Raspberry Strawberry Muffins

I'm still getting used to having stuff like raspberries and blueberries available to me right at the store, whenever I want. It's so much fun, each time I buy some to use for baking, I end up eating them plain, or with breakfast or something. And then I have to wait till I visit the store again before baking, and the cycle repeats. I finally managed to keep some away, since I had my eyes on these muffins since forever.

The muffins are so good! They're more of the healthy kind, especially since I used half whole wheat flour, than say these muffins, that were just sinful. These are perfect to go with your morning coffee [or are you a tea drinker?], they aren't too sweet, and perfectly soft, with busrts of flavor with the ample berries in it :)

Raspberry Strawberry Muffins

Adapted from Gingerbread Bagels via The Keenan Cookbook
Yield : A round dozen, if you don't make them teeny tiny like me

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups [240 g] all purpose flour  - I used half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup mix of raspberries and chopped strawberries
About 2 tbsp of turbinado or any other coarse sugar, to sprinkle on top [optional]

Instructions -

1. Preheat oven to 375 F [190 C]. Line a cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold this mixture into the above mixture, until just combined.
4. Now fold in the sour cream till incorporated. Add in the berries, fold and pour into prepared pan.
5. Sprinkle sugar on top, if using. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean, and the tops feel springy. Enjoy xx

Cinnamon Raisin Muffins... I am a graduate, baby!!

That's right! I've graduated. Woohoo.. This calls for a celebration, doesn't it. I shall soon bake something to celebrate, considering exams have finished just yesterday, haven't really had the time yet!!

It was 3 LONG years, but I've finally got through it all!! Now I'm free.. atleast until I decide what to do next.. I might do a Masters course, or maybe go my dream way and go to culinary school. I've been spending my time researching into the various options, and the pros and cons! Help would be much appreciated!

A few days before my exams began, I was experiencing an Intense craving to bake something, it's one of my best stress-busters!! I wanted to make something quick, easy, and something I could happily munch on without feeling too guilty, since I've quit working out for so long.

I didn't want to come online, I knew I would stay here for hours and hours. So I opened my most trusted book, Leith's Baking Bible and settled on these hearty muffins. They were healthy, oaty, and perfect breakfast food, but the most important thing was, they did not taste healthy, I hate those anyway. And these muffins were gobbled up like nobody's business. I was surprised to see a whole panful of them be eaten up, in less than a day. It may seem normal to you, but everyone's watching their weights in my home, so control is the mantra!



Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
Adapted from Leith's Baking Bible
Makes 12


For the muffins -

1 stick [113 g, 4 oz] butter, melted
150 ml [5 fl. oz, 2/3 cup] milk
2 eggs
115 g [4 oz, 1/2 cup] light brown sugar
2 tbsp caster sugar
125 g [4 1/2 oz, 1 cup] self raising flour - I used the usual substitute of 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda
125 g [4 1/2 oz, 1 cup] wholemeal plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
30 g [1 oz, 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp] rolled oats
170 g [6 oz, 1 cup] raisins

For the topping -

4 tbsp oats
1 1/2 tbsp flour
30 g butter, melted
1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions-

1. Preheat oven to 190 C [375 F]. Grease and line a muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, milk, eggs and sugars. Be sure to let the butter come down to room temperature, you don't want to cook the eggs!
3. In a small bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir in the oats.
4. Add the wet ingredients, making sure not to overmix. This is the single most important secret to baking soft fluffy muffins.
5. Fold in the raisins, gently, and pour into the pans.
6. Now for the topping, mix together the melted butter, oats, flour, and sugar. Sprinkle evenly over the muffins.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

These were the perfect guilt-free, delicious breakfast muffins. I also turned them into a dessert by eating them with ice-cream. Yumm!!

Double Chocolate Muffins... Blogs? Huh?

These double chocolate muffins are simply unbeatable! Rich, buttery, chocolatey, and totally satisfying! I make these a LOT! And they are extra special because, they are what introduced me to the Blogosphere. I was once looking for a good recipe, to make for my boyfriend who had requested chocolate muffins! Annd I landed on Meeta's amazing blog! Before that, I had no idea what blogs were, had just heard of them, hers was the first blog I actually saw!

And how! I went through her ENTIRE blog, at a stretch! I was hooked! I then went to soo many other blogs on her blogroll! I read through many of those blogs too, entirely!! I had no idea what a reader was, so I used to check back regularly for new post! Then, I discovered reader, many new blogs along the way, and now, here I am with my own blog! In a way, I owe to blog to her! Thanks, Meeta! xoxo




Double Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from What's For Lunch, Honey
Makes 15

Ingredients:
30 g unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
100 g semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup [170 g] semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup [120 g] all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup [210 g] brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup whole milk
1 stick [1/2 cup, 113g] unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions -

1. Preheat oven to 180 C [350 F]. Grease/line a muffin pan.
   
2. Melt the chopped unsweetened and semisweet chocolates in a double boiler or in the microwave. Allow to cool slightly
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs at low speed, or by hand.
5. Add the brown sugar, milk, vanilla and melted butter, stir until incorporated.
6. Now pour in the melted chocolate mixture, and mix well.
7. Pour this mixture into dry flour mixture.
8. Stir until just moistened;, do not over mix. - The batter will be very liquidy. Dont worry!
   
9. Gently fold the chocolate chips into batter, I like to sprinkle a few on top of the muffins as well.
10. Pour into prepared muffin pan, only pouring until 2/3 full.
11. Bake for 20 to 25 mins, or until mufins test done.
12. Cool, and serve. [Though these taste absolutely fantastic warm from the oven]
    

Any words I'll use to describe these, in my opinion, will fall flat in comparison to Meeta's words, so I'm just going to paste those instead! "WOW! The ultimate chocolate muffin for the ultimate chocolate fan! These were so fluffy and rich that with every bite you know something so good must be a sin!"