Spiced Carrot Muffins

Quote from the book Muffin Galore-These muffin are really mini carrot cakes-perfect for lunchboxes and afternoon tea.

Made a batch of these muffins for office breakfast party on xmas eve, was dwelling on whether to put topping on the muffins as I thought some colleagues may not like to have cheese topping, finally decided not to add any toppings.

(Makes 12)
Ingredients:

300g plain flour
225g caster sugar (I reduce to 200g)
2tsp bicarbonate of soda
2tsp gound cinnamon
1 tsp salt
175ml vegetable oil (I use melted butter)
175ml milk
3eggs, lightly beaten
100g peeled carrot, grated
120g walnut, chopped
150g raisins

For topping (I didn't do)
85g cream cheese or full fat soft cheese, softened
40g butter, softened
125g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180deg C/350deg F/ Gas mark 4. Grease a 12cup muffin tin or line the cups with paper muffin cases.

2. For the muffins, mix the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, mix together the vegetable oil, milk and eggs. Add in the grated carrot, walnut and raisins to the dry ingredients, mix till combined. Add the well ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Mix briefly until just combined.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, dividing it evenly. Bake in the oven for 20-25min. or until risen and golden. Cool in the tin for 10min, then turn onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

4. For the topping, beat together the cream cheese or soft cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla extract until the topping is thick and speadable. Spread a large tablespoonful of the topping mixture on top of each muffin before serving.

Roast Turkey and Logcake

My sisters and their families came to my place for gathering during Christmas day. Each brought some food, which includes honey baked ham, roast pork, macaroni cheese, I did a roast turkey and some other simple dishes. Try my luck on a logcake too but my skill of doing the swiss roll sucks, end up the cake looks alittle collapse.
Thanks fellow blogger friend C for the beautiful Christmas card, all say the card it's a nice gift for the festival.

Valerie's Fruitcake

Learn this cake at Ms Valarie's class last year. This is the second time that I made the cake, thought that fruit cake will be nice addition for the office's Christmas party besides the usual turkey and logcakes. This time I replace the brown sugar with molasses, those who taste it said its nice as its not so sweet, also its not as hard as those selling outside.

Orange Poppy Seed Muffin

My friend Y(thanks Y!) gave me some poppy seeds many months ago, almost forgot about it till recently that this ingredient pop up in my mind, thought that muffin was the easiest recipe to use up this ingredient.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup (310g/10oz) self raising flour
1/4 cup (40g/ 1 1/4 oz) poppy seed
1/3 cup (90g/3oz) caster sugar
125g (4oz) unsalted butter
1 cup (315g/10oz) orange marmalade
1 cup (250ml/8 fl oz) milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp finely grated orange rind


Method:
1. Preheat the oven to moderately hot 200deg C (400deg F/Gas 6). Sift the flour into a bowl,. Stir in the poppy seed and sugar, make a well in the centre. Put butter and 2/3 cup (210g/7oz) ot the orange marmalade in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until butter has melted and the mixture is combined. Cool slightly.

2. Whisk together the milk, eggs and rind in a jug and pour into the well. Add the butter and marmalade. Fold gently with a metal spoon until just combined. Do not over mix- the batter should still be lumpy. Overmixing will make them tough.

3. Fill each muffin paper cup or muffin tin hole about three quarter full and bake for 20-25min, or until muffin are risen, golden and come away slightly from the tin. If use cup, skewer should come out clean when poke into the centre of the muffin.

4. Heat the remaining marmalade and push it through a fine sieve. Brush generously over the top of the warm muffin Leave them to cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp.