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Raspberry & White Choc Muffins (3)

Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

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I created these simple muffins having rescued some slightly mushed raspberries a few weeks ago and freezing them. Marrying the slight tartness of the bright red raspberries with the sweetness of white chocolate, not only creates a taste explosion, but a beautiful colour contrast too.

These are delicious warm or cold….if they last that long!

RASPBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Joanne Iceton
A delicious fruity treat
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Servings 12 muffins depending on size

Equipment

  • Scales
  • Muffin tin 12 hole
  • Measuring Spoons
  • mixing bowl
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g butter
  • 100 g brown or caster sugar
  • 125 g Greek or natural yogurt
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 250 g self raising flour
  • 200 g raspberries* frozen or fresh
  • 100 g white chocolate, chopped* or you can use white choc chip drops
  • 2 tbsp demerara or more brown sugar optional

Instructions
 

  • Oven 180c
  • Cream together the butter and sugar,. Stir in the yogurt and milk. Beat in the egg.
  • Fold in the flour until you have a thick batter. 
  • Chop the chocolate then stir 60g of it in the batter, keeping the rest aside for the topping. Gently mix in the raspberries.
  • Grease 12 holes in a muffin tin (or use muffin liners) and divide the batter between the moulds. Scatter with the remaining chopped chocolate, then the demerara sugar.
  • Bake for 25 mins until the muffins rise, are golden, and a clean sharp knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  • Rest for 5 mins in the muffin tin, then remove on to a cooling rack to cool fully.

Notes

These muffins will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container, a little longer if kept in the fridge.
*You can also use other soft fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, or chopped peaches instead of raspberries and swap the white chocolate for dark or milk chocolate if wished.

The recipes are free to everyone to use (please give credits to us if you choose to use them), and always will be, but our non-profit organisation incurs many costs to keep it running. If you would like to help keep it going, please consider giving a donation. If you feel inspired to try more, why not invest in our Recipe Collection, available online or from our Eco Market. 

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Nutritional Benefits:

Raspberries are a good source of vitamin C (essential for the growth and repair of  tissues as well as helping maintain a good immune system) and  also soluble fibre. Berries are best eaten raw as some of the nutrient content is destroyed when cooked but many are still retained. All the more reason to eat a few whilst cooking!

 

Breakfast Muffins (1)

Breakfast Muffins

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I created this recipe after finding some bran cereal at the back of my cupboard which had turned rather stale. Of course, I could not throw these out, but chose to ‘repurpose’ them in these muffins. You will often find muffins sold in coffee shops or found on menus as breakfast items, however, they are often very high in sugar. These morsels are lower in sugar than most muffins but also contain plenty of fibre from the cereal and wholemeal flour. I have used a mixture of dried fruit (apricots, prunes and cranberries) but you can also just use raisins or sultanas. I haven’t tried them with fresh fruit yet.

BREAKFAST MUFFINS

Joanne Iceton
Muffins to be eaten any time of the day.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Snack
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Muffin Tray
  • Scales
  • Oven
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients
  

Muffins

  • 250 ml milk warmed
  • 100 g bran based cereal e.g. flakes, shreddies, weetabix
  • 75 g brown sugar
  • 100 ml unrefined rapeseed oil
  • 1 egg
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. mixed spice this can be increased to 1 tsp. if wished
  • 75 g chopped dried fruit or you can use raisins/sultanas
  • 125 g wholemeal flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder

Toppings

  • 1 tbsp. marmalade heated to melt
  • or
  • 2 tbsp. demerara/brown sugar
  • 6 - 10 pecan halves

Instructions
 

  • Oven 180c
  • Pour the warmed milk over the cereal and set aside until the cereal is soft (about 5 - 10 mins). Add the sugar, oil, egg, salt, spices and fruit then mix well.
  • Stir in the flour and baking powder then spoon the batter into 6 - 10 muffin cases. The amount you make will depend on the size of your muffin cases/tray. I used silicone muffin trays placed on a baking tray for stability. I much prefer this as it means less waste going to landfill (paper cases cannot be recycled with baked on food remaining on them).
  • You can either use marmalade or the sugar and pecans for the topping.
    For a marmalade topping, melt the preserve in a microwave for about 10 seconds until it melts then spoon this over the batter. Alternatively, scatter the sugar over the batter and finish, if wished, with a pecan.
  • Bake for 20 - 25 mins (about 30 mins if your muffins are deep) until they have risen and are firm. A sharp knife/skewer inserted should come out with only a few crumbs attached.
  • Allow to cool in the tray for 5 mins then remove to cool fully on a wire rack.
  • These muffins can be served warm or cold. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Notes

If you don't have wholemeal flour, you can of course just use standard plain flour or self raising flour (just omit the baking powder if using SR flour). 

