Raspberry and Rose Muffins

   With a few hours to spare this afternoon I felt it was only right to spend them baking. This is the bonus of early shifts...despite the 04:30am alarm!

   Following on from my recent ramble of trying to bake a little healthier, I picked up some pretty massive raspberries whilst waiting for my train after work to pop them into a recipe I tweaked from this month's Women's Health. By tweak, I mean a lot of improvisation. I thought I had enough maple syrup, but had to make up 30g with the vanilla syrup I make for my coffee. The recipe wanted vanilla extract anyway, and it worked!

   The recipe was for a healthier version of a victoria sponge cake, but I made individual muffins as I love my new Wilton muffin tray so much. I also skipped the yoghurt take on a victoria sponge's jam and cream and added a fresh raspberries into the cake batter and drizzled the baked muffins with a rose icing to finish.

   I've really enjoyed the bakes I've made so far from these recipes in Women's Health, definitely opened my eyes to healthier alternatives to refined sugars. Simple alternatives really do make all the difference. The other recipe I've tried is lemony hazelnut and blueberry muffins, recipe here.

Raspberry and Rose Muffins
(Adapted from Women's Health May/June 2013)
Makes 12 medium muffins
     160g unsalted butter, softened
     160g white spelt flour, sifted
     2 eggs
     2 tsp baking powder
     160g maple syrup
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     small squeeze lemon juice
     pack of fresh raspberries
     few drops pink food colouring
     few drops rose essence
     half a cup icing sugar

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and place 12 muffin cases into the tray.
• Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.
• Add 2-3 tbsp of flour and beat in the eggs until the mixture is light and fluffy (if its curdling, add another spoon of flour).
• Add the remaining flour, baking powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract and fold.
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cases, poke in a few raspberries in each and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes in the muffin try before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the rose icing, I mixed half a cup of icing sugar with a few drops each of rose essence and pink colouring. Top up with a few splashes of water and stir well. Pour into a piping bag and drizzle on the cool muffins.

I also dusted a little gold 'space dust' on top...couldn't help myself!

Lemony Hazelnut & Blueberry Muffins

   Even though I haven't baked or blogged for a while I have still been indulging in many a sugar filled treat. Giant Jaffa cakes, dairy milk, speculoos and custard creams to name a few. So when I saw recipes for nourishing cakes filled with fruits, nuts and natural sugars in this months Women's Health, I thought I'd give one a go.

   I chose to make the lemony hazelnut and blueberry cake as it sounded similar to the Hummigbird blueberry and lemon bundt that I love baking. My brother always asks for the 'one with blue spots'!

   With blueberries and hazelnuts these cakes are packed with vitamin E and anti oxidants, perfect for skin. Something I struggle with being a sweet treat fiend!

Lemony hazelnut & blueberry cakes
(Adapted from Women's Health May/June 2013)
     60g hazelnuts
     130g soft unsalted butter
     110g white spelt flour
     1tsp baking powder
     2 large eggs
     65g honey
     65g maple syrup
     Finely grated zest of 1/2 a lemon

• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a muffin tray with cases
• Toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes before removing any skins and blitzing in the blender into a fine meal. 
• Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. With an electric hand mixer, beat in all of the other ingredients. Be careful not to overmix to keep the cakes light and fluffy. 
• Divide between the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes or unil a skewer comes out clean. 

Honey yoghurt topping

     175g fat free fromage frais

     1tbsp honey

     Few tbsps of blueberry jam

     Handful of blueberries

• Lightly whip the fromage frais until thick, drizzle in the honey and whisk again until incorporated
• Swirl in blueberry jam and top the cooled muffins with some of the yoghurt mix and fresh blueberries. 

The recipe in the magazine makes a sandwich cake, but I decided to divide the mix into a dozen muffins to try out my new Wilton muffin tray!