Showing posts with label Apple Muffins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Apple Muffins. Show all posts

Saturday, 3 October 2009

Well, my family are going to benefit from my slightly foul mood this afternoon if nothing else. Normally, well no actually, not normally these days (as I have kids, who hamper my mood loosing abilities these days) but in days past, when someone has aggravated me enough to get me into a bad mood, I've been known to go and stomp the hills for a few hours/miles until I'm feeling fresh as a daisy again, full of lovely clean (ish) air and nature and its wonderful calming effects. This afternoon however, as I have the kids in tow, I cannot do that, (if I did it'd be fruitless, as the whinging a 3 and 5 year old can produce when being asked to walk up a hill to admire a view, is beyond the limits of comprehension) so between random shouts of 'mummy' and screams of 'she did this, she did that' I've attempted to therapeutically bake my way to sanity.

This has mainly worked, bar me just attempting to have 5 mins with the cat on my knee to write this, during which time I've upset dd1, as I asked her to leave me alone, just for a few minutes, so she's now stomping about upstairs very loudly.....

So what's put me in a mood, my dearest daddy of course. The only person in the world who can possibly wind me up so much (although dh comes a close 2nd some times, but I can divorce him right? so he's never managed to hit the mark quite like an errant parent can, dd1 is possibly thinking this about me right now too....) Anyway the issue arose, when I asked my dad to meet me at the hospital and look after my kids for 15-30 mins in the canteen, so I could go and see my gran, his mother, who I've not seen for a week, due to visiting hours starting at school finish time and ending at the kids bed time (which is just about when dh gets home, if he's not working an evening) He said no to meeting me at the hospital............he did say I could travel an hour to his, drop the kids, go to the hospital (half hour back where I'd come from, then back to his to get my kids, then an hour home) surprisingly I said no, or should that be NO!

He is now going to the hospital to visit her, himself with my mum, but has refused to look after my kids for half hour when he's there, so I can see her too. I tell you, WTF is that about then? other than him behaving like a child? a very selfish one at that......my mum tried to offer to have them with him, but he's told her she can't? I don't want to cause WW3 between them, so I've just left it and come to grrrrrrrrr at home on my own.

The result of my Grrrrrrrrr so far has been Apple and Blackberry Crumble for dh, Apple Muffins for the girls and I (and Richard if he wants some too) plus a now rising loaf of bread, which needs another kneed soon, before it hits the oven. (I'm gonna kneed that Grrrrrr right out of my hair)

The house smells lovely and Autumnal now, lots of cinnamon spice (which incidentally was the first smell to hit me, when I got to Meridians this am) The girls had fun baking the muffins with me and coating them with cinnamon sugar, so its not been all bad for them either, particularly as they get to feast on them shortly too!

We also picked up some Pumpkins for carving today too, although its a bit early for that, on Meridians recommendation we went to the farm that sells mainly apples and 'woot' only £1.00 per pumpkin, so we have two adorning the fire place now, I guess its a spot of crafting next then, after all October is the month to 'do' Halloween.

Thursday, 31 May 2007

Cake day!

Hmm actually that title sounds like something the Order of Pie might like......

So yesterday we made cake! and have been eating it ever since, yummy. I didn't have any choice but to make cake, as need to do something with all of the apples I seem to be left with after the event. Seems the crew didn't take many of them out for HAP points as they should have (reminder to boot Andy to sort this out for next event) So as I'm sinking under apples, the girls and I made Apple Muffin loaf yesterday. Loaf, as my muffin tins are lent out at present.

Details are:

7.25 oz Self Raising Flour
5oz Plain Flour
1.5 Teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
3 Tablespoons Caster Sugar
5oz Unsalted Butter (or Marge)
3 Tablespoons Honey
2 Eggs
5.5fl oz Milk
3 Apples peeled and chunked
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon extra
2 Tablespoons Caster Sugar extra

Oven 200 oc (Gas 6)

Either Grease Muffin Tin or Loaf tin, or put in cases/baking paper into tin

Sift the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar into a large bowl, then make a well in the centre.

Melt butter and honey in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir continuously until smooth.
Remove from heat
Whisk eggs and milk in a small jug.

Add the butter mixture, egg mixture and apple chunks to the well in the dry ingredients, all at once. Then using a metal spoon stir until just combined, do not over mix, mixture should be lumpy.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin tin, fill each 3/4 full. (or loaf tin if you like) Sprinkle with the combined extra cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 20/25 mins or until skewer come out clean in the centre.

Leave muffins to cool in the tin for 10 mins, before lifting onto a wire rack to complete cooling.

As I said before, yummy, eat with Custard, Ice Cream or just on own with a cuppa, mmmmmm

Now to have a think, as to what to do with the rest of the apples, caramalise perhapse?