Easy Muffins to Bake

I think I have been driving everyone crazy with pictures of all the Muffins I have been baking recently and then there was a little shout for the recipe.

When my fitness podcast tells me to have bit of fruit and a
glass of water this is totally what it means right!?

So here goes.

This is a really simple recipe and only takes a few minutes to get into the oven so perfect for morning bakes. I found the original recipe over on Attic24 only it was in grams and I don't do grams so I converted it (I cant say for certain how it works if you use metric weights).

I have tried other oil based muffin recipes before and always found them claggy and well not very nice but this is truly lovely and mouse recommended and I am sure you could use a non dairy milk to make them dairy free.

The Dry Ingredients
4oz (125g) Self Raising Flour
2 oz (50g) Caster Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

The Wet Ingredients
4 tablespoons (60ml) Milk
2 tablespoons (30ml) Sunflower Oil (you could use other oil)
1 Egg
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (you can use essence or flavouring)

The Extras
Fruit of your choice - fresh or frozen (I don't have a quantity as I add fruit to my muffin cases)
Granola to sprinkle on top prior to baking (optional)

Bake
180C / Gas 4 (for my fan oven I put it on at about 175C)
25 Minutes

Yield: 6
And according to MyFitnessPal when I put in the recipe details each muffin is about 175 calories (made with whole milk)
*Please note calorie information is not accurate as you know calculated by me and an app*

Method:
Weigh dry ingredients and place in a bowl (if you want to get all technical you should sift the flour, but who has time for that).

In a jug or another bowl measure out the wet ingredients and mix together with a fork.

Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and mix together with a spoon, this will form your cake batter.

At this point you can add your fruit directly to the mix, but I prefer to wait.

Divide mix between 6 muffin cases and try to not eat too much of the raw cake mix (a weakness of mine). Now this is when I add the fruit, I generally use frozen (and in my case raspberries). I press in 3 to 4 berries per case - but experiment. I then sprinkle granola on top (you know that bit that's left at the bottom of the container that no one wants to eat? Yeah that, its perfect for use as the topping).

Put in the oven and then distract yourself while its baking. I feed the zoo, unload and reload the dishwasher etc.

And then ...

 Enjoy

Whatcha got Momma, can weez have some?

Cheese Scones

What is it about cheese scones?

They are yummy, yummy comfort food and super quick for a nice warming lunch time treat.

And yet the world seems divided into those who can and those who cant make a scone.

I have been making scones since I was little and I use a trusted and well tested recipe. Its not a secret and I am going to share.

So the recipe is from my coveted cookbook

The Diary Book of Home Cookery - by Sonia Allison
(C) Milk Marketing Board of England and Wales - 1977

I in fact have two copies - the one that I don't use, the one that's complete.

Then there is the one I inherited from my Mum. The one that I learnt to cook with. The one that shows it has been well used:

It fell apart and I recovered it when I was a teenager.
If you look through the book then you will find doodles and scribbles by me when I was little.
This book does hold so many memories.

So to make scones.

All purpose Scones 

200g/8oz self-raising flour

1/2 level teaspoon salt

50g/2oz butter

125ml/1/4 pint milk

Extra milk for brushing

1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl
2. Rub in butter finely
3. Add milk all at once. Mix to soft, but not sticky, dough with knife
4. Turn on to lightly floured board. Kneed quickly until smooth
5. Roll out to about 1cm / 1/4in thickness
6. Cut into 9 or 10 rounds with 6cm / 2 1/2in biscuit cutter
7. Transfer to buttered baking tray. Brush tops with milk (this is key do not let the milk run down the sides or they wont rise)
8. Bake towards the top of hot oven (230 C / 450 F / Gas No. 8) for 7 - 10 minutes (or until well risen and golden brown)
9. Cool on wire rack. Serve with butter or whipped cream and jam, or butter and cheese.

Now thats the basic - want to make them into cheese scones? Yes. Well its simple:

Cheese Scones

1. follow recipe above
2. Add 1 level teaspoon dry mustard and pinch of Cayenne pepper with the flour and salt
3. Mix in 50g/2oz very finely grated Cheddar cheese before adding the milk.