Raisin Bran Muffins

Here's an odd tidbit of info for you. I suffer from migraines. I probably get 2 a month and each time I do I get a craving. It is the same craving each and every time : muffins. Once the headache starts to subside I begin to behave like a rabid fox. I NEED a muffin. Nothing will stand in my way. And yes, I also have a craving for a specific flavor of muffin. Not any old one will do. Yesterday I had a migraine and sure enough, today I woke up salivating for a plump and juicy raisin bran muffin so much so that I dragged my worn out body (and head) to the grocery store to specifically buy All-Bran cereal.
Then I got crackin'.

I am in love with Lyle's Golden Syrup and Black Treacle. I wanted the best of both worlds jam-packed into one gorgeous muffin so why not a deep, dark and rich spiced raisin bran muffin?

I had bookmarked a recipe several weeks ago which I had found on a fellow blogger's site knowing a craving would arise when it would come in handy. Sure enough, that day arrived.

I did alter the recipe and ensured Lyle's brands stayed in the forefront. If you have not had Lyle's products then get out there and buy them! I could sit and eat the syrup or treacle with a spoon they are simply that good.

Ok, on to the muffins. I wanted large, substantial muffins and as good luck would have it, I had just purchased a giant muffin tin in the USA last weekend. It sure came in handy today. This recipe made 9 giant muffins.

So let's get started !


My preferred ingredients





This recipe produces incredibly rich and moist bran muffins

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: The English Kitchen

WHAT YOU NEED

2 cups all bran cereal
1/4 cup corn syrup (I use Lyle's Golden Syrup)
1/4 cup black treacle ( again, I only use Lyle's. If you don't have treacle, use molasses)
1 1/4 cup milk (2% works fine)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil (my preferred choice is grapeseed oil but feel free to use any neutral vegetable oil)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (Saigon variety is excellent here!)
1 large handful dark raisins
1 large handful golden raisins
large oats for sprinkling before baking
turbinado sugar for sprinkling before baking

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 400F
LINE 12 regular sized muffin cups with paper liners or 9 muffin cups from 2 giant muffin tins
ADD water 1/2 way up to the top of any empty muffin cups to ensure muffins bake evenly
IN LARGE BOWL, add 2 cups all bran cereal
IN MICROWAVE SAFE BOWL, combine milk, syrup and treacle
MICROWAVE 1 minute 80% power
WHISK milk mixture to thoroughly combine and pour over all bran cereal
LET sit 15 minutes
IN SMALL BOWL, whisk together egg, vanilla and oil. Set aside
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, allspice and cinnamon
POUR wet ingredients and dry ingredients into all bran mixture
FOLD together until just combined
GENTLY FOLD in raisins
WITH ICE CREAM SCOOP, fill muffin cups nearly to top of paper liner
SPRINKLE tops with oatmeal and turbinado sugar
BAKE 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
LET cool in pans 5 minutes the remove to cooling rack.

ENJOY !

Also seen here:

Cloverleaf Rolls

These lovely rolls were served at our recent family Father's Day dinner. Though I slaved over Chicken Marsala, roasted vegetables and light and fluffy mashed potatoes, it was these little rolls that stole the show !

The best part: no manual kneading required. The dough is made in the bread maker! All you need to do is divide it after it has risen and form into balls. The balls are then placed, 3 at a time, into muffin cups, then let to rise again for 45 minutes before popping into the oven.

These sweet and fluffy pull-apart rolls are perfect to serve with any meal and taste incredible topped with fresh creamy butter. If you have not eaten a cloverleaf roll before then you have no idea what you are missing!

SO LET'S BEGIN !

