Moist Apple Crumble Cupcakes with Cinnamon Icing

 Since my last post in which I mentioned stalkers, a few have come out of the woodwork. While I can't do much about keeping them away, we can all do something about keeping another person at bay.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Even better if it's an apple inside a cake, topped with cinnamon butter icing and delicious crumble mixture--even better if that cake happens to be moist and delicious and speckled with more cinnamon. Oh my. This is such a delicious treat for those random afternoon teas with friends, and it really is easy to put together.
My beautiful older sister used to make this as a tea cake without the icing and the crumble. I think it's traditionally an English tea cake called the Dorset Tea Cake. I have very fond childhood memories of this cake--I would literally crave it. And it's delicious which ever way you choose to make it.
I have not referenced the source of this recipe for one reason--It comes from the scrappy, torn and browned archives of the recipe drawer in the kitchen at home, handwritten by my mother. There's no knowing where it came from.

MOIST APPLE CRUMBLE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON ICING

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups self raising flour
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
5 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in the egg and the milk. Add the dry ingredients and beat until a thick smooth mixture forms. Add the apple slices and incorporate. Spoon into greased cupcake liners and smooth the tops. Bake for approximately 3/4 of an hour or until golden and cooked through when skewered.

To make the icing:

1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp brown sugar, heaped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp cream
water as needed

Add butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and icing sugar in a medium bowl with the cream. Whip with the electric beaters until thick and smooth, adding water if necessary to achieve the desired thickness. If your frosting turns out too runny, you can add more icing sugar to thicken it.

To make the crumble topping:

1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp plain flour
pinch of cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms a sort of crumbly mixture. You may add more butter to reach the desired consistency if need be.  Dry this mixture out under the grill on medium for 1-2 minutes. Top the cupcakes with the icing and then scatter this crumble mixture over the tops.

Banana Muffins with Cinnamon Walnuts and Brown Butter Icing

It's a banana muffin. But it's sporting a gorgeous and scrumptious topping of sticky cinnamon-brown sugar walnuts, browned butter icing and a swirl of caramel sauce. When you sink your teeth into this delectable muffin you can feel the smoothness of the icing, the stickiness of the caramel, the firm yet soft crunch of the walnut and the moistness of the banana cake. It's a perfect combo of flavour and textures with just the right amount of sweetness.
For those who are counting calories or are fussy, feel free to leave off the caramel or the icing, or both. You will definitely want to keep the walnuts, and they're good for you, as is the cinnamon the are coated in. They also make a delicious snack on their own. But I warn you, they are highly addictive!
In the recipe I followed for the walnuts, they are not supposed to stay sticky (I must have made an error with the temperatures--my candy thermometer is out perhaps?) They are supposed to dry out and are like candied walnuts. Either way they will be delicious atop this lovely banana muffin!I think the walnuts on their own would make a very pretty Christmas gift, tied up in a clear cellophane bag with some red ribbon. That is, if they don't stay as sticky as mine turned out! Keep and eye on your candy thermometer and you'll be fine.

BANANA MUFFINS WITH STICKY CINNAMON WALNUTS & BROWN BUTTER ICING  
(A Lick the Spoon Original with walnuts adapted from Eat Good 4 Life)

Muffins:

1 1/4 cup Self Raising flour
1/4 level tsp. bicarbonated soda
1/2 level tsp salt
85g butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 bananas, mashed

Walnuts:
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
150g walnuts

Icing:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup thickened cream

To make the muffins, sift flour, bicarb soda and salt together in a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add the beaten egg a little at a time, beating after a each addition until well combined. Add the mashed banana and beat again.  Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. pour mixture into muffin trays or paper liners. Bake at 180C for about 1 hour or until firm on the surface and golden brown.

Meanwhile, to make the sticky cinnamon walnuts, place brown sugar, milk, cinnamon and salt in a small saucepan. Place on medium heat and whisk until the mixture comes to the boil.
Boil the mixture on a lower heat until it reaches 115C on the candy thermometer. Remove from heat and stir through the vanilla, then the walnuts.
Spoon onto baking paper and separate any clumps. Let to cool.

To make the icing, place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When melted, reduce the heat and swirl the butter in small circular motions. The melted butter should foam and begin to turn amber. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, place the other ingredients. When the butter has cooled, add to the icing mixture and beat into a thick icing.

To assemble, remove the cooled muffins from the pan and add a dollop of icing to each. Top with sticky walnuts and serve with caramel topping or sauce, if desired.

NOTES:

Banana Blueberry Muffins

While waiting for my new darling to arrive, I've been trying to get a few good freezables stocked up for my darling husband and those who might come over for a peek of our little bundle. No, not just lasagnes (although they do freeze particularly well), but some sweets too. Cake never goes astray! (not in this household anyway) And it usually stores quite well.
So here's a batch of banana blueberry muffins to tide everyone over the waiting period. No one can be living in such impatience as I! I wonder if they'll last? I may just have to make another batch. Somehow these muffins feel healthier than my usual posts.
Bring on the low carbs and antioxidants! (these may be neutralized by the icing....I wouldn't know! Feel free to indulge in them without the white drizzling...they're just as tasty.)

MINI BANANA BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
6 oz sugar
3 oz butter
2 eggs
2 ripe or over-ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
7 oz Self Raising flour
1/4 level tsp. bicarb soda
1/2 level tsp. salt
extra blueberries for decorating
1 cup icing sugar
1-2 tbsp water

Beat the sugar and butter together until creamy. Add the eggs one by one, beating well between each addition.
Beat through the blueberries and bananas.
Place flour, soda and salt on top of this mixture and stir through until well combined.
Scoop batter into 35 greased mini muffin tray holes/patty pans. Bake at 180C for approximately 15-20  minutes until golden and firm. Remove and cool.
Combine icing sugar and a little water to make a thin icing paste. Drizzle over the muffins and serve with extra blueberries if desired.

NOTES: Makes approximately 35 mini muffins or 15 regular sized muffins. Instead of using icing to drizzle over the tops, you could substitute for a sprinkle of icing sugar or a swirl of melted white chocolate.

Mini Choc Fudge Cupcakes With Strawberries

There's a few wonderful things about living in Queensland. For one, winter doesn't last very long and we have more than half the year of beautiful tropical summer weather, and summer fruit. For that we pay the price by sweltering through the humidity, but when I sit down with a punnet of strawberries or a sticky mango, I tend to think its well worth it.
Since the February floods, everything has been so expensive, due to crop damage I suppose. Bananas are at $15.00 a kg at the moment and up until very recently, you couldn't buy a punnet of strawberries for under $5.00. But the warmer weather is on its way and prices are dropping. Hence I found myself with a punnet of strawberries and a million ideas whizzing through my head.
Chocolate and Strawberries.
Does that combination ever fail?
I think not.

MINI CHOC FUDGE CUPCAKES WITH STRAWBERRIES

250g butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180C.
Melt the butter and the sugar in a saucepan and stir. Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl. Pour the butter mixture, eggs, and vanilla into the flour mixture and combine thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips and stir through. Spoon the mixture into a silicone mini muffin tray (alternatively muffin cases) and cook for 20 minutes or until firm. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing. Ice with strawberry butter icing and slices of strawberry.

NOTES: To make icing, use strawberry jam for flavouring and for that subtle pink colouring. Recipe makes approximately 12 regular sized cupcakes, and about 35 mini cupcakes.

 Just because they photographed so well...I couldn't resist!!

Pear Crumble Breakfast Muffin Love

Easter is looming...that fat season where any amount of chocolate inhaled or ingested is acceptable, and the extra pounds are to be expected. Kids gorge themselves and are sick the whole night through (although mine wont be eating chocolate yet) and spend most of Easter Day with chocolate rings around their mouths. So, I've decided to hold off on the chocolatey recipes until Easter is over and every one has recovered from their chocolate hangovers. This will allow you to enjoy Easter gorging without spoiling your appetites.
Anyway, for something a little healthier sounding...Pear Crumble Breakfast muffins. Have you ever been running late for work and had no time to get the cereal into your stomach, because its too chunky to simply pour down your throat as you head out the door? That's where breakfast muffins come in. Giant sized muffins full of fruit, energy and even...a bit of muesli on top.
I've seen pictures of muffins with crumble on top and I knew that I just had to try and replicate something that looked so yummy. They were surprisingly simple to make and taste SO GOOD! (especially just out of the oven) They have a delightfully sweet crumbly topping with a deliciously moist centre--the recipe for addiction. Now my mind is drifting to thoughts of adding chocolate Milo to the crumble mixture......lets leave that delicious thought for after Easter.
My husband has taken a few to work in the mornings. I'd say he's fallen in love again...but I may have to double check. I certainly have!

PEAR CRUMBLE BREAKFAST MUFFINS

8oz SR flour
4oz sugar
4oz butter
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. cinnemon
1 cup diced pear or apple
pinch of salt

CRUMBLE:
2-3 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup roasted muesli

Cream butter and sugar, beaten egg and milk. Peel and core pears and dice, add to the mixture. Lastly add sifted flour and cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Divide amongst a lined cupcake tray.
To make the crumble, combine all ingredients and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until clumps begin to form. Add as much butter as it takes to get a good crumble texture. Pile onto the tops of each muffin. Bake for 3/4 of an hour in a moderate oven (180C)

"Hm, what are these scrumptious morsels?"

"Aw Mum! I was going to eat one of those!"

NOTES: Ever seen those incredible high rise muffins and wonder what made then so big when yours look so flat? Try the cheats souffle trick. Cut some baking paper and place in the greased muffin tray much higher than the tray edge. you can fill them up higher and as they rise, there will be no chance of spill-over, they'll just keep rising up. Neat.