Just Peachy Blueberry Muffins ... with Coconut Sugar!

A. These are my new favorite muffins. (My least favorite muffin is the one topping my waistband.)

B. If you've never tried coconut sugar before, it's time.

C. There is no C, but it just looked better.


OK...here's the deal. I'd never baked with coconut sugar before these muffins. I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about it, so when this Organic Coconut Palm Sugar from Wholesome!™ arrived on my doorstep, I was excited to try it!


Coconut sugar doesn't taste at all like coconuts...and it doesn't look like traditional sugar. Both of those things surprised me. Coconut sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut palm tree flower. (Sounds so fancy.)  Right out of the bag, it looks a little like crushed graham crackers.


[Note: I know Wholesome!™ is changing packaging right now, so the coconut sugar package in your store may look a little different than it does in my picture.]

The most important question here...how do the muffins taste? I'm so glad you asked. The muffins are moist, and full of fresh summer flavors of peaches and blueberries. Coconut sugar adds a depth of flavor here, a toastiness that is so warm and comforting. It's a taste almost like if you put a graham cracker in a toaster for a minute or so. While they’re baking, your kitchen will smell divine!

(Someone invent a peach-blueberry-coconut-sugar-muffin scented candle pronto!)


These babies had been out of the oven for all of 20 minutes and we'd eaten half of the batch. Yeah, they're good.

Of course, they’re perfect for breakfast…or a snack, but how about packing some along on that summer road trip?


Peachy Blueberry Muffins
{makes 12 muffins}

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup Wholesome!™ Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup diced peaches (divided)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and coconut sugar together for a few minutes until well combined.

Meanwhile, place the 1/2 cup diced peaches and lemon juice in a blender. Process until smooth.

Add the eggs to the mixer one at a time, and blend, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the peach puree.

On low speed, add in the flour in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the flour. Mix just until combined.


Fold in the blueberries and 1/3 cup diced peaches.

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and the tops bounce back when lightly touched. Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with or without butter.


*This post was sponsored by Wholesome!™. All opinions and recipes are my own.*

oil-free chocolate banana muffins

This is my second attempt at baking these oil free chocolate banana muffins. In fact, I made them before baking the oil-free chocolate chiffon cake which I posted earlier. The first attempt was not that successful as the texture of the muffins was a little dense with a slight kueh-like texture.

I am not sure whether I had deflated the batter or was it due to the type of cocoa powder I used. I had ran out of Valrhona dutch processed cocoa powder so I used natural cocoa powder.

I tried making these muffins again right after I got hold of the Valrhona cocoa powder. The second batch turns out really well.

Unlike the usual muffin-method or creaming method, the batter is prepared just like making a sponge cake, that is, beating whole eggs with sugar before adding the liquid and flour mixture.

These delicious muffins were soft and moist even though they were made without any oil. As stated in the cookbook, 好吃不发胖低卡甜点, each muffin is 132 kcal compared to 197 kcal for a similar one made with oil. Once again this recipe shows that it is possible to enjoy homemade goodies which are lower in calories without having to compromise on the taste and texture.




Oil-free Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes 8)

100g cake flour
30g cocoa powder (I used dutch-processed valrhona cocoa powder)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs, room temperature
70g caster sugar (I used 60g)
150g banana, mashed
50ml milk (I used low fat fresh milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon rum

Method:

• Sieve together cake flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Sieve the flour mixture twice and set it aside.
• Place eggs and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, whisk the mixture at medium-high speed till it becomes thick, pale and triple in volume. This should take about 5 to 6 mins. The batter should leave a ribbon like trail when the whisk/paddle is lifted. Turn to low speed, and beat for another 1~2 mins. This is to stablise the air bubbles in the batter. 
• Add in the mashed banana and Fold in with a spatula. 
• Add in the milk, vanilla extract and rum (do not pour in one spot, instead, gently drizzle over to prevent from deflating the batter). Fold in with a spatula, do not stir.
• Sieve over the flour mixture in 3 separate additions. Each time Fold in the flour carefully with a spatula, making sure there is no pockets of flour being trapped at the bottom of the bowl. Do not stir the batter with the spatula, it will cause the batter to deflate. 
• Spoon batter into paper muffin cups to about 90% full.
• Bake in preheated oven at 180 degC for 15mins or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out almost clean.

