Muffins! Muffins! Muffins!

Guess what I made today? 

Can you guess?

It rhymes with puffins...?

That's right...MUFFINS!!

But not just any muffins, just the most delicious raspberry and white chocolate muffins.

I was in Morrisons doing a spot of shopping when I was hit with some Muffin-spiration!

We all know what a great combination raspberries and white chocolate are, don't we?  Then it dawned on me that I had never made anything with this combination before, which is just not acceptable!

So if you want to know how to make these delicious muffins, stay tuned.

Ingredients

- 300g plain flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

 150g caster sugar

- 1 large egg

 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 225ml milk

- 50g butter (melted)

- 100g fresh raspberries

- 100g chopped white chocolate or chocolate chips

Equipment

- Mixing bowl

-Electric mixer

- Measuring Jug

- Spoons

- Weighing Scales

- 12 hole muffin case

- Paper Cases

- Sieve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, crack the egg and whisk in the vanilla extract, add the milk and butter (ensure the butter has cooled before adding it to the milk as it may curdle!)

4. Stir the wet ingredients (on a low speed) into the dry.  Lightly toss the raspberries in some plain flour (this is to stop them sticking together in the mixture) then stir into mixture along with the chocolate, do not over mix!

5. Spoon the mixture into the cases and bake for 25-30 minutes and bake until well risen and just firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.

They should look a little something like this!

Once cooked feel free to eat them hot or cold!

Warm, with a scoop of Carte D'or Vanilla Ice cream is my preferred method of consumption (hehe!)

Enjoy baking them and eating them, they are really worth a bake!

Until next time...

  

Nutella Cupcakes

Well would you look at that! 

Has my favourite toast topping found it's way into my butter cream? 

I think it has, and let me tell you...it is AMAZING!!!

Not only are they amazing, but they are so simple to make and require very few ingredients.

Sit back and enjoy as I talk you through this delicious recipe that you can try at home.

Lets start with what you'll need:

Equipment

- Electric mixer (you can use a hand mixer but it may take longer)

- Mixing bowl (if you don't have a stand mixer with a bowl attached)

- Measuring cups and/or weighing scales

- Jug

- 12 space muffin tin

- Muffin cases (good, strong quality)

- Piping bag and nozzle

Ingredients

For the chocolate sponge:

- 110g of Self Raising flour

- 20g of cocoa powder (good quality like Bournville)

- 140g of caster sugar

- 40g of unsalted butter (room temperature)

- 120ml whole milk

- 1 egg

- 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)

- a pinch of salt

For the Nutella buttercream:

- 230g unsalted butter (room temperature-take out before baking sponge)

- 250g icing sugar

- 10 tablespoons Nutella

- 70 ml of double cream (if mixture too dry, add more)

- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas mark 3

2. Put the muffin cases in the tin

3. Sieve the flour cocoa powder and salt into the bowl

4. Add sugar and butter and mix together using electric mixer, until you get a sandy texture.

5. Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla together in a jug, then pour half into the bowl with the dry mixture, beat together until combined on a high speed to remove any lumps.

6. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and add the remaining milk and egg mixture, remembering to scrape down the sides with a spatula.  Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until smooth.

7. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until half-two thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sponge bounces back when tapped, or a cocktail stick inserted into the middle should come out clean.

8. Remove from the cakes from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

They should look something like this!

For the buttercream;

1. Beat the softened butter on a medium speed with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until creamy.

2. Sieve in 250g of icing sugar and continue to mix on a medium speed, it should be quite thick.

3. Add the Nutella and vanilla and continue to beat.

4. Add the double cream and mix for another 30 secs-1 minute. (if the mixture is too thick add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time.  If too thin add more icing sugar a spoon at a time). 

5. Add the buttercream to the piping bag and pipe onto the top of the cakes.

Sit back, relax and enjoy!

I hope you have as much fun making these beauties as I did!

After all you can never have enough Nutella in your life!

Let me know if you have any recipe requests you'd like me to do, in the comment box below :D

Enjoy!