Raspberry, Strawberry & Almond 'Cheesecake' Muffins

Today was a great day - it finally turnied out to be the day i built the bridge for my dry river bed, and the day I finally got a curtain pole put up in my lounge so I can now make some  blue gingham curtains to finish off my room. Also the day I got my mirror on the wall and coat hooks in the understair cupboard. Thanks to my wonderfully talented son and a couple of bizarre encounters at a woodyard I can now say I'm almost done with the list of jobs I made when I first moved in six months ago. 

So to honour such a momentous day I figured I'd better go all out on the muffin front - so that yummy cheesecake-esk filling needed to be added, and then I got all adventerous with the ground almonds so this is the combo we ended up toasting the bridge with.

In a large bowl mix together:
300g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds
220g caster sugar

In a small bowl mix together:
90g melted butter
half cup sour cream
quarter cup milk
2 large eggs
almond essence

Mix the wet into the dry then stir in:
half cup fresh raspberries
half cup chopped fresh strawberries

In a small bowl mix together:
half tub cream cheese 
1 tablespoon caster sugar

Place a small dollop of the mixture in the base of 12 muffin cases
Then add a small dollop of the cheesecake mixture in the centre
Top off with the remaining muffin batter.
 
Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 minutes
Leave in the tin for a few minutes before moving onto a wire rack to cool

Best served in the garden sunshine whilst admiring your newly created bridge!

Banana Almond and Choc Chip Muffins

I promised the Frenchie 'Nuts' in the next batch of muffins, so I gave him almonds with bananas, oh and naturally, for the Nutella King, I threw in chocolate chips too. 
They seemed to go down rather well, three muffins in one afternoon is quite a record, and more for breakfast today too! 

Another successful baking session. Better go and have the last one with a cup of coffee before someone else beats me to it.

In large bowl mix together:
300g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds
220g caster sugar

In a small bowl mix together:
90g melted butter
half cup sour cream
quarter cup milk
2 large eggs

Mix the wet into the dry then stir in:
half cup chopped ripe banana (top up with flaked almonds if necessary)
100g milk chocolate chips

Dive the mixture between 12 muffin cases
Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 minutes
Leave in the tin for a few minutes before removing on to a wire rack to cool

Apricot and Almond Muffins

These yummy little morsels were just the ticket for the 'Bring and Share' this week.

In a large bowl mix together:
375g self-raising flour
220g caster sugar

In a small bowl mix together:
90g melted butter
half cup sour cream
quarter cup milk
2 large eggs

Mix the wet into the dry
Then stir in:
two thirds cup chopped dried apricots
one third cup flaked almonds

Divide the mixture between 12 muffin cases
Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 minutes
Leave in the tin for a few minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool

Almond, Strawberry and Lime Muffins

Tonight, in anticipation of Movie Monday, I have rustled up a batch of muffins. I have no idea if these flavours will work, but time will tell. But they do look good next to my verdant llama - it's not often I get to use the words 'verdant' and 'llama' in the same sentence, but today is one of those days.

In a large bowl mix together:
300g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds
220g caster sugar
zest of 1 lime

In a small bowl mix together:
90g melted butter
half cup sour cream
juice of one lime, made up to a quarter cup with milk
2 large eggs

Mix the wet into the dry then stir in:
three quarters cup diced fresh strawberries
quarter cup flaked almonds

Divide the mixture between 12 muffin cases
Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 minutes
Leave in the tin for a few minutes before moving onto a wire rack to cool

Best served with company and a great movie!

Polverones

For my birthday I had a fabulous European cook book from the Hairy Bikers, not actually a gift from them, just written by them. Anyway I began in Spain and baked some almond cookies, known as Polverones, and very nice they taste too.

Sift together:
75g icing sugar
250g plain flour

Stir in:
75g ground almonds
a good pinch of fine sea salt

Add:
125g softened butter by rubbing it in with your fingertips. 

The mixture is very crumbly, but eventually you will form a dough (a lot like shortbread)
Put the dough between 2 sheets of baking parchment and roll out to a depth of 2cm
Use a cookie cutter to shape, and lift onto a baking tray.
Re-mould the remaining dough between the parchment sheets

Bake on Gas 4 for 12-15 minutes until firm and just turning golden (they should be pale)
cool on the tray
dust with icing sugar to serve

Thanks Hairy bikers - they look tasty

Peach and Almond Muffins

I love this combination:
 

In a large bowl mix together:

300g self-raising flour

75g ground almonds

220g caster sugar

In a small bowl mix together:

90g melted butter

half cup sour cream

quarter cup of fruit juice drained from a can of peaches

2 large eggs

Mix the wet into the dry

Stir in:
1 cup of diced, drained, tinned peaches

Divide the mixture between 12 muffin cases

Bake Gas 5/6 for 20-25 minutes

Leave in the tin for a few minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool

Chocolate Craisin Muffins

I'm up early today to get the baking done for our lunch time get together. Having only one egg left I decided I'd make chocolate Bakewell muffins, but there wasn't nearly enough ground almonds, and cherries, so they turned into these using up some random contents of the baking cupboard as listed below!

In a large bowl sift together:

360g self-raising flour

50g cocoa powder

Stir in:

15g ground almonds

220g caster sugar

In a small bowl mix together:

90g melted salted butter

half cup sour cream

three quarters cup milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg

Mix the wet into the dry

Stir in:

100g milk chocolate chips

half cup craisins (dried cranberries)

Divide the batter between 12 muffin cases

Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 mins

Leave in the tin for a few minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool

And voila! yummy muffins to keep the friends happy

Almond Espresso Muffins

These should do to take out for tea tomorrow ~ and my kitchen smells like marzipan.

