Rory and Sadie's Teatime

"Muffin Mania"

Oh, how we love to bake!!!!

So for our next tea-time we decided to indulge ourselves and make some delicious muffins. Because after all, what is tea-time without sweets!!

We’ve chosen two different muffins, both with vegetables in them (so they at least sound healthy!!):

Zucchini muffins with a dark chocolate cover and Carrot-raisin-honey muffins with a cream cheese topping.

 

We’ve based our recipes on a small book called Muffin Mania. I found it when I was traveling in Canada. It was hidden in a small second hand book shop, including stains and cut out recipes from the local newspaper. (Usually a sign that it’s a good book, since it’s used often, so the more stains the better I’d say!!)

The cream cheese topping is from the book called: “the Hummingbird Bakery”, though we’ve added a little something ourselves. If you fancy some muffins yourself then check out the recipes below.

Zucchini muffins with a dark chocolate cover

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour (275 gram)                           
• 1 cup brown sugar (150 gram)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ginger
• 1/8 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• One  grated zucchini
• 1 apple peeled, cored and grated
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil (230 cl)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Additional: 1/2 cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips. You can also (like we did) make a chocolate cover. You’ll need a big bar of dark chocolate and some cream.

Put the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and salt into a large bowl and mix it well (just use a wooden spoon). Stir in the grated zucchini and the apple (if you would like to add the nuts or chocolate chip, now is the time).

Beat the eggs, oil and vanilla in a separate bowl. Now stir the oily eggs into the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into muffin cups, filled to the top.

Bake at 350 °F/175 °C for about 15 minutes.

Let the muffins cool off for a while. Meanwhile you can make the topping. Heat up (au-bain-marie) one large bar of dark chocolate. When melted add some cream and keep stirring, so you get an even chocolate paste. Cover the top of the Muffin with chocolate cream and tadaaa!!

Honey-carrot-raisin muffins with a cream cheese topping

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of butter or margarine (50 gram)                          
• 1/2 cup honey (170 gram)
• 1/2 cup of milk (120 cl)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup flour (200 gram)
• 1 heaping tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup grated carrots (150 gram)
• 1 cup  of raisins (or dates) (150 gram)
  

Topping

• 2 1/2 cup sifted icing sugar (300 gram)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (50 gram)
• 2/3 cup cold cream cheese (125 gram)
• Freshly squeezed juice from halve a lemon.

Melt the butter and the honey and stir in the eggs and milk. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, add the moist mixture and stir well. Spoon in the carrot and raisins (or dates).Spoon the mixture into muffin cups, filled to the top.

Bake at 375 °F/190 °C for about 15 minutes.

Let the muffins cool off for a while. Meanwhile you can make the topping.

Mix the icing sugar and the butter in a standing mixer until the mixture comes together. Add the cream cheese. When the cream cheese is incorporated add the lemon juice one teaspoon at a time. Taste the topping to see if the flavor is right. Now all that is left is to put the topping on the muffins and you are ready for a tea-time feast!!!

And after hard work here are the results!!

Bon Appetit!

Lots of love,

Rory and Sadie x