Recipe source: adapted from 好吃不发胖低卡甜点 by 茨木くみ子

an easy crowd pleaser

I made these easy muffins for my younger child's school outing yesterday. He was supposed to bring sandwiches but we would need to be out the whole morning, I thought it was not a good idea to let sandwiches go without refrigeration for hours especially in hot weather. Upon checking with the organisers, he told me it would be ok to bring muffins instead.

I would love to bake a batch of our favourite blueberry muffins but I decided to opt for a guaranteed crowd pleaser...chocolate-chocolate chips muffins :)

Most chocolate flavoured muffin recipes which I have came across seem to use quite a substantial amount of sugar and fat. I believe they would yield really moist and rich chocolate crumbs, but I prefer something lighter and yet taste as moist and chocolatey. I played around with my usual 'go-to' muffin recipe, substituting a few tablespoons of the flour with cocoa powder and used an extra tablespoon of sugar so that the muffins wouldn't turn out too bitter-sweet.

The result was indeed very satisfactory. The muffins turn out moist and tender despite using less sugar and oil. I guess the yoghurt really works wonders as a great substitute for butter and oil in baking muffins and cakes. The sweetness was just right for us and I love the chocolatey flavour which was further enhanced by the chocolate chips. Just like any easy muffin recipes, these muffins took me no time to prepare. The most important thing was, I didn't have to worry about my boy returning home with a box of leftovers ;)



Double Chocolate Chips Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes 15 small muffins)

240g plain yoghurt (I used low fat yoghurt)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons canola or corn oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
230g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
120g* caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
50g~60g mini chocolate chips

*note: use extra 1~2 tablespoons more sugar if you prefer it to be sweeter


Method:

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yoghurt, lightly beaten egg, oil, vanilla extract until just combined.
• Sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into another mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt and whisk to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. Do Not over mix. (Note: stop stirring once the flour incorporates into the batter, but do check that there is no pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl). 
• Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Do Not over mix the batter. The finished batter should appear thick and lumpy.
• Spoon batter into paper muffin cups, fill it to about 3/4 full.
• Bake in preheated oven at 190degC for about 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with a few crumbs or almost clean (do not over bake). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

pizza in a cuppa

I don't know what has got into me when I googled using the key words 'pizza muffins'.

I have some left over cheese, ham and pineapples after making a seafood pizza and a hawaiian pizza. Not knowing what to do with the leftover ingredients, I surfed the net for recipe ideas. Nothing much inspires me when I searched using the words such as 'ham and pineapple'. A silly thought suddenly came to my mind and I typed 'pizza muffins' in the search box. I wasn't expecting anything at all...but to my surprise, pizza muffins is actually nothing new!

It took me no time to decide on this Hawaiian pizza muffins by Donna Hay since I have most of the ingredients on hand. I halved the recipe and adapted it slightly as I needed to substitute a couple of the ingredients.

These delicious savoury muffins smell just like pizzas when they are baking in the oven! They are great for afternoon snacks and certainly a great way to use up any left over pizza ingredients :)


Hawaiian Pizza Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes 9)

225g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs (optional)
105g grated cheddar (divide into 60g and 45g portion)
100g ham, chopped
100g chopped pineapple, drained
80ml vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I replaced with 2 tablespoons pasta sauce)
1 egg
120ml milk

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Sieve flour, baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add salt, mixed herbs (if using), 60g of the grated cheese, ham and pineapple, mix to combine. 
• Place the oil, tomato paste (I used pasta sauce), egg and milk in a bowl and whisk to combine. 
• Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, with a spatula mix until just combined. 
• Spoon into 1/3 cup-capacity (80ml) paper muffin cups and sprinkle top with remaining cheese. 
• Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. These muffins are best served freshly baked. Any leftovers can be stored in air tight containers. Warm them in the oven before serving. 

Recipe source: adapted from Donna Hay.

my green tea experiment

I made these blueberry and green tea muffins just so to used up some sweet blueberries and to try the matcha powder I bought during our trip to Jeju Island last december.

I bought the matcha powder from Osulloc tea museum in Jeju. It was a very nice and beautiful place! When I first came across pictures of this tea farm while I was planning for our self drive trip, I told myself I had to include it in our itinerary.

