Carrot, Sultana and Mixed Spice Muffins

Finished carrot muffins

These are another type of muffin I've created to take to work with me. An adaptation of carrot cake, they're really moist, and heady with mixed spice, which I love, but if you're not such a fan you can always reduce the amount in it.

In another change from previous muffins I also decided to sprinkle some oats on top of the muffins, just for a different texture; they work really well I think!

Carrot, Sultana and Mixed Spice Muffins

Dry Ingredients

Makes 10/12 muffins

Ingredients:

100g wholemeal/wholegrain flour
50g oats
50g brown sugar
1 large handful of crushed branflakes
75g sultanas
0.5tsp baking powder
0.25tsp bicarbonate of soda
1.5tsp mixed spice

1 grated carrot (approx. 50g)
3tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
juice of 1 satsuma/clementine

Wet Ingredients

100-200ml milk (enough to make a loose, pourable batter)

180oC fan oven/190oC other ovens

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients (keep a small handful of the oats back to sprinkle on the top of the muffins before baking).

2. Mix the wet ingredients, apart from the milk.

3. Combine the two mixtures, beat into a batter and add enough milk to make a loose, pourable batter.

4. Divide between 10/12 bun cases in a bun tray and sprinkle on the left over oats.

5. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 15/20 minutes, or until a knife comes out of the centre of a muffin clean.

Combined Batter

6. Cool on a wire rack, store in an airtight container until you need them.

Like I said, these are delicious, really simple, and a sustaining snack for a busy day - perfect!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger

Ready to eat!

Ready for the oven

Banana, Honey and Cinnamon Muffins

Finished muffins

 I made up this recipe from an amalgamation of several others I’d seen online; I wanted to make something that I could take for lunches at my new job – so it had to be filling and sustaining, hence the wholemeal flour and oats! I also wanted to use some of the delicious thyme flavoured honey my Mum and Dad brought me back from their recent trip to Cyprus.

This recipe makes 6 large muffins, approx. 180 calories each, and they’ll keep in an airtight box all week for your lunchbox! It’s easily doubled if you want to make a batch for afternoon tea.

Dry Ingredients

Banana, Honey and Cinnamon Muffins

Makes 6 large muffins, or 10/12 normal size buns as I've done here.

Ingredients:

100g wholemeal/wholegrain flour

50g oats

50g brown sugar
large handful of crushed branflakes (optional)

0.5tsp baking powder

Wet Ingredients

0.25tsp bicarbonate of soda

1tsp cinnamon

1 banana, thoroughly mashed

1tbsp honey

3tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

1tsp vanilla essence

100-200ml milk (enough to make a loose, pourable batter)

180oC fan oven/190oC others

Pourable Batter with Milk

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl

2. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, apart from the milk

3. Combine the two mixtures, beat into a batter and add enough milk to make a loose, pourable batter

4. Divide between 6 muffin cases (or more if you're making them smaller) in a bun tray

5. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 15/20 minutes for large muffins, 10/15 minutes for small muffins, or until a knife comes out of the centre of a muffin clean
6. Cool on a wire rack, store in an airtight container until you need them

Ready for the oven!

Like I said, these will keep for up to a week in an airtight container, if they get a little dry 30 seconds in the microwave just before eating will freshen it up! They’d make a great pudding with some custard too!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

Finished muffins

Portable Crumbles

I made these to take on our trip to Mull after Dad asked me to use up some cornflakes he didn't want, so they were a pretty spontaneous amalgamation of recipes I found from a quick Google. They were the surprise hit of the holiday and were the first tin to be emptied!

They're a lovely combination of a cornflake and oat crumbly shell encasing a sweet mouthful of fruity jam - they really are perfect for afternoon tea, but I think they'd be just as good with a healthy portion of custard too!

Cornflake and Oat Crumble Bakes

Cornflake and Oat Crumble Bakes

Makes 12, easy to double

Ingredients:

3oz butter

4oz plain flour

0.5tsp baking powder

2oz oats

2.5oz demerara sugar

2oz cornflakes (crushed)

6 heaped tsp jam (any fruit jam, marmalade or even lemon curd also works well)

12 hole bun tin

170oC/340oF/Gas mark 4 fan oven, 180oF/360oF/Gas mark 5 for all other ovens

Method:

1. Put the flour, baking powder and butter into a large bowl and run into breadcrumbs.
2. Add the sugar, oats and crushed cornflakes and mix well.
3. Thoroughly grease the bun tin.
4. Use your hands to compress a small handful of the oaty mixture into a disc and press it into one of the holes in the bun tin. Repeat until all 12 holes are filled and half of the oaty mixture remains in the bowl.
5. Place a headed tsp of the preserve of your choice into the middle of your 12 oaty discs.
6. Again use your hands to compress a handful of the oaty mixture into a disc and sandwich it over the preserve, in a lid-esque style, and seal the two together. Repeat for all 12 bun tin holes.
7. Bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until they’re a golden brown colour and you can hear the preserve inside bubbling.
8. Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin – it makes them an awful lot easier to remove! Once cooled remove and enjoy with a cuppa!

 They travel well, and will keep for up to a week in an air tight container.

I'll leave you with another picture of the beautiful Mull scenery!

Happy Baking!

The Baking Ginger xx

A view from Ulva