2008-12-02
Christmas Morning Muffins
These muffins are a quick and easy bake for 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. We have given slight changes in this recipe at S & S B for anyone who is unable to source certain produce outside the U.K.
This recipe is sourced and adapted from Nigella Christmas cookbook. A very beautiful book by, The Domestic Goddess’s herself and it definitely is worth purchasing for all the magnificent festive recipes inside.
This recipe is sourced and adapted from Nigella Christmas cookbook. A very beautiful book by, The Domestic Goddess’s herself and it definitely 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.
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.
*Christmas Morning*
If you wish to bake these muffins on Christmas morning for breakfast; you could measure out the dry ingredients the night before into a bowl and cover over, and also pop the muffin cases into the muffin tin. Then on the day, preheat the oven, add the grated zest to the dry ingredients and whisk up the wet ingredients. Mix the mixture together as above and scoop the mixture into the muffins cases and bake as above.
Please note also: The date of posting this bake on your blog will be the 2nd of January 2009 for this event. This is due to Bank Holiday New Years Day when festivities are still ongoing here in the U.K. and around the world.
Many thanks for your cooperation and wishing you all here at S. & S. B. from Maria & I ~ A Very Happy Christmas and A Happy New Year 2009.
2 December 2008 at 14:05
Ciao belle ragazze !Clementine is a relative of the orange, right? (no seeds and very fine peel )
2 December 2008 at 14:38
Hi Natalia, yes Clementine is a relative of the orange with no/hardly any seeds and thin peel. Orange would work just as well in this recipe but using only 1 orange. I had thought that in some Countries Clementine or Satsuma may not be available.
Best wishes Rosie x
3 December 2008 at 13:47
I am so excited to use clementines. I love them. In the US I cannot find demera sugar but substiture turbinado instead. This gives muffins or cookies a nice crunch.
4 December 2008 at 19:16
Hi Lisa, clementines to me evoke Christmas! Every year in my stocking as a child I would find a clementine nestling at the bottom.
Turbinado sugar is a new one to me but glad you have a good substitute for Demerara sugar :)
Best wishes Rosie x
12 December 2008 at 07:19
Hi these look wonderful...Could I possibly use the cranberry pie filling (Nigella Feast) that I have just made or would this be too heavy..I have no dried cranberries and would love to give this a go now. Many thanks
2 January 2009 at 11:40
Hi Jacqui,
I must apologise for not getting back to you quickly, due to illness in my family.
If I am honest here, I am not quite sure how these muffins would turn out using cranberry pie filling instead of dried cranberries. My thoughts I have would it make the mixture too wet?? You have me intrigued now if you did make them with the filling it would be lovely if you could share with us how your muffins turned out.
Best wishes Rosie x
6 January 2009 at 11:36
i must apologize for not doing the bake this time. has been a crazy few weeks. hope to do the january bake! :)