Even though it was a very hectic day covering the Cheonjiyeon Falls (one of the three famous water falls in Jeju); having a fun tim at the Alive Museum; a leisurely walk on the natural volcanic rocks along the magnificent Yeongmeori coast; we were glad to be able to make a pit stop at this lovely tea plantation. I didn't take any photos inside the museum and cafe as I was busy loading the shopping basket with tea leaves and souvenirs. It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was really crowded with locals. Since we were slightly behind time, we didn't sit down to try the famous green tea rolls at the museum cafe :'( We compensate with take-out green tea ice cream to enjoy while we walked around the museum compound. I also spent some time picking up Innisfree skin care products for my teenager's troubled skin. What to do, this mummy has made herself to believe that those products made with natural volcanic minerals will help her son to achieve flawless, blemish free skin just like the brand's ambassador, Lee Min Ho. Yes, there's a Innisfree house (store cum cafe) within the Osulloc tea museum. Do drop by this tea museum if you plan to visit Jeju Island, especially if you are a fan of green tea ;)

Now back to my baking lab. To minimise shortfalls, I used my all time favourite blueberry muffins recipe as base and added some matcha powder. Nothing too adventurous actually, but it was the first time I had tried match-making blueberries with green tea. A rather bold move coming from someone who has very low tolerance for any kitchen failures.

The recipe is so easy and straight forward that I was rewarded with a tray of sweet smelling homemade muffins within an hour.

The muffins domed and cracked beautifully...and...

they neither look weird nor taste odd as oppose to what I had imagined earlier.

The texture was...'muffin-perfect'...airy, coarse crumbs which tasted soft, fluffy, moist and wholesome. Thanks to my baking friend's heads up, the blueberries from the local supermarket were very sweet, and, whats more, they were on discount. I am sure gonna grab some more on my next trip to the store. It is a pity that the matcha flavour was a little on the subtle side (for me). Its presence was not so prominent but not to the extend of not being able to taste the unique green tea flavour. I didn't want to add too much matcha powder for fear that it will cause the muffins to come out dry. The blueberries and green tea goes well together, it is not a hit nor a miss. These muffins are certainly worth giving it a go if you were to develop a sudden muffin-crave and you happened to have all the ingredients on hand :)



Matcha Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients
(makes 12 regular size muffins)

240ml plain yogurt (regular or low fat)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
60ml canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1 tablespoon matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
100g granulated white sugar
100g fresh or frozen blueberries


Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lightly beaten egg, oil and vanilla extract until just combined.
2. Sieve flour, matcha green tea powder, baking powder and baking soda into another mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt and whisk to combine.
3. Remove 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss it with the blueberries (Note: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them).
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined (Note: stop stirring once the flour incorporates into the batter, but do check that there is no large pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl). Gently stir in the blueberries. Do Not over mix the batter. The finished batter should appear thick and lumpy.
5. Spoon batter into paper muffin cups, fill it to about 3/4 full.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 190degC for about 20 - 25mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Recipe source: adapted from Joy of Baking.

not so mini

I stumbled upon these lovely mini corn dog muffins over at Stephanie's macaroni and cheesecake food blog when I was looking for finger food to prepare for my guests when they came over for a get-together dinner.

Those cute little muffins were baked in mini muffin pans. However, I don't even own a regular muffin pan, let alone mini ones. Since I am not ready to head down to the nearest baking supply shop to get one, I improvised with my usual small paper muffin cups. I did a test batch and the muffins turned out great! While they are not as mini as those featured on Stephanie's blog, they certainly are small enough to serve as finger food. The muffins came out perfect when I removed them from the paper cups. They looked really close to those from the original recipe.

These muffins are the results of an ingenious combination of cornbread with a hotdog bite inserted in the centre, a much healthier version than the regular fried corn dogs. The Bob's Red Mill fine grind cornmeals I used gave the muffins a gritty texture. I pretty enjoy the grainy, nutty texture in each bite but it didn't really appeal to my younger child. He finished up the corn bread portion first and saved the hotdog bite for last (^^"). The muffins are served with ketchup or mustard as dipping sauce, they taste delicious when freshly baked, but you can always made them ahead and store in airtight container in the fridge. Simply warm them in the oven and they will be just as good.

