine
• 250 ml milk
• 100g white chocolate
• walnut halves for decoration

* I used ginger in vinegar, but it can be replaced with crystallized ginger  or ground ginger.

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

Peel the pears, remove cores. Chop the pears into small chunks.

Drain the ginger and chop into small chunks. Or if u use crystallized ginger just chop it. Add to the pears, stir and set aside.

Chop the walnuts and set aside. 

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder. Stir in the walnuts.If you use the ground ginger add it to the flour mixture.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add alternately the flour mixture, milk and soft margarine. When all ingredients added and batter is smooth stop the mixer. Then gently fold in the ginger and pear mixture. 

Spoon the batter into prepared earlier paper cases. Bake in preheated oven for  20 - 30 minutes until well risen. Remove form the tin to cool down. 

 While muffins cooling down melt the chocolate. Spread the melted chocolate over each muffin top and place half of walnut as a decoration.

Enjoy !

The 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. 

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 !

 

Apricot couscous cupcakes

Those dense, satisfying, tasty cupcakes appeared on my blog only because of my curiosity. When I found the recipe here I simply had to try it. I have never add couscous into a cake batter so I was really wander what comes out of this experiment.

Ingredients for 12-18 cupcakes:

• 50g dried apricotes
• 2 eggs
• 105g caster sugar
• 50g melted butter
• 155g couscous
• 155g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger

Put 110g of apricotes (50g for batter and 60g for frosting) into a pan and cover with water. Bring  to a boil and simmer for fifteen minutes. The apricotes should be plump.

Drain the water out. Keep the water to cook couscous.

Place the couscous in a bowl and pour over the apricots water add some boiling water to cover couscous completly and add some to have about 1 cm more water above the couscous. Set aside to bulk.

Put the cooked apricots in a blender and blend them until you have a pasty puree. 

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

Melet the butter and set aside to cool down. In a big bowl whisk the eggs and sugar until combined. Stir in the melted butter. Add the couscous, flour, baking powder, ginger and stir until just combined. Then stir in the apricot pure. Fill the cupcake liners to the top and bake for 20 minutes.

Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack to cool them completly before add the frosting.

Apricot frosting:

• 60g apricot pure
• 125g mascarpone
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• apricot chunks

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Spread over each cupcake top and sprinkle wit some apricot chunks. 

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 :)  

Gingerbread latte

Those cupcakes were very delicious. Gingerbread flavour, soft and rich cake with cinnamon and coffee butter cream. Perfect ! The recipe comes form 'Making cupcakes with Lola' cookbook.

Ingredients for 12-18 cupcakes:

• 120g golden syrup
• 120g black treacle
• 200g heavy cream
• 250g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 and 1/2 tbsp cocoa
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 135g butter
• 125g brown sugar
• 2 eggs

Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa, coffee, ginger, mixed spice, nutmeg, salt into a big bowl and set aside.

Put the golden syrup, black treacle and heavy cream into a sauce pan. Heat the ingredients up until they turn into liquid. Do  not  let the mixture to boil.

Into an electric mixer bowl put the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

In a meantime preheat the oven to 180C. line muffin tin with paper cases.

When the butter and sugar turn into fluffy mixture add the eggs one at the time beating continuously. When the eggs well incorporated add half of the flour mixture and half of wet ingredients mixture beat until all ingredients combined and repeat with remaining ingredients. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases about 3/4 full. Bake about 25 minutes. When ready remove form the oven and keep for a while in muffin tin then transfer to wire rack to cool down completely.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 120g soft butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g icing sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• mixture of 2 tsp instant coffee and 1/2 tsp boiling water and  1 tsp cinnamon

Place the butter into an electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Then add the vanilla extract and sugar (reduce the mixer speed otherwise your kitchen will be dusted with sugar) and beat until well incorporated. The add the milk and increase the speed to high. 

In a meantime put the instant coffee, cinnamon and boiling water into a small bowl and combine them with a spoon until they turn into a thick mixture. When the butter cream is ready add thick mixture and beat until is well incorporated. 

