Muffin Series II

In the attempt to understand my friend, Mr Muffin better, I decided to make both bready muffins and cakey muffins at the same time for direct comparison. Greg came home to hills of muffins. Eyebrows raised but no complaints there.

I have come to the conclusion that what we usually get outside in coffee places are generally Bready Muffins. Therefore, muffins are generally called quick bread. Bready muffins if well made are very close to a cake with similar texture, moist and soft. The only slight difference is in the crumbs. Bready muffins are rougher in its crumbs, the airholes are slightly bigger and hence, making it side towards bread.

Cakey muffins are soft even on the side, crumbs are more refined and airholes smaller.

This is because of beating butter with sugar and hence, cutting off the gluten in the flour. So it really does not matter whichever one you're making. Both of them are rather close. But bready muffins take slightly less equipment.

Banana Walnut Muffins

I previously blogged about Banana Muffins, which is the bready one. This one is a cakey recipe, I added walnuts to increase the crunch. Greg's verdict- Love it. What's new?! He loves anything bananas.

125 gm of butter
110 gm of castor sugar
2 no of eggs
4 medium bananas (approx 200 gm or slightly more), mashed with potatos masher
125 gm of fresh milk
240 gm of plain flour
1 teasp of baking powder
1 teasp of baking soda
Oops i forgot walnuts 50 gm roughly chopped (edited)

1) Beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Add egg one at a time. Beat well with each addition.

2) Stop beating. Add sifted dry ingredients, alternating with milk and bananas. Stir with hand whisk til combined. But no need creamy smooth so that gluten are not overdeveloped.

3) Alternate until all ingredients are in. Scope into muffin cups to about 60% height of cups. Bake at preheat oven at 165 deg celcius without fan for approximately 25 - 30min. Test for doneness. If a few crumbs stick on skewer, muffins are ready.

4) Serve warm with butter.

White Choc Strawberry Muffins

This is another bready muffin recipe, which is quick to make.

250 gm of plain flour
1 1/2 teasp of baking powder
1 1/2 teasp of baking soda
100 gm of castor sugar
60 gm of frozen or fresh strawberry, cut to small pieces.
60 gm of white choc, chopped to small pcs
1 no of egg
110 gm of butter
125 gm of fresh milk

1) Melt butter and let it cool to luke warm. Add fresh milk. Beat egg up and add to wet mixture.

2) Sift all dry ingredients with sugar into a large bowl. Add strawberry and choc. Stir so that flour stick on to choc and strawberry.

3) Combine wet and dry. In about 10 to 15 strokes wet all dry ingredients. Mixture should be still very lumpy. Scope into muffin cups to about 60 % of cups height.

4) Bake in preheat oven of 165 with no fan. Bake for about 25 to 30 min. Test with skewer. If there are some crumbs sticking to skewer, the muffins are done. Do not over stir or over bake for bready muffins.

Hopefully, we all understand and appreciate muffins better after this. If anyone has anything to share, do drop a few words.