Mango, Pineapple and Cranberry Muffins

I prefer making muffins and cupcakes, over loaf and big round cakes.  I've noticed that eggless cakes/muffins taste better if consumed atleast 10 hours later. Not sure about the reason but it's my personal observation. I normally bake the cakes /muffins/loafs/cupcakes in the morning and they taste amazing by evening. The texture changes and sweetness enhances.

I often wondered about the difference in Cupcakes and Muffins. If you are a foodie, you might know that English Muffins and American Muffins are different. In America Muffins are made just like cupcakes. In UK, there is a flat bread type, made on griddle, is called Muffin. American Muffins are good in a way everyone gets their own individual size of cake. Muffins can be made sweet or savory. We usually make savory muffins for breakfast.

As it is a season of exotic fruits, I thought to make muffins with those exotic fruits. I found 2 packs of Mango and Pineapple bites, leftover in Kids Snack Pantry, Some dried cranberries left from cereal drawer. You all must be knowing by now that I'm a big fan of baking with whole-wheat flour.

So assembling all the ingredients and heating the oven helped me make these deliciously sounding Muffins. We were planning a short getaway from home, so made few more for holiday. Easy peasy recipe as always, try them and you will pat yourself on the back for good job. Drop your feedback in the comments below.............Until next time, Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour                 - 1 cup
Corn Flour                               - 1 tblspoon
Baking Powder                        - 1 tspoon
Baking Soda                            - 1/2 tspoon
Muscovado Sugar                    - 1/4 cup
Oil                                            - 1/4 cup
Yogurt                                      - 2/4 cup
Lemon Juice                             - 1 tspoon
Orange Extract                         - 1 tspoon
Dried Mango bites                   - 2 tblspoon
Dried Pineapple cubes             - 2 tblspoon
Dried Cranberries                    - 4 tblspoon
Water                                       - 2-4 tblspoon (depending on flour/thickness of batter)


Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c and line the tray with 10 muffin liners.
In a deep mixing bowl, Mix Sugar, Yogurt, Oil and Orange extract, until the sugar is totally dissolve.

Sift Flour, Baking Soda and Baking powder into yogurt & sugar mixture.

Add in the cornflour, mix dry and wet ingredients well to avoid any lumps.

Now add int the dried fruits, if you find them very big in size, chop them before adding in.

At this time I added 2 tblspoon of water and 1 tspoon of lemon juice into the batter.
Adding water loosened the batter a bit and lemon juice made air bubbles into it.
Do not keep the batter for later baking.
Pour in the batter into muffin liners and bake them for about 15 minutes or until they are golden on top and skewer comes out clean.
Leave them to cool for 5 minutes in the tray and then take them out on cooling rack to cool completely.

Muffins are ready to be served with choice of drinks. These are excellent treats for kids as their after school snack.

Eggless Whole Wheat Blueberry & Nuts Muffin

Sometimes, you want to make something delicious, sweet yet healthy for your kids. You also do not want to waste a lot of time making it. So was my thinking this morning, I wanted to treat my kids with something sweet but wanted to save my time as well. Mornings are busy, super busy with pampered kids in my house.

Gathered few basic ingredients and made these awesome tasting muffins. I ate 3 myself, God it was a pure sin during my exercise challenges. But I ate and I do not regret for that. I can do some more running but can not leave my treats for weight.

So the case was making muffins, Made blueberries muffin with some coarse mixed nuts and used wholewheat flour instead of plain flour. Recently heard a lot about Plain flour and it's dis-advantages, making me use more and more wholewheat flour.

Well, it's very easy and simple recipe. Ingredients will all be available in your kitchen and it takes hardly 30 minutes of your time. I'm sure now this will temp you to try your hands on this recipe. Don't forget to comment below. Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Blueberries                           - 1 cup
Coarse Nuts                          - 1/4 cup (Almond, Cashewnuts, Pistachio)
Raisins                                  - 10-15
Plain flour                             - 2 tblspoon
Wholewheat Flour                - 1 heaped cup
Baking Soda                          - 1/2 tspoon
Baking Powder                      - 1/2 tspoon
Brown Sugar                          - 1/2 cup
Oil                                          - 2 tblspoon
Yogurt                                    - 1/2 cup
Water                                      - 1/2 cup

Method:

Coat the blueberries in the plain flour, keep aside.
Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a muffin tray with 10 muffin liners.
Mix Flour, Baking soda and baking powder well in a deep mixing bowl.
In another bowl, mix sugar, oil and yogurt until sugar is dissolved.
Now combine the dry and wet ingredients together.
Mix it well to avoid any lumps with the help of water. I added exactly 1/2 cup of water.
Once mix well fold the nuts, raisins and blueberries in the batter.
The batter will be on the thicker side, do not add any more liquid to make it thinner.
Blueberries leave their juices while cooking so we need the batter a bit thicker.
Distribute the batter equally in the muffin liners.
Bake the muffins on 180c for 15-20 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked take them out of the oven and keep them on the cooling rack until they are cool enough to handle with bare hands.
I bake these for morning breakfast, so served them warm.
You can cool them completely and store them in the fridge for use as dessert or sweet treat.
Simple, easy and quick recipe of lovely soft and spongy muffins. My family loved them on breakfast, I'm sure yours will too.