Here they are perfectly risen
and ready for baking

Brush with melted butter right after
taking the baked rolls out of the oven

RECIPE:
*source recipe: 250 Best Canadian Bread Machine Baking Recipes

WHAT YOU NEED

Your beloved bread maker !
1 1/3 cups of milk at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast
butter for glazing

MAKE IT

COMBINE all ingredients into the pan of your bread maker
WHEN ADDING THE BUTTER, break apart into small pieces with your fingers
SELECT Dough Cycle
PRESS Start
WHEN cycles has finished, remove dough onto a lightly floured work surface
COVER with large bowl
LET REST 10-15 minutes
SPRAY muffin tin (one that makes 12 regular sized muffins) with baking spray
ON FLOURED WORK SURFACE, divide dough into 12 equal portions
ROLL each portion into 3 same-sized balls
PLACE in muffin cups
COVER with cloth and let rise 45 minutes
PREHEAT oven to 375F
BAKE 15-20 minutes until rolls sound hollow when tapped
MELT 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter and brush across warm rolls
REMOVE rolls from tin and serve.

ENJOY!

Also seen here:

British Jumbles

These cookies are so unique because of they way the batter is prepared. You mix everything together in a deep dish skillet/saucepan! They come together in a snap and bake up with another unique trait: the crust. It has a very flaky texture on top but the insides of these cookies are quite dense.

I flavored mine with chocolate chips and walnuts but I felt they lacked any true punch of flavor. Next time I would add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (Saigon preferred for a good flavor kick) and up to 100 grams of raisins. Give this a shot if you decide to test out this recipe yourself.

Also, if adding chocolate chips, be prepared for melting. Just fold them in gently with a rubber spatula and then scoop up into drop cookies asap before they melt any further.

To get started you will need a fair sized deep dish skillet, saucepan (large enough to hold all the ingredients) or even a small dutch oven will do. I whisked in most of the ingredients initially with my wire whisk but once you add the flour you will need to switch over to a wooden spoon. Finally, switch over again to a rubber spatula when adding your fruits, nuts, chocolate, etc.



So let's get started !

RECIPE:
*source recipe : Jumbles, The Great British Book of Baking

WHAT YOU NEED

125 grams unsalted butter
100 grams fine granulated sugar
50 grams light brown sugar
1 medium egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
175 grams all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
up to 100 grams of flavorings: chopped chocolate, nuts, dried fruit, etc

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
IN MEDIUM SKILLET with high sides, melt butter over NED/LOW heat
REMOVE from stove-top
WHISK in sugars
IN SEPARATE BOWL, whisk together egg and vanilla
ADD egg mixture to skillet and whisk until combined
WITH WOODEN SPOON, stir in flour and baking powder into skillet mix until thoroughly combined
FOLD in flavorings
DROP by tablespoon onto prepared pans leaving 1 inch space between cookies
BAKE 10-12 minutes
LET COOL in pan 3 minutes
MOVE cookies onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely
STORE in airtight container

ENJOY !

Also seen here:

Blueberry Orange Muffins

I cannot get enough of blueberries lately. It doesn't hurt that they are selling at incredible prices right now in the grocery stores too. I had another large pint aching to be eaten and today I was craving a muffin for breakfast. That craving led me to this glorious recipe and in turn, a perfect Friday morning breakfast. I had a fresh muffin within 1/2 hr from start to finish.

Most people add lemon zest to blueberry baked goods and hey, I am not knocking it at all. But sometimes switching things up a bit can add a fantastic fresh take on things. Today was one of those days. Instead of lemon zest I added the zest of an orange. A wonderful flavor enhancer when paired with plump and juicy blueberries.

To top these off, I sprinkled 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar on each one right before baking. The result is a golden and crunchy topping that is absolutely delicious.



So let's get started!

RECIPE:
adapted source recipe: Family Circle, Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook

WHAT YOU NEED

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar plus more for topping muffins before baking
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola works well - stick with a neutral flavor)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup fresh blueberries

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 375F
LINE muffin tin with paper liners. This recipe makes 12 regular sized muffins

IN LARGE BOWL, whisk together first 7 dry ingredients
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together remaining ingredients except blueberries
FOLD wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until combined
GENTLY fold in blueberries
FILL LINERS to top with batter
SPRINKLE 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar over top of each muffin

BAKE 23 minutes. Toothpick inserted in center should come out clean
COOL in pan 5 minutes
REMOVE and cool completely on cooling rack

ENJOY !

Also seen here:

Coffee & Walnuts ...oh my !

