Making Muffins

Tipsytipsy. Agree. Have used Nigella's recipe many times over the years. Have also dropped a teaspoonful of the toffee condensed milk in the centre instead of the chunks. Also brownie mixture is also good placed in muffin cases instead of cutting into squares.

Hi kitty scones are tricky beasts! During the first lockdown I made a batch that were more like biscuits than anything else.
They did improve, but not enough, I want to be able to make tall fluffy scones like I used to.
I do know that fresh baking powder is essential, rather than the almost out of date drum of it that we all have at the back
Of the cupboard.?

Hi Lemongrove, like you my muffins and scones are never a great success (in fact any baking is always hit or miss for me) but I'm determined to do better and will try some of these GN recommendations and tips

Top tip! Thanks.

The best muffins I have made were cooked for the first five minutes at a higher temperature then reduced to the regular recipe temperature. This made the top rise quickly creating a domed top which slightly overflowed the case - like the ones seen in a bakery.

Sounds like a good idea Disco ?
I shall maybe also have a go again at scones, have never been really happy with the ones I made in lockdown.Years ago I made them all the time, but seem to have lost the knack.

☺️ Lily I just wear my high-rise jeans!

Adding to the muffin top

When I got muffined out I moved on to baking biscotti. Very easy to make, tasty, and lovely with a coffee. Like muffins you can vary them to whatever flavour you fancy. Almond and choc chip are our favourites. I think I used a Nigella Lawson recipe for those too.

Thanks everyone?
I have had a week of muffin making when time allowed ( the state of the kitchen afterwards!)?
Have tried the recipes on here and a few from other sources.
All came out well actually, to my surprise.The family are muffin-ed out now, so I shall have to move onto something else.The blueberry ones were the favourites in the end.
Of course I had to try at least one from every batch.

RHUBARB MUFFINS
3 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking Soda
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup any oil (not olive)
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped fairly small
Sugar and cinnamon for topping (optional)

Mix dry ingredients and rhubarb in one bowl, beat wet ingredients in another.
Then combine the 2. Don’t over mix!….just till just combined,
Spoon into muffin trays, makes about 16 from memory.

Bake 20 mins at 200C. - sorry have never used gas so unsure of temperature settings there.

Sprinkle with mix of sugar and cinnamon for tops, I usually do, but a personal choice.

I often use a site called allrecipes for some inspiration, it's very useful.

My best muffins have been Nigella recipes. There's one for X __s muffins too, they are fabulous. (nearly mentioned the C word there)

I make these successfully all the time, using frozen berries, also using the tulip paper cases. I have never placed them in the fridge before baking as the frozen fruit needs to stay frozen to stop bleeding of juice.

Mixed Berry Buttermilk Muffins:

375 gm SR flour
165 gm caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
160 ml vegetable oil
180 ml buttermilk
200 gm frozen mixed berries (or a single variety, I like raspberries best)

Preheat oven to 190C.
Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Sift flour and sugar, mix in remaining ingredients.
Divide mixture between cases (I use an ice cream scoop).
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes then then place on wire rack and dust with icing sugar.

Do not over-mix, it should be slightly lumpy.

The muffins freeze well.

I’ve used this recipe and they’ve turned out well.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/basic-muffin-recipe

Thanks??

My goto recipe for big muffins is Mary Berry's American Choc Chip. I just roughly mix the ingredients and pile the mixture into muffin trays but paper cases work too. Doesn't have to choc chip. It works well with banana, apple and sultana, blueberry, anything really.

The family like fruit, nuts, choc chips and glace cherries, so am thinking of incorporating a few of these.

Thanks toscalily I will try that recipe.

There is much online about muffins and some say they rise much better if used cold from the fridge.
I want to make the large ones that are sold commercially,in tall paper cases, not normal fairy cakes/ cupcakes.

ilovecheese do you have a go-to recipe please?

Sorry Lemongrove, I'm losing the plot today.
Above recipe should read:

2 tsp baking powder

Thats why I want an auto correct button!!!

I would have thought that any mixture containing raising agent should be baked quickly after mixing, not left overnight.

What do you mean by muffins exactly? Do you mean what we used to call fairy cakes? Or the slightly more substantial cupcakes?

Here is a tutorial with a lot of common sense tips on baking cup cakes.

youtu.be/oC6x6y_o80Y

I have just posted this by mistake elsewhere

The above recipe is quick & simple and has always worked for me although it is an old recipe and I wonder if the size of muffin cases now are bigger going by the size of muffins being sold commercially so maybe it may make 10 rather than twelve? I have never heard of leaving muffin mixture in the fridge overnight.

Blueberry Muffins

100g (31/2 oz) sunflower spread
125g (4oz) granulated sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
150 ml (5fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
1tsp vanilla essence or extract
250gr (9oz) plain flour
tsp baking powder
150gr (5oz) blueberries
icing sugar to dust

1 Preheat oven to 180 (160 fan) mark 4. Line muffin tray with 12 muffin cases
2 In a large bowl, beat together sunflower spread and granulated sugar until pale & fluffy. Beat in eggs, milk & vanilla. In separate bowl sift together the flour & baking powder then fold into egg mixture until just combined - the batter will still be quite lumpy but do not overbeat. Carefully stir in 100gr (31/2 oz) of the blueberries.
3 Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cases and sprinkle remaining blueberries on top.
4 Bake for 18 - 20 mins until golden & firm to the touch.
5 Transfer to wire rack to cool then dust with icing sugar.

Nigella's banana butterscotch muffins good every time.
Made with oil, very quick. Bananas need to be squishy.