Basic Muffins
I want to try it with Caramel bonbon and dark chocolate chips, red fruits & white chocolate, peanut butter.
I want to try it with Caramel bonbon and dark chocolate chips, red fruits & white chocolate, peanut butter.
- Carbohydrate 70.2012025000329 g
- Cholesterol 105.75 mg
- Fat 28.3168802918767 g
- Fiber 2.09412503577623 g
- Protein 8.61773750000555 g
- Saturated Fat 4.66129520874709 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (153g)
- Sodium 671.386000000022 mg
- Sugar 68.1070774642566 g
- Trans Fat 1.00435911460219 g
- Calories 560 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
- Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases.
- In a large bowl beat the eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min.
- Add the oil and milk and beat until just combined then add the sugar and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
- Sift in the flour and salt (and baking powder if using) then mix until just smooth.
- Be careful not to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough.
- Stir in the chocolate chips or dried fruit if using.
- Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the shelves around after 15 mins of cooking.
- Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Unlike a traditional lean bread dough that relies on extensive kneading to build a robust gluten network, muffin batter demands a remarkably gentle touch to prevent dense, chewy results. Bakers must restrict themselves to folding the dry ingredients into the wet mixture only until no pockets of flour remain visible, because over-working activates the protein strands in the self-raising flour and yields unpleasantly rubbery textures. This foundational formulation acts as a blank template for inclusions, allowing cooks to swap the standard chocolate chips for measured quantities of chopped nuts, dried fruit, or even grated citrus zest without altering the core liquid-to-fat ratios.
Achieving proper structural height requires precise thermal control, which begins by heating the oven to 200 degrees Celsius for conventional baking or 180 degrees Celsius if utilizing a fan-assisted setup. Filling the paper liners exactly two-thirds full ensures the chemical leaveners have sufficient vertical space to expand during the initial twenty to twenty-five minutes of baking without spilling over the rims of the tray. Rotating the baking shelves at the fifteen-minute mark compensates for uneven heat distribution inside standard household ovens, guaranteeing uniform browning across every single portion.
Testing for doneness involves inserting a wooden skewer directly into the center of the highest point; when it emerges entirely free of wet crumbs, the internal starch gelatinization is complete. Allowing the baked goods to rest inside the hot metal tin for precisely five minutes lets the exterior crust stabilize before transferring them onto an open wire rack to prevent soggy bottoms from trapped steam condensation. This cooling phase also solidifies the fat within the crumb structure, making the finished pastries less crumbly when handled.
Storing leftovers correctly preserves moisture, meaning these baked goods can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or frozen for longer periods if wrapped individually in plastic film. Reheating frozen portions requires just ten seconds in a microwave on high power or a brief five-minute warm-up in a moderate oven to restore a freshly baked texture.
