You all seem to be such proficient chefs. Well here is a place to share some of that cooking knowledge. Or do you have a cooking problem? Ask away. Jams and chutneys go here too.
i am on a quest to make the most perfect muffins but it is proving to be a greater quest than i initially thought... is there anybody who is brave and honourable enough o join the quest?!
i just can't get the darn things nice and light and to stay nice and light until the next day, i've tried all sorts of recipes from various books and google found pages but to no success... maybe it;s my technique??
According to Nigella, homemade muffins don´t really want to be " a dry mass of aerated wodge", they will be stodgy and you shouldn´t mix the batter til it is smooth, you want lumps and you shouldn´t expect them to last. If you want to eat them for breakfast the best thing you can do is the night before mix the dry ingredients and leave in a covered bowl and do the same with the wet (but keep in the fridge) so that making is quick in the morning.
baby-loving, earth-digging, bread-baking, jam-making, off-grid, off-road 21st century domestic goddess....
I tend to make muffins if I want comfort stodge and fairy cakes if I want something light. My muffins are like heavy fudgy gorgeousness and I have no complaints!
I have the perfect recipe for the lightest, fluffiest fairy cakes if you would like it. I guess you could make them into muffin sizes if you wanted to :)
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Here you go; this is adapted from the topping I make for bakewell tart and has a 'secret ingredient' which is basically rice flour. The addition of this to recipes makes them really light ;)
i also find, personally, that making your own SR flour rather than using shop bought gives you much more control over the finished texture.
cream 115g butter with 115g caster sugar
Beat in 1 egg
Mix in 115g plain flour
55g rice flour
15g baking powder
Add up to 150ml milk
You can add whatever you like as flavouring - choc chips, blueberries, grated lemon, coconut, vanilla essence....................
Bung into cake cases (you'll get about 30) or muffin cases (15?) and bake at 180 for around 15 minutes. My oven tends to be quick, so you'll need to check yours.
Have fun and do let me know how they turn out. keep really light with the beating and when you add the egg, really work some air in; just keep beating it until it's really smooth. The whisk in the rest of the ingredients quickly and don't play around with it too much or it starts to go elasticy and that's when the cakes get a bit heavy.
Use nice fresh eggs at room temp too ;)
HTH
Follow our family's progress as we work through our zero waste challenge: http://myzerowaste.com/
