Sunday 17 July 2011

Nectarine and redcurrant muffins - Random Recipes


For Dom's random recipe challenge I pulled down a few of the baking books I consider my favourites, and then tried really, really hard to decide which was my favourite. I eventually decided on 'On Baking' by Sue Lawrence which regular readers will know that I've mentioned quite a few times on the blog. It's just such a lovely book - there's always something in there that I want to make, and she gives a little background to each recipe, be it a brief historical reference or a family anecdote. This makes it a really good book to read for pleasure, as well as having delicious recipes. The random number generator indicated page 66 was the one to go for:
And on page 66 can be found the recipe for crunchy-topped raspberry and cinnamon muffins. Yum. I adapted them slightly to use the ingredients I had around, which didn't include dairy milk (I've probably mentioned before that I don't have cereal with milk and don't drink tea or coffee, which pretty much renders milk unneeded in my house) so I substituted some rice milk that is in a handy little carton, and keeps for ages rather than constantly having a pint of milk going off in my fridge. And obviously, I substituted the fruit. But I still think I'm keeping to the random recipe nature of the challenge - after all, fruit is fruit!


Rather proudly, my muffins contain homegrown redcurrants!!! They're pretty much the only thing I've managed to grow this year, so I'm particularly pleased with them! And yes, I know you can't tell they're homegrown, but I promise they are!

I also made 6 muffins, which I think you'll agree is the correct amount. The recipe specifies that these ingredients make 12. Yes, 12 for the citizens of Lilliput....

Anyway, this is what I did:

Redcurrant and nectarine muffins (dairy free)
Ingredients
140g self raising flour
55g caster sugar
1 egg, beaten
3tbsp sunflower oil
3tbsp rice milk
1 nectarine, chopped fairly small
45g redcurrants
demerara sugar for sprinkling

Method
- Preheat the oven to gas 5/190C. Line a 6 hole muffin tin (or, obviously, 6 of you usual 12 hole muffin tin!)
- Mix together the flour and sugar in a large bowl.
- Mix together the rice milk, oil and egg in a jug.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until no flour remains, adding the fruit near the end of mixing.
- Divide between the six cases, sprinkle with demerara sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden.


This was a great random challenge, because I probably wouldn't have made these otherwise and they were quick, easy and tasty, which is a winning combination in my book! The muffin was light and moist and the crunchy sugar on the top was a lovely contrast to the springy, soft muffin. The bursts of fruit were very welcome, as was the knowledge that these are low in saturated fat and relatively low in fat in general, with just under a tbsp of sunflower oil each. Very successful, and I might make them again with different fruit if I want a light textured muffin. But I really don't think I could have got 12 out of the recipe.

11 comments:

Kate@whatkatebaked said...

These look the perfect muffin to curl up on the sofa with, together with the Sunday papers on a wet afternoon like this one today!

Unknown said...

Oooh they look yummy. I'm going to have to get that book it sounds very good. I love a good bit of muffin action and these really do look good!! Thanks for taking part and supporting again!! Dom x

The Caked Crusader said...

Love the way you can see the raspberry oozing up against the paper case - divine!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Great looking muffins and I love that you used the random generator to choose your recipe. A real stroke of genius :)

Jo Power said...

Lovely looking muffins. Going off to try and make them for myself then eat them with a nice cup of tea. Thank you for sharing. xx

Chele said...

Ever so impressed with how well you stick to the 'random' part of teh challenge, very techno of you
;0)
And there is noway you can beat a good homebaked muffin, they look and sound scrummy.

Please Do Not Feed The Animals. said...

I am so impressed with your redcurrants.
I would want a decent sized muffin for breakfast so you were right to just make 6.
I am also impressed with your random number generation. I just hope this doesn't mean we all have to follow suit!!! No room for chaeting at all - aaarghh. Hee hee.
Lou.

Choclette said...

Your redcurrants are brilliant, well done for growing them. We planted a redcurrant bush this year so I'm crossing fingers for next year! The muffins sound delicious - did you not use cinnamon in the end?

Anonymous said...

What perfect looking redcurrants! Muffins look delish too! :)

Caroline said...

Kate - a muffin and the paper sounds just excellent!

Dom - thanks. It's a great book, I thoroughly recommend it!

CC - thanks.

Jac - well, I couldn't cheat could I now ;-)

Jo - I hope you liked them if you got round to making them. Thanks for commenting.

Chele - thank you!

Lou - thank you. I was impressed with the redcurrants too, hence the boast!

Choclette - thank you! Redcurrants are all I've managed this year, I've been very, very lazy in the garden. I didn't use cinnamon, I thought it wouldn't really go with my summer fruit.

Celia - thanks!

Anonymous said...

These look gorgeous. I don't think I've seen redcurrants in anything like this before. I actually saw some which were really good value when I was shopping earlier today but I didn't buy them as I didn't know what I could use them for. Now I wish I'd got them!

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