Simple Simnel Muffins Recipe

Simnel Muffins Recipe

Are you a dried fruit and spice lover like me? No? Try this muffin recipe and I expect a change of opinion. If you said yes then hooray! You're going to go absolutely head over heels for these super easy full of flavour muffins.
   As Easter is fast approaching, these Easter muffins are a great and flavourful Spring dessert recipe, guaranteed to impress your celebrating friends and family. What I love most about these muffins are how the flavours and spices used are reminiscent of the flavours used throughout fall and winter, but sweeter and not quite as heavy and dense.

Morning Baking at it's finest

Using simple ingredients you most likely already own, these are great for a fiber packed snack, breakfast or dessert.

This recipe uses 3 different spices and 4 different dried fruits, you may add or omit as you desire, this is a great chance to experiment!

Makes 12 - 20.

Ingredients

110g Butter

50g Granulated Sugar

60g Brown Demerara Sugar
2 Eggs
Zest and juice of an Orange

110g Self-Raising Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 and 1/2 Tsp Mixed Spice

1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

1/2 Tsp Ginger (Optional)
1 to 2 Tbsp Milk

Dried Fruit (I used Raisins, Sultanas, Dried apple chunks, Dried Cranberries)
90g Marzipan (Optional)

Optional; 

1 Tsp Glaze Icing (for each muffin)

Driedfruit, Nuts or Mini Chocolate Eggs to decorate

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180C and line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and add the zest and juice.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder and spices until well combined, adding milk until the mixture is of dropping consistency.
• Fold in the dried fruit.
• Fill muffin cases to approx. 1/3 full and place a piece of marzipan in the centre before covering with more mixture until 3/4 full. (If omitting the marzipan, then simply fill until 3/4 full).
• Bake for approx. 20 - 25 mins. (Until golden brown and firm to the touch).
• Allow to cool and decorate with a tsp of glaze icing and decorations of choice.
• Best eaten within approx. 2 days of baking.
  
  

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Use the left over orange zest / juice to flavour the icing.
• For more of an Easter theme, make small easter fondant decorations such as mini rabbits, rabbit ears, ducklings or eggs!
• Candied orange peel also makes a great decoration.
  
  

Cara X

Honey, Apple & Apricot Crumble

Apple & Apricot Crumble

Brrrr! The festive season may be over, but the weather is still a winter blizzard it seems. It would seem that all over the globe people have been complaining over the neverending cold, wet and windy weather, so here's a little recipe that is sure to comfort and warm you up for the hard cold nights ahead! This recipe is my sweet and sugary version of a traditional apple crumble recipe, so if you don't have a big sweet tooth (like me!) you may want to use a little less sugar. (Though we both know that's not going to happen..!)

Home cooking at it's best!

Ready in approx. 40minutes, this winter warmer is jam packed full of homely and comforting flavours that you and your friends and family are sure to love. 

You can just about smell the apples through the screen can't you...

Ingredients

4 to 5 Large Apples

20 Dried Apricots

55g Granulated Sugar (or caster)

30g brown demerara sugar (or any similar brown, such as muscovado)

50 to 60ml Water (boiled)

2 tsp Honey (I used Spanish Forest, though any honey will do!)

For the crumble:

115g Self-Raising Flour

110g Brown Demerara (or muscovado)

60 to 80g Butter

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 to 2 tsp Nutmeg

Directions

• Grease a baking tray and preheat an oven to 180
• Peel, core and chop apples into chunks.
• In a large saucepan, combine apples, water and both sugars, cooking over a low to medium heat (covered) for approx. 10 mins (until apples are soft and cooked).
• For the crumble, combine flour, sugar and butter in a large bowl.
• Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Rub in the cinnamon.
• When apples are near done, add in the honey and apricots and stir.
• Place apple mixture into a tray and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle the crumble over the apples evenly and press down until top is fairly even.
• Sprinkle the nutmeg on top, along with some cinnamon and brown sugar if you wish.
• Bake for approx. 25 to 30 mins (until browned on top).

Tips & Serving ideas

• This dish is best served hot with cream, ice cream or custard!
• Try adding fruits such as peaches, raisins and sultanas.
• Instead of honey, try golden, maple or agave syrup!

Cara X

Welsh Cakes Recipe

Authentic Welsh Cakes Recipe

Being Welsh, the family have always loved these native cakes as a treat, especially on cold wintery nights! Although a little like scones, they are lighter, and smaller, and have a more fruity and baked flavour. While scones seem (to me anyway!) more of a Spring dessert, I have always associated Welsh Cakes with Winter and the very beginning of Spring (due to March 1st being the patron St.David's national day!). Speaking to those from other countries, I've been surprised to find not only that they were not familiar with the dessert (of course every country have their takes on different desserts) but that they were not very aware of the country of Wales in itself. In these cases, that's when I get my spatula out and start cooking up some of these babies! For March 1st this year, why not have a go yourself at making these delicious fruit cakes and see for yourself? You might just find yourself eating 2 or 3...or 6.

Ingredients

230g Self-Raising Flour

120g Butter 

85g Granulated Sugar

1 Medium Egg

A Handful each of Raisins/Sultanas

A few splashes of Milk (as needed)

Optional;

Mixed Spice

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Directions

• In a large bowl, rub the flour into the butter using your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
• With a spoon, combine the sugar.
• Whisk in the egg and add the dried fruit.
• Combine the mixture, firstly with a spoon, until it begins to collect together. Use your hands to form a dough ball. (If the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. If it is too wet, add more flour).
• Roll out the dough with a rolling pin onto a floured surface to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch in thickness.
• Using a cookie cutter, cut out rounds until all the dough is used up.
• Grease a griddle or frying pan with butter and heat on a medium heat (a too high temperature will cause the cakes to burn on the outside without cooking on the inside).
• Place 4 to 5 cakes on the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side (until brown) before flipping. (It is helpful here to flip alternatively to evenly cook the cakes without burning the outside).
• Cook until the outside is brown or slightly black in colour (Many people like these best when slightly burnt.. as do I!).
• Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tips & Serving ideas

• These are delicious warm or cold, but are best when warm!
• Serve with butter and/or jam.
• For an autumn and comforting feel, you can add some cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice to the mix to give it a little something extra! (In this case, I prefer them with some sliced banana and honey!)

Cara X