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Blueberry Crumble Muffins
Muffins were developed around the end of the 18th Century. This is when pearlash, or potassium carbonate was adventurously added to a dough. The leavening agent added carbon dioxide gas to the dough, allowing it to rise considerably and resulted in a lighter cakey texture. Pearlash was actually exported to Europe in large quantities until baking powder was developed commercially around the 1860's.
Probably the easiest and most satisfying thing to bake - Muffins.
Muffins were developed around the end of the 18th Century. This is when pearlash, or potassium carbonate was adventurously added to a dough. The leavening agent added carbon dioxide gas to the dough, allowing it to rise considerably and resulted in a lighter cakey texture. Pearlash was actually exported to Europe in large quantities until baking powder was developed commercially around the 1860's.
So with that little history lesson - let's move on to the recipe and discover how easy it is to make these delicious blueberry muffins. Get dirty and mix with your hands (that's what baking is all about!) and always be in a happy mood when you bake - believe it or not, this affects the end result.
THE INGREDIENTS - CRUMBLE
125g plain unbleached white flour
60g unrefined caster sugar
60g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
a pinch of salt
THE METHOD - CRUMBLE
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until a rough large bread crumb consistency. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
THE INGREDIENTS - MUFFINS
115g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
240mls whole fresh milk
2 medium eggs
400g plain unbleached flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
200g unrefined caster sugar
250g fresh or frozen blueberries
pinch of fine sea salt
THE METHOD - MUFFINS
Preheat the oven to 180'C. Brush muffin tin with butter and dust lightly with plain flour. Turn the tin upside down to remove excess flour. Place the prepared muffin tin in the fridge until the batter is ready.
Put flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a large mixing bowl
Add the cubed butter to the flour mix and rub in with your finger tips until you reach a fine bread crumb consistency.
In a small mixing bowl or jug, add milk and eggs. Stir until combined and then add to the flour/butter mix. Stir until just incorporated.
Lastly, add the blueberries and mix through until the fruit is evenly dispersed. Don't over mix your muffin batter as the end muffin result will be a dry hard muffin.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin which should be nice and chilled. Fill the holes right to the top of the tin. When the muffins rise they will spill over and create a lovely muffin top.
Finally, add 2.5 tablespoons of the prepared crumble to the top of the wet muffin mix in the tins. Pack down lightly.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes (depending on the quality of your oven) until lovely and golden. Allow to cool slightly before turning them out onto a cooling rack.
Eat them fresh out of the oven with a good strong cup of coffee and you are ready to start your week!!!
Store in an airtight container for a few days or you can also freeze these muffins.
NOTE: you can make the crumble in advance and have it already frozen for when you have the urge to make crumble muffins or a basic fruit crumble. Add any fresh or frozen fruit to this recipe if you are not too partial to blueberries
Banana and Oat Crumble Muffins
Being back in Australia, I am overwhelmed by the giant food portions here but I am extremely happy to find a good muffin with a solid top quite frequently. I’m not really sure why there aren’t many good muffin choices to be found in Singapore - I mean, cake for breakfast, who wouldn’t want that?
It’s really quite easy to bake a good muffin and just as easy to bake a bad muffin that is too dry, not full of enough ingredients and the worst - doesn’t have a muffin top.
So here is a simple recipe for a banana and oat muffin with a crispy muffin top. Let me know what you think and if you have any other flavour combinations you would like me to make!
It’s a short and sweet kind of day. Less talk, more baking.
Enjoy your weekend xx
Cake for breakfast? Blasphemy. Muffins for breakfast - ok sure!
How muffins are acceptable for breakfast and cake is not, is still a mystery to me but I will eat either at any time of the day. The essence of a good muffin is the muffin top, without it, we can just call it a naked cupcake.
Muffins are a ‘quick bread’ that is a result of the inclusion of pearlash into baked goods. Pearlash (potassium carbonate), the world’s first chemical leavener, was introduced into American households in the 18th Century. Before this, ‘cakes’ and bread used yeast as a raising agent (read more about yeast and bread history). Today in baking we use baking soda/bicarbonate soda which is a white crystalline powder that is alkaline. When it comes into contact with an acidic product (yoghurt, buttermilk etc) or liquid, it creates carbon dioxide, air bubbles are created and your bake. goods rise.
Whether muffins are good for you or not, if you eat them for breakfast or any time of the day, you deserve a little treat now and then. If you are baking for a smaller crowd, this recipe can also be halved. Happy baking, enjoy and let me know how those muffins turn out!
THE INGREDIENTS
Muffin Batter180g wholemeal flour
100g unbleached white flour
100g brown sugar
100g white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ginger powder
100g toasted oats
pinch of fine sea salt
350g really ripe bananas (3-4)
120g unsalted butter, melted
100g natural yoghurt
2 medium eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Oat Crumble
80g oats
50g plain unbleached flour
60g brown sugar
60g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
pinch of fine sea salt salt
1 extra banana for garnish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180’C
Grease a 12 whole muffin tin with butter or oil. Sprinkle a small amount of flour of it and tip out the excess
In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, sugar, spices and baking powder.
In a separate bowl, mash up the bananas with a fork really well. Then add eggs, vanilla and melted butter and mix until smooth
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until combined. Make sure you do not over mix as this will work the gluten in the flour and make the muffins dry and tough.
For the oat crumble, Add flour, salt, sugar and oats into a small bowl. Rub in butter until the mixture comes together in clumps. Set aside
Fill up the muffin tins with the batter, leaving about 1cm space from the top (this will ensure a good muffin top)
Sprinkle the muffin batter with the oat crumble mixture evenly
Slice the banana (if using), diagonally and place into the centre of each muffin.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are brown and cooked through (check with a sharp knife or cake tester inserted in the middle, it should come out clean)
Allow muffins to cool in the tin before turning out onto a cooling rack
Enjoy for breakfast, lunch or dinner :)