Eggless Mango & Kiwi Muffins/Cupcakes

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour/ Maida                         -1 cups
Baking Powder                                         -1 tspoon
Baking Soda                                             -1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                            -1/4 tspoon
Cane Sugar                                                -1/2 cup
Oil                                                             -1/4 cup
Vanilla Essence                                         -1 tsp
Mango Puree                                             -1/3 cup
Kiwi Puree                                                 - 1/3 cup
Milk                                                           -3-4 tblspoon ( if necessary)
White Vinegar                                           -1 tsp
Food Colour                                               - Yellow & Green (Optional)

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175c and line a muffin pan with 8 muffin cases.
In a mixing Bowl, Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a bowl mix together milk, oil, vanilla and sugar, Whisk until sugar is dissolve. If you are using regular sugar it will not take time but with cane sugar it takes a bit of time to dissolve.

Add the flour and with the help of a spatula fold in the flour with the liquid ingredients.

Now add vinegar and give it a gentle mix. DO NOT beat it.

Now divide the batter into two bowls, in equal quantity.
Add the Mango and Kiwi puree into each bowl, making them Kiwi and Mango cake batter.

Add the food colour as well if you are using them. Green in Kiwi bowl and yellow in Mango bowl.

Now alternate the batter into each muffin case. Follow the pictures to assemble the batters into muffin cases. Try to make the last layer with mango batter.

Once filled 3/4 of each case, bake the muffins on 175c for upto 18 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

If your muffins starts to get brown before they are fully baked, lower the temperature to 160c and bake until done.
Once baked leave the muffins for 5 minutes in the tray and them keep them on cooling rack to cool down completely.

These are eggless muffins but the texture of these muffins are superbly spongy and light. I, at first thought of them coming out a bit dense but they came out nice, light and fluffy.

Serve the muffins for teatime or in breakfast. Kids will love them anytime of the day, Mine do !!!!

Lemon, Nutmeg & Poppy Muffins

Ingredients:

Plain Flour/APF                        - 1 cup
Corn Flour                                 - 2 tblspoon
Ground Nuts                              - 2 tblspoon
Poppy Seeds                              - 1 tblspoon
Nutmeg Powder                         - 1 tspoon
Baking powder                          - 1/2 tspoon
Baking soda                               - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                             - 1/4 tspoon
Flora Healthy Oil                       - 1/3 cup
Demerara sugar                          - 3/4 cup
Yogurt                                        - 1/4 cup
Milk                                           - 1/3 cup
Lemon juice                               - 1/4 cup
Pure Lemon extract                    - 1 tspoon

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Line a muffin tray with muffin cups and spray it light cooking spray.
Take all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.Whisk it till mix well.

Take oil and sugar in another bowl.

Whisk and It will be sand like texture. Because we have less fat compared to sugar quantity.
Then add in yogurt, milk, nutmeg, juice and lemon extract.

Beat it well.
Add dry ingredients to wet.

Whisk till all comes together.

Add in the Ground Nuts and Poppy Seeds and mix it in gently. Do not overbeat your batter.

Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups.
Bake into preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or till toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove it from the oven. Let them cool into the pan for 5 minutes.

After 5-6 minutes remove cupcakes from tray and put on to cooling rack and let them cool completely.

Banana Walnut Wholewheat Breakfast Muffins

Ingredients:

Whole-Wheat Flour                            - 1 cup
Mashed Banana                                  - 3/4 cup (2 banana makes this much)
Baking Soda                                       - 1/2 tspoon
Baking Powder                                   - 1 tspoon
Salt                                                      - 1/8 tspoon
Honey                                                  - 2 tblspoon
Walnuts                                               - 1/2 cup
Vegetable Oil                                      - 1/4 cup
Mixed Herbs grounded                       - 1 tspoon (Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom,Fennel, Black Pepper)
Vanilla Extract                                    - 1 tspoon
Nutella Hazelnut spread                      - 6 tblspoon (Half tblspoon each cup)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c , line a 12 muffin tray.
Blend together oil, herbs, salt, baking soda, baking powder and honey in a mixing bowl.
Once mixed well, add in the mashed banana, Vanilla extract and blend again.

Fold in the walnuts and flour.

Fill the muffin cups 1/2 way. Spoon in the Nutella spread into each cup.

Cover the muffins with rest of the batter.

Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes or the toothpick comes out clean from the center of the muffin.

Let them cool for few minutes in the tray. Take them out from the muffin tray and keep them on the cooling rack to let them cool completely.

Dust with some icing sugar or they are already on sweeter side with those lovely ripe bananas.