Even though these were perfect finger food, I didn't make any for my year end dinner party. I had to strike it off from my list as there were already more than enough food to serve. However, I did manage to get a chance later on to bake a batch to give away to my baking friend. I am looking forward to baking another batch real soon :)

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes about 12 small muffins)

65g plain flour
75g yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
50g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
85g plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 hotdogs, cut into 1" size


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degC.
2. Sieve flour and baking soda into a mixing bowl. Add in cornmeal and salt. With a balloon whisk, whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. Place sugar and melted butter in another mixing bowl, whisk with the ballon whisk to combine. Add in eggs and whisk until incorporated. Add in yoghurt, milk and vanilla extract, stir to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl of the dry ingredients. With a spatula, stir the mixture until just incorporated, the batter will appear lumpy, do not over mix.
5. Fill each small paper muffin cup with batter to about 3/4 full (about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of batter). Place one hot dog in the center of each muffin cup vertically. Arrange filled muffin cups on a baking tray.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until muffins are golden brown. Remove muffins from oven and leave to cool on cooling rack.
7. Remove muffins from paper cups. Serve with ketchup or mustard for dipping if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm the muffins in the oven before serving.

Recipe source: adapted from macaroni and cheesecake

muffins with a little power

I have not been consistent in keeping up with my blog lately. As much as I wanted to put up a blog post at least once a week, somehow life gets in the way. I am more than happy that the one month school holidays is finally over, I am able to do a lot more when the kids are in school :)

I don't want to bore you with yet another post on muffins, but pardon my lack of skills and creativity, I do not have talents to go beyond baking the usual muffins and simple cakes!

These plain jane muffins are neither eye catching or looks mouth watering...but, they certainly are worthy of my calories...

Sometime back, my baking friend has kindly given me a pack of Chia Seeds...something which I have not heard of before I hit the search button. These tiny seeds is packed with a wealth of nutrients and minerals and is also a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fibre. When combined with water, the fiber in chia seed will cause it to swell up to form a layer of gel around it, which is known as chia gel. So if you eat chia seeds or chia gel (chia seeds soaked in liquid or any beverage), it will keep you full (so that you will eat less) making it very nutritious and healthy for your diet. Because of this gel-like property in chia seeds, it can easily be used in baking to act as a binder or thickener and can be used as a good substitute for eggs. The nutritional value of any meals, beverage or baked goods can be easily enhanced with just a sprinkle of chia seed.

Hope you are convinced by now that these plain-janes are worth a lot more than their appearance. Besides chia seed, I have also packed in banana and walnuts into each of these little cuppies.

These wholesome muffins are soft and tender with just the right sweetness. I really like the interesting combination of texture of the soft, fluffy crumbs with the walnuts and nutty chia seeds. Chia seed is actually tasteless, but I like the crunch it offers when each bite. Besides vanilla extract, I have also added some rum (it was the first time I am using rum in baking), but guess the amount was too little (only half a teaspoon) for me to be able to detect its presence. I was really hesitant as I wasn't sure whether it would be too strong a flavour for my kids, will be more generous the next time.



Banana Walnut Chia Seeds Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes 8 muffins)

150g cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
50g caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
50g vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large over ripped bananas, roughly mashed
50g walnuts, coarsely chopped, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon chia seeds


Method:

1. Sieve flour and baking powder, set aside.
2. Roughly mash bananas with a fork.
3. Place sugar, eggs in a mixing bowl. Whisk with a balloon whisk to combine.
4. Add in oil, vanilla extract, whisk to combine.
5. Add in mashed banana, stir with a spatula to combine.
6. Add in chopped walnuts, chia seeds and sieve over the flour mixture, stir with spatula until just incorporated. DO NOT Overmix. The batter should appear lumpy.
7. Spoon batter into paper muffin cups, fill to ¾ full.
8. Bake in preheated oven at180degC for 25mins until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack, leave to cool completely.

not my everyday muffins

These are not your everyday muffins.

They are uji matcha or green tea muffins topped with mini chocolate chips...

made, not by the usual 'muffin method' of mixing the dry with the wet ingredients, but by creaming butter and sugar...

and, there's a little surprise in each of these delicious cuppies...

what's the surprise?! A ball of cream cheese in the middle!

Well, the cream cheese is meant to be in the middle, but mine was too close to the top ;)

I didn't blame myself as I did follow the instruction closely, that is, to fill the muffin cups to half full before adding the cream cheese balls. I believe if I were to fill it to 1/3 full, the cream cheese would be right there in the middle. It also turns out that the cream cheese became tapered and not round like a ball. I think it has to do with my shaping. I am not complaining, since there is a 'heart' in every one of those muffins ;) I have taken the recipe from a cookbook ' Home Baking 星期天的烘焙时光' (loosely translated as: Home Baking on a Sunday). My baking friend suggested that I could try out this recipe after I told her I have some left over cream cheese from the matcha cheesecake tart. I am so glad I heeded her advice!

These aren't my everyday muffins. They're indulgent!

The texture is tender, moist, much softer and lighter than a slice of pound cake. I guess they taste just like cupcakes, minus the frosting. There is also a good balance of flavours...matcha, cream cheese and chocolate...each having its own distintive taste, yet, with not one flavour overpowering any of the others. What can I say? Every bite is a delight!

Oh, before I forget, they taste really good when freshly baked! So, if want to give this a try, do plan ahead, you won't regret enjoying them with your morning or afternoon cup of tea, warm and fresh from the oven :)


I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #30: it's Tea time! (April 2013) hosted by Food Playground.




Matcha Green Tea Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes 10, muffin cup size: diameter 6cm top, 4.5cm bottom, ht 3.5cm)


150g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
15g icing sugar

85g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
145g cake flour
5g matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1g salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
80g milk
some mini chocolate chips


Method:

• With a wooden spoon or a spatula, mix cream cheese in a mixing bowl still smooth. Add in icing sugar, mix to combine. Divide the mixture into 10 portions (about 15-16g each). Shape each into round balls. Leave to chill in fridge.
• Place butter in a mixing bowl, beat with a balloon whisk or an electric mixer till smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture turns pale, light and fluffy.
• Gradually add in the egg, little by little, whisking after each addition. 
• Sieve over the flour, matcha powder and baking powder. Fold with a spatula until just combined.
• Add the salt, stir to combine.
• Add in the milk gradually and fold with spatula until just combined.  
• Fill paper muffin cups with batter till about 1/3 full, add the cream cheese balls to each muffin cup. Spoon over the remaining batter till each muffin cup is almost full. Sprinkle top with some mini chocolate chips.
• Bake in preheated oven at 180degC for about 20-25mins until the top is lightly browned or until a toothpick inserted into the side comes out clean.

Recipe source: adapted from Home Baking 星期天的烘焙时光

I don't get tired of muffins...

and I do find inspiration in them...

Whenever I miss the simple act of mixing flour, eggs, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl, the image of a tray of freshly baked muffins would jump out from behind the back of my mind. There is always a muffin recipe waiting for me to explore; and I have never seems to be short of any of the basic ingredients that is called for...be it flour, eggs, milk, sugar and vegetable oil. There is always a bag of left over chocolate chips, some left over dried fruits, walnuts, hidden somewhere in my fridge (^_^").

Oh yes, not forgetting the fact that I have one drawer full of paper muffin cups!

It took me just slightly over half an hour from reading the recipe to popping these muffins into the oven. I have adapted a cinnamon and nuts muffins recipe to turn it into a batch of Cinnamon, Walnuts and Chocolate Chips Muffins.  Before I was done washing up the mixing bowls, I could already smell cinnamon :)

Warm, freshly baked, homemade muffins are not only a nice treat for breakfast but also great for a casual tea time at home. These muffins are full flavour, certainly not a surprise as they are studded with all the walnuts, chocolate chips and cinnamon. The texture is a teeny weeny on the dry side...maybe they are made with milk only...I guess I am so used to the very moist muffins made with yoghurt.

