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Friday 2 January 2009

Christmas Morning Muffins ~ Sweet & Simple Bake


I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year 09 and may all your dreams and wishes come true!!


I’m pleased to say it’s been a quite festive time here but with lots of good food and basically enjoying being with the family. The family are now over their bouts of flu and I wave good bye to the back of that little episode thankfully. I hope now to get back to normal baking up some tasty treats for you this year. To kick start this year off here I am presenting you with a bake from Sweet and Simple Bakes.


For our December bake at Sweet and Simple Bakes it was chosen by a poll vote and we had a sensational amount of 67 votes cast in our poll!! The clear winner was Nigella’s Christmas Morning Muffins.



These muffins are a quick and easy bake for a Christmas morning breakfast (or any breakfast come to that); with glorious aromas of spices and flavours emitting through the air as they bake. They are perfect for a light breakfast either served plain or broken open smeared with butter and marmalade. This recipe is sourced and adapted from Nigella Christmas cookbook. A very beautiful book by, The Domestic Goddess’s herself and it’s defiantly is worth purchasing for all the magnificent festive recipes inside.




Christmas Morning Muffins ~ adapted from Nigella Christmas Book

Makes 12

Ingredients
250g (9 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g (4 oz) caster (super fine) sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Good grating of fresh nutmeg (or ¼ tsp ground nutmeg)
2 Clementine’s or Satsuma’s *see notes*
Approx 125ml (4 fl oz) full-fat milk
75g 3 oz) vegetable oil (or melted butter, left to cool slightly)
1 egg
175g (6 oz) dried cranberries
For The Topping
3 tsp Demerara sugar *see notes*

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Line a 12-bun muffin tin with muffin paper cases.

Measure the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl; grate the zest of the Clementine’s/Satsuma’s over and combine.
Squeeze the juice of the Clementine’s/Satsuma’s into a measuring jug, and pour in the milk until it comes up to the 200ml (7 fl oz) mark.

Add the oil (or slightly cooled, melted butter) and egg, and lightly beat until just combined.

Pour this liquid mixture into the bowl of dried ingredients and stir until everything is more or less combined, remembering that a well-beaten mixture makes for heavy muffins; a lumpy batter is a good here.

Fold in the cranberries, then spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle the Demerara sugar on top.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The muffins are ready to eat now either plain or broken up and smeared with butter and marmalade.

* Notes*

*Cranberries could also be replaced with another dried fruit of choice*

* Clementine’s/Satsuma’s*

If you’re unable to source Clementine’s or Satsuma’s, 1 orange of zest and juice would be adequate.

* Demerara Sugar is*: Large crystals, golden in colour, which also adds a crunch to baked goods.

*Question*: I can’t purchase Demerara sugar - what could I use instead?

Granulated Sugar: This is a pure, naturally white, crystalline sugar.

Sugar Cubes: Brown/white, would be a lovely addition instead of Demerara sugar; crunched up and sprinkled over the top of each muffin before baking.

28 comments:

Unknown said...

happy new year rosie...this is a lovely recipe, but am really sorry, i couldn't mange this time..but am going to try this one as soon as i get time..

Rosie said...

Hi sowmya, please don't worry its been a small round-up this month and December is such a busy time for anyone cooking or baking ~ I fully understand sweetie. Hope you'll join us next time :)


Happy New Year :)

Rosie x

Cookie said...

Hi Rosie,

I love the soft round dome on your muffin!

Look forward to the next bake!

Cheers,
Cookie

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

May love and laughter light your days,and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours,wherever you may roam.

May peace and plenty bless your worldwith joy that long endures.

May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!

It has been such a pleasure to follow your blog over the past year Rosie. I am looking forward to sharing such tasty dishes over the next year.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

Nice muffins! Yummy!

Happy New Year and best wishes for 2009!

Cheers,

Rosa

Jersey Girl Cooks said...

Nice recipe and they look so cute on your decorative plate. Sorry I didn't get to the recipe this month. I had planned to but time just got away from me. Happy New year!

Sherry Trifle - Lovely Cats said...

A very pretty arrangement of delicious looking muffins! Looking forward to January's challenge.

Anonymous said...

Oh tempting muffins !! Can you pass the plate to me..What a yummy cinnamon flavoured muffins! looks great

Anonymous said...

Thanks again for hosting this event, and Happy New Year! Cute muffin presentation!

natalia said...

Ciao ! This was such a hit in my home !! HAppy new year and thank you for everything !!

Dee said...

Happy 2009, Rosie! These muffins would be perfect any day I think. Thank you for the substitution tip, but I really wish we could find satsumas here. Sigh.

grace said...

i love muffins, and these seem to be comletely perfect. very nice, rosie, and happy 2009 to you!

Faery said...

They look soft and delicious.
Happy and Properous New Year Rossie!.
I have a surprise waiting for you in my blog

Deeba PAB said...

Much love to you Rosie...have a WONDERFUL 2009, filled with loads of joy & happiness. These muffins smell SO GOOD...YUM!! Nigella is quite the Goddess!!

Ivy said...

Happy New Year Rosie, to you and yours. Looking forward to more lovely bakes. The muffins and the photo look great.

RecipeGirl said...

Delicious looking muffins!

Happy, happy New Year to you!

Abitofafoodie said...

I spied these muffins in Nigella's book too and really wanted to make them over Christmas but didn't get around to it. I'm pleased to hear they were good, perhaps I'll give them a try in January to cheer up the January blues!
Happy New Year, Rosie. I look forward to another year of your wonderful treats and lovely posts!

J.L. Danger said...

Happy New Year Rosie! Glad to hear it has been so fun for you!

Uma said...

muffins look so mouth-watering. Happy new year!

Lore said...

The muffins look like a part of a perfect Christmas scenery.
Happy New Year Rosie, to you and yours!

Anonymous said...

Rosie dear,I just tagged you for a noble cause.hope you can do it.visit my blog plz.

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home said...

These look great, Rosie! (as always!)

Rosie said...

Thank you my 'dearest' friends :0)

Now the family have returned back to work today *Monday 5th Jan* I can now resume blogging properly and also visiting your wonderful blogs and your mouth watering creations!!

Best wishes to you all as always..

Rosie x

David Hall said...

Happy New Year Rosie!

Looking forward to more delectable delights from you in 2009.

Cheers
David x

Rosie said...

Thank you David!! I'm also looking forward to viewing all your wonderful creations in 2009 :)

Best wishes Rosie x

Maria♥ said...

Rosie, thanks for submitting this delicious recipe at S&SB. Your muffins look gorgeous!

Maria
x

Rosie said...

Hi Maria, ahhh thanks - it was a fitting bake for Christmas and such fun with the ballot at S&SB ;) It's always a pleasure to bake along with everyone at S&SB..

best wishes Rosie x

Gloria Baker said...

Many,many huggss Rosie!!! Gloria