The recipes are free to everyone to use (please give credits to us if you choose to use them), and always will be, but our non-profit organisation incurs many costs to keep it running. If you would like to help keep it going, please consider giving a donation. If you feel inspired to try more, why not invest in our Recipe Collection, available online or from our Eco Market. 

Thank you

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Nutritional Benefits:

The addition of wholemeal flour as well as the bran cereal helps to boost the insoluble fibre content which is essential for good digestive health and stabilising blood sugars. Using wholemeal flour increases B vitamins (needed to release energy from nutrients and a healthy nervous system) and vitamin E content helping wound healing and healthy red blood cells).

Cheesy Courgette Muffins2

Cheesy Courgette Muffins

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This recipe came about through having a glut of courgettes at the height of summer. Any owners of vegetable plots will tell you that once courgettes start to come through, they seem to double overnight!

The joy of this recipe is that it is great to use up those courgettes which have almost turned into marrows (the skin may need peeling if rather tough and the centre scooping out if they have gone seedy and ‘wooley’) rather than just stuffing them. It is also very simple and uses ingredients found in most cupboards.

CHEESY COURGETTE MUFFINS

Joanne Iceton
Super tasty muffins, delicious straight from the oven.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish

Equipment

  • muffin tin/tray

Ingredients
  

  • 125 g courgette (about 1 small courgette) thinly slice 6 - 8 to decorate then grate the rest
  • 125 g mature cheese grated
  • 100 g self raising flour*
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 60 m rapeseed or olive oil
  • 180 ml milk of choice
  • pinch salt & pepper
  • 100 g chopped ham optional

Instructions
 

  • Oven 180c
  • Add the grated courgette, 100g of the grated cheese and flour to a bowl and mix. If using ham, add this now.
  • Create a well in the centre then add the egg, oil and milk. Mix the ingredients briefly then mix the liquid ingredients with the dry with a pinch of salt and pepper. Do not over mix as this will make a tough muffin. The batter should be quite thick but still drop off a spoon. Add a splash more milk if needed.
  • I used a silicone muffin tray which simply need greasing lightly. Otherwise, feel free to use muffin cases in a tray.
  • Using two spoons, share the mixture between the muffin cups and top with sliced courgette (if using) then the remaining 25g grated cheese. The mixture will make 6 - 8 larger muffins or 12 small.
  • Bake for 20 - 25 mins for smaller muffins or 30 - 35 mins for larger ones. Check they are cooked by inserting a sharp knife/skewer/toothpick which should come out clean with perhaps a few crumbs attached.
    Leave to cool for at least 5 mins before eating.

Notes

These muffins are best served warm.
They can be stored in a sealed container for a day or two. If keeping for longer, store in the fridge for up to five days. To reheat, pop on a baking tray, oven 180c for 5 - 10 mins or heat in a microwave for about 30 seconds.
These muffins are quite dense because of the courgette content. If wishing to lighten them, wrap the grated courgette in a muslin cloth or very clean tea towel and squeeze to get as much moisture out as possible. I quite like the density of them (and the less steps the better for me!) but everyone has different tastes.
*In most cases, I try to use wholemeal flour for the extra fibre and nutrients. This now comes in plain and self raising options - to make your own self raising flour, add 1 tsp baking powder to 75g plain flour. Bakes made with wholemeal flour tend to be a little heavier so I used 50g wholemeal and 50g white, but feel free to stick with standard white flour for the whole recipe.
Keyword cheese, courgettes, muffins

The recipes are free to everyone to use (please give credits to us if you choose to use them), and always will be, but our non-profit organisation incurs many costs to keep it running. If you would like to help keep it going, please consider giving a donation. If you feel inspired to try more, why not invest in our Recipe Collection, available online or from our Eco Market. 

Thank you

Card Donations PayPal Donations

Nutritional Benefits:

Courgettes like other squashes are diuretics and their potassium content benefits those with high blood pressure. They are also a source of immune system boosting vitamin C as well as  soluble fibre – essential for good digestion and helping to stabilise blood sugar.

Cheese is an excellent source of protein, vitamin D, calcium (needed for strong bones) as well as other various vitamins and minerals. Dairy products have been associated with positive health benefits against diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Like many foods, they should not be eaten in vast amounts, but certainly as part of a healthy diet.