I am so inspired by these lovely muffins that I think I have done a decent job in the composition of the above images. Of course, I must thank my cyberfriend VB for sending me the pretty muffin liners, gorgeous kitchen towels and the matching mug! I could almost imagine myself sitting inside a lovely little cafe at a little town in Provence, drinking tea and savouring muffins... ahem...delicate French desserts ;)

Cinnamon Walnuts and Chocolate Chips Muffins

Ingredients
(makes 9 regular size muffins)

140ml milk
80ml canola or corn oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
200g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
100g granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
50g walnuts, coarsely chopped
50g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together milk, oil, egg and vanilla extract, until just combined.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon into another mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt and stir to combine.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined (Note: stop stirring once the flour incorporates into the batter, but do check that there is no pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl). 
4. Reserve 1 tablespoon each of the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Gently stir in the rest of the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips into the batter. Do Not over mix the batter. The finished batter should appear thick and lumpy.
5. Spoon batter into paper muffin cups, fill it to about 3/4 full.
6. Sprinkle top with the reserved chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. 
7. Bake in preheated oven at 200degC for about 20 - 25mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Recipe source: adapted from 我的幸福手作面包，李成实

knocking down my mental blocks

Here's another small step towards getting out of my comfort zone...

I love baking and eating muffins, but believe it or not, this is the first time in my 5 years of baking that I have ever tried making savoury ones...

To me, it has always been, muffins = sweet, never savoury...and I am too overly concerned with whether my family members would be able to accept the taste. I even made myself worry with what to serve alongside a batch of savoury muffins...soup, salad?? These mental blocks were all knocked off when I finally sank my teeth into a soft, warm and buttery tuna muffin.

Thanks to the lovely post by Pook of Dailydelicious, her Tuna Muffins made me wanted to rushed into the kitchen to make myself some right away. I am always very inspired by her elegant pastries and mouth watering desserts....however, most of the time I failed to pick up the courage to try her recipes. I really doubt I could make anything close. But, this time, her savoury muffins look easy enough for me, and most important of all, my kids like tuna. At least, I know there is no danger of me having to end up eating all the muffins on my own ;)

As expected, these savoury muffins I made are miles apart from those by Dailydelicious. Nevertheless, the recipe yielded some really awesome muffins I have ever tasted. Other than taking the liberty to add in some sweet corns, I followed her recipe to a T.

I started preparing the ingredients just one hour before breakfast time. My table was already set when the muffins were almost done. I took them straight from the oven to the breakfast table and had to keep reminding the rest at the table to be patient, to leave the muffins to cool off a little.

My initial concerns were unfounded, these muffins were better than I could have ever imagined. I was filled with a great sense of satisfaction as I devoured a freshly baked muffin, every mouthful was a delight! I love the tiny hint of crisp on the crust lending a contrast to the soft, very fine, cake like crumbs. Surprisingly, they didn't leave a greasy after taste at all even thought they were made with the creaming method. I tried one later in the afternoon, eaten cold, it tasted just as good, I had no issues with the muffins turning dry. I warmed the leftovers the next day and they tasted just like freshly baked. Now, the only downside is, not everyone in the family is as receptive, guess I'll have to make these more often to get everyone to acquire the taste :)




Tuna and Sweet Corn Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes about 8~9 muffins)

60g tuna chunk (I used canned tuna chunk in water)
50g sweet corns kernels
half of a medium-size yellow onion (finely chopped)
some vegetable oil

180g cake flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
80g unsalted butter, soften at room temperature
25g granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly grounded black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
120g milk

some parsley flakes (optional)

Method:

1. Saute chopped onion with some vegetable oil over medium to low heat until the onion turns soft and translucent. Leave to cool.
2. Drain tuna, break into smaller pieces with a fork, set aside. If using frozen sweet corns, thaw, wash and drain, set aside.
3. Sieve together cake flour and baking powder, set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt and pepper until light and fluffy (I used a manual whisk). Add in the egg gradually, beat well after each addition. 
5. Add half of the flour mixture, fold with a spatula to combine. Add half of the milk, fold to combine. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, fold to combine, followed by the rest of the milk.
6. Add the rest of the flour with the tuna, onion and sweet corn kernels, fold to combine
7. Spoon batter into paper cups or muffin pans lined with paper liners. Sprinkle parsley flakes over the top (optional).
8. Bake at 180degC for 18 ~ 20mins or until a tooth pick inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Note the muffins will only be very lightly browned due to the small amount of sugar used.) Best served hot or warm from the oven.

Recipe source: from Dailydelicious