My first taste of the renowned British favorite Coffee and Walnut Cake took place today. My life will never be the same again. Smooth, rich, creamy and wonderfully flavored with espresso. There is NOTHING better especially if you are in any way like me: a true coffee addict. I am hooked !

I researched a few different recipes that seem popular but in the end tested out Nigella Lawson's Coffee and Walnut Layer Cake recipe. Ok granted, the one I made is not a double layer cake. For this recipe I simply halved the ingredients to create an amazing single layer cake. The fact is there are only two people in my family who like the flavor of coffee and I am one of them. A single layer cake for this household would be overkill but a single cake on the other hand is just right.

I was somewhat hesitant to start off because it requires grinding of walnuts in a food processor. That means messing around with sharp blades. I tend to be a tad accident prone and having already had a slice and dice related accident earlier this week I was somewhat "gun-shy". But I stayed alert, ground the nuts and came out of it with all digits intact.

When I read through Nigella's recipe I was also very surprised to see that the cake only takes 25 minutes to bake. It contains 1/2 cup of butter and 2 eggs making it quite a dense batter. I thought it would take far longer to bake and was hoping Nigella's online recipe wasn't riddled with typos. My fear was baseless. The recipe is error-free. The cake baked up perfectly in 25 minutes and is one of the moistest cakes I have ever eaten. Topped off with a buttery swirl of coffee frosting and one has nirvana on a plate.




So let's get started !

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: Coffee and Walnut Layer Cake, Nigella Lawson

WHAT YOU NEED

SPONGE

25 grams chopped walnuts
112 grams fine granulated sugar
112 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
100 grams all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk

FROSTING

350 grams icing sugar, sifted
175 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water
walnut halves for decoration

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 350F
GREASE an 8" round cake pan with baking spray and line bottom with parchment paper

IN FOOD PROCESSOR, grind together walnuts and sugar until combined into a fine nutty powder
IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER (fitted with paddle attachment) or large bowl if using hand-held mixer, beat butter 1 minutes MED speed until creamy
ADD SUGAR/WALNUT mix and beat 1 minutes MED speed
ADD all other ingredients blending well until thoroughly combined and smooth appearance
POUR into prepared pan and level out with icing spatula
BAKE 25 minutes
LET COOL in pan 10 minutes then remove and let cool completely on cooling rack

FROSTING

IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER (fitted with paddle attachment) or large bowl if using hand-held mixer, beat butter 1 minute MED speed until creamy
ADD in icing sugar and blend 2 minutes until butter and sugar come together into a heavy even consistency
ADD dissolved espresso powder and beat 2-3 minutes scraping down sides when needed

SPREAD frosting on top of cooled cake
DECORATE with walnut halves

ENJOY !

Also seen here:

Strawberry Swirl Pavlova

My first attempt at making pavlova and let me just say this: I now have no idea why I was so afraid of making this in the past ! It was dead easy and came together without much fuss at all. I wanted to keep the berry theme going in our house and had a quart of strawberries on stand-by.

I decided to go with Martha Stewart's recipe for raspberry ripple meringue but obviously swapped out the raspberries for sweet and juicy strawberries.

The filling is nothing more than sweetened whipped cream topped with macerated strawberries. I love the combo of chocolate and strawberries so I wanted a suitable drizzle to finish things off. Out came the Lindt dark chocolate baking bar and some heavy cream. Before you knew it, a ganache was born.

Give yourself several hours of bake time for this one. The pavlova requires nearly 2 hrs in the oven then 1 hour cooling time. The wait is well worth it. This was a superb dessert that is easy enough to make any day of the week but definitely fancy enough in terms of presentation to be a welcomed dessert at any dinner party.

If you don't have strawberries then try raspberries or blueberries. Even blackberries would work wonderfully.

Let's put these guys to good use

What better way to eat strawberries!

LET'S BEGIN!