Put the butter cream on top of each cupcake. 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 !

Chocolate and ginger muffins

Those muffins were really delicious, moist, chocolaty with hint of ginger. I baked them in large muffin cups so I was not stress that I ate more then one at a time :). Chocolate and ginger muffins recipe, slightly changed by myself, comes form 'Easy muffins' cookbook.

Ingredients for 6 big or 12 standard size muffins:

• 225g flour
• 55g cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• pinch of salt
• 50g chocolate chips
• 115g dark muscovado sugar
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 eggs
• 225 ml milk
• 85g melted butter

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

Melt the butter and set aside to cool it down.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, ground ginger and sugar into a big bowl and whisk together. Then stir in the chocolate chips.

In separate bowl whisk the eggs whit fork and stir in the minced ginger.

Into the dry ingredients bowl pour the egg mixture, milk and melted butter. Combine all ingredients. Do not over - stir them. 

Spoon the batter into baking cups. Bake for 20 minutes until well risen and baked in the middle. Insert the  toothpick into the cake to check if it comes out clean. Leave the muffins into baking tins for a while then transfer them to wire rack to cool down a little bit.

Those muffins are tasty when warm and cooled 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 !

 

Gingerbread man muffins

This recipe comes from 'Cake days. Recipes to make every day special. The hummingbird bakery.'

Ingredients for 18 muffins:

• 140g unsalted butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 60g black treacle
• 60g golden syrup
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 310g flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 240 ml hot milk

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases. This time I had silicone muffin cases so there was no need for muffin tin and greasing.

Sift the flour, spices, baking powder into a big bowl and whisk them together. Put the  butter and sugar into electric mixer bowl and beat them until white and fluffy. Then add the golden syrup, black treacle, eggs and egg yolks. Beat them until all ingredients well incorporated. In a meantime heat up the milk. 

To the mixture in the electric mixer bowl add alternately the hot milk and dry ingredients mixture. Pour the batter into muffin cases 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Leave them in muffin cases fro a while after baking then transfer to the wire rack. Muffins have to be cooled down before decorating them.

Ingredients for frosting:

•  600g icing sugar
• 100g soft butter
• 200g Philadelphia cream cheese
• sugar, chocolate sprinkles

Put butter and icing sugar into electric mixer bowl and beat on low speed until sandy.  Add cheese and beat until soft and fluffy.

With a spoon, knife spread the frosting over muffins' tops and sprinkle with sprinkles. Enjoy !

Ginger and lemon muffins coated with lemon icing

These muffins are just perfect :). Spongy, moisture, with lemon aroma .. yummy. Ginger and lemon muffins recipe comes from this website but lemon icing was my idea. They are easy to make but a little bit time consuming and electric mixer is recommended.

Ingredients for 12-15 muffins:

• 300g flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 220g sugar, divided into 60 g and 160 g
• 4 tbsp minced ginger
• 100g unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 175 ml plain yogurt
• juice and zest form one lemon

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

In a bowl whisk together the flour, soda and salt, set aside.

In a sauce pan heat over medium temperature 60g of sugar, minced ginger. If the mixture is too thick you may add 1 tbsp water. Stir and cook until sugar is melted and ginger is soft. Remove from the heat and add lemon zest. Set aside.

In electric mixer bowl beat up butter on medium speed and gradually beat in remining sugar. When the mixture is fluffy add egg one at a time. Continue to beat at a low speed for about 2 minutes. Then add yogurt, lemon juice and ginger mixture.  At last, but not at least, add the flour with soda and salt. Ready batter spoon into paper cases 3/4 hight. Bake for 20 min until well risen and golden on the top.When ready leave them for a while to cool in the baking tin, then move them to the wire rack.

Ingredients for lemon icing:

• 4 heaped tbsp icing sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp hot water
• some sprinkles to sprinkle

Place the icing sugar and lemon juice into a bowl and combine them with a spoon. If the mixture is too thick add  hot water. Pour this mixture over muffins' tops and sprinkle.