In a large bowl mix together:

300g self raising flour

75g ground almonds

220g caster sugar

In a small bowl mix together, but make sure you don't curdle the cream or cook the eggs so let the coffee and butter cool a while:

90g melted butter

quarter cup strong coffee (I used 3 teaspoons in my cup measure and diluted it with boiling water to the top)

half cup sour cream

half teaspoon almond essence

2 large eggs

Mix the wet into the dry

Stir in 200g white chocolate chunks

Divide between 12 muffin cases

Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 mins

Leave in the tin for a few minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool

Strawberry Almond Muffins

Couldn't decide what I fancied for tea tonight, and I deserve a bit of a treat being as I have been decorating all day - so I headed for the kitchen and came up with these:

 

In a large bowl mix together:

300g self-raising flour

75g ground almonds

220g caster sugar 

In a small bowl combine:

90g melted butter

150ml sour cream

quarter cup milk

2 large eggs

Mix the wet into the dry then stir in:

180g diced strawberries

Divide into 12 muffin cases
Bake on Gas 5/6 for 20-25 mins
Leave in the tin for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool 

Ahh, the perfect summer supper

Banoffi Almond Muffins

Today we were invited to taste Stu's home made garden pizza oven. Unfortunately, despite looking spectacular, it wouldn't heat up enough, so we ended up eating indoors. The pizza's were still amazing - particularly the Banana Pizza he served last. It was delicious. The last time I had Banana on a Pizza was in South Africa - it was Chicken and Banana - and a very lovely combination it was too. My job was to make the muffins for desert, so I went for these. Stu requested something nutty, and I thought the banana theme should go right through the day. So here is the recipe.

Mix 375g self raising flour with
220g castor sugar in a large bowl.

In a small bowl mix 90g melted butter
with half a cup of sour cream,
quarter cup of milk,
2 large eggs

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones

Add one small mashed banana,
100g of fudge pieces,
quarter cup of crushed slice almonds and mix together.

Divide into 12 muffin cases and bake on
Gas 5/6 for
20-25 mins.

Cherry and Almond Muffins

When searching through the baking box I found an abundance of cherries and ground almonds. So today's muffins had to be just that - no time to turn them in Cherry Bakewell Muffins (see recipe in my May 2011 Blog).
They turned out to be lovely, and just what you need to take on a rock climbing expedition to Stanage Edge, in the Peak district. Let's hope that Jack and Sean come back with photos of some extreme places to eat Mostly Muffins!!

Mix together:
300g self raising flour
75g ground almonds
220g castor sugar

In a small bowl mix 90g melted butter with
half a cup of sour cream
quarter cup of milk
half a teaspoon of almond essence
2 large eggs

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry
then add and mix in three quarters cup of chopped glace cherries

Divide the mixture into 12 muffins cases and
sprinkle chopped almonds on the top before baking on Gas 5 or 6,
for 20-25 mins

Emma's Peach and Almond Muffins

After the success of the camping muffins (which didn't last long at all) and a very uncharacteristic banana, nut and craison loaf (it took alwhile to find the loaf tin, as it had been so many years since using anything other than the muffin tray!) I returned to my kitchen with the help of Emma. It's only right to teach 'em young, so she got to choose the flavour and we created some scrumptious muffins before trecking off to feed the ducks.

375g self raising flour
220g castor sugar
mix together in a large bowl

melt 90g butter, add
half a cup of sour cream,
quarter cup of milk,
2 large eggs and
a few drops of almond essence
mix together

add the wet to the dry

add in a cup of chopped peaches (I use tinned - no peeling required!)
mix together

divide into 12 muffins cases and bake for 20-25 mins on gas 5/6

Always remember that at this point it is your duty to clean out the bowl - Emma was particularly good at this bit.

Eating them whilst they are still warm was also compulsory today - the ducks were waiting to be fed

Cherry Bakewell Muffins

Thank you Mr. Kipling for the idea.

Today (well it will be in less than an hour, but I need my sleep) would have been Kev's birthday, so it seemed only fitting to put his all time favourite muffins up here to share with the world. Both he and our Jack love the original Mr. K's pies, and Rose's mega-sized birthday bakewell, so one day I found some ground almonds and went for it - and the Cherry Bakewell Muffin was created. The results are very sweet and sticky, and totally scrumcious.

You will need:
300g self raising flour
75g ground almonds
220g castor sugar
90g melted butter
half a cup of sour cream
quarter cup of milk
half a teaspoon of almond essence
2 large eggs
red jam
glace cherry halves
icing sugar
water
mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl
mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl
mix the wet into the dry and stir together

cover the base of each muffin case with half the muffin mixture
drop half a teaspoon of red jam (jack says it has to be plum jam to be authentic, but raspberry will do) onto the mixture
cover the jam with the remaining mixture

bake on gas 5/6 for 20-25 mins

leave to cool on a wire rack

while cooling make the icing by mixing
a small amount of water to large quantities of icing sugar - i always put in too much water and use half a packet of icing sugar - so go easy to start with.
mix to a paste

when the muffins are cool, spread icing on the top of each of them
then pop a half glace cherry in the centre

Voila! I'm sure Mr. Kiplng would approve, Kev did :)