RECIPE:
adapted pavlova recipe: Raspberry-Ripple Meringue; Martha Stewart

WHAT YOU NEED

Pavlova

2 cups strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fine granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 large egg whites at room temperature
pinch of salt

Filling

2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzle

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream

MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN to 200F (100C)
USING a 8" cake pan as your stencil, with a pencil draw a 8" circle on a piece of parchment
paper
FLIP paper over and place on a cookie sheet

PUREE 1 cup strawberries, 1 tablespoon of sugar and lemon juice in food processor until smooth
STRAIN through a sieve into small bowl and set aside

IN SMALL BOWL, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch
IN LARGE BOWL, with stand or hand-held mixer, whisk egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until foamy
ADD sugar/cornstarch mixture in 3 batches, whisking 30 seconds after each addition
SCRAPE down sides of bowl
WHISK 4 minutes on HIGH SPEED with stand or hand-held mixer until stiff peaks form

ADD 2 tablespoons of strawberry puree to meringue cutting in slightly with a knife
WITH RUBBER SPATULA, mound meringue onto parchment paper to take form of a 8" circle
WITH FINGERS, gently smooth out the center of the meringue so you have an indentation (approx 5 " circumference) which will later be filled with whipped cream.
BAKE for 1 hr 50 minutes
TURN OFF OVEN, open door so it is slightly ajar and let meringue cool in oven for 1 hour
REMOVE , peel of parchment and gently place on a serving platter. Be extra careful as it is delicate and can break easily

SLICE remaining strawberries and place in MEDIUM bowl
SPRINKLE WITH 1 tablespoon sugar, stir and set aside

IN DOUBLE BOILER, melt chocolate and whipping cream, whisking continuously until combined and shiny
SET chocolate aside to cool 15 minutes
WHIP whipping cream, vanilla and sugar until soft peaks form

MOUND whipped cream into center of meringue
TOP with sliced strawberries
DRIZZLE with remaining strawberry puree and chocolate sauce

ENJOY ( I know I did) !

Blueberry Cornish Fairings

Cornish Fairings are sweet and spicy little cookies traditionally made with very finely diced mixed peel. As I didn't have any such thing on hand I decided to switch things up a bit. My attention shifted to the stacks of dried fruits in my pantry and I started to contemplate which one would pair well with allspice. I had recently purchased a little container of dried blueberries at my local health food store and had some left over after making another batch of Jonnie's Granola.

Blueberries and allspice go very well together so I decided to give it a try. Happy to say that the result is an amazing little cookie, perfectly sweetened and wonderfully highlighted with the dried fruit.

These are so fast to make and bake that I sat back stunned as to why I have never stumbled upon this recipe in the past. They are truly great little cookies ! Well, it is safe to say , after further research, that the cause of delay in my meet-and-greet with Cornish Fairings lies with my geographical location. I do no live near or even remotely close to Cornwall, UK. You see, the Cornish Fairing originates from Cornwall - a quite lengthy plane or boat ride away for me. Regardless, I have found them now and this recipe is a keeper.

During my Cornish Fairings research, I found this interesting video on YouTube and thought I would share here too. A little history lesson for us all and a chance to see the way these are made in bulk!

NOW ON TO THE RECIPE!

Here they are, rolled and ready for baking


Fresh out of the oven



A gorgeous batch of cookies

RECIPE:
*source recipe (adapted) : Cornish Fairings, The Great British Book of Baking

WHAT YOU NEED

100g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
40g fine granulated sugar
50g unsalted butter, chilled and diced
1 heaping tablespoon dried blueberries
3 tablespoons golden corn syrup (warmed in microwave for 15 seconds on HIGH)


MAKE IT

PREHEAT OVEN 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

IN MEDIUM BOWL, combine first 5 ingredients
ADD butter and cut in with pastry cutter until crumb-like consistency is reached
STIR in blueberries
ADD CORN SYRUP and stir with wooden spoon until combined into a somewhat stiff dough

ROLL dough into marble sized balls and place, spaced apart, on cookie sheet. This recipe yields approx. 18 cookies
BAKE 7-8 minutes rotating 1/2 way

LET COOL in pans 1-2 minutes before moving cookies to a cooling rack. Let cool completely

PERFECT WITH A CUP OF TEA!


Also seen here: