Zucchini and Parmesan Muffins

Recipe from 100 Favourite Muffins and Slices
Images by Yasmin

This is a really scrumptious and filling savoury bite of goodness. The different types of cheese just take this muffin to a whole new dimention! I really enjoy eating these muffins because I can have the satisfaction of eating something delicious without feeling guilty about eating something sweet and unhealthy.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups standard (plain) flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 zucchini, grated (250g altogether)

Method:
Heat oven to 200'C fanbake, with the rack just below the middle.

Sift or fork together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Grind in black pepper to taste, then add the grated cheeses and stir to combine.

Break the eggs into another large bowl, add the milk and whisk together with a fork, then add the grated unpeeled zucchini.

Tip the dry ingredients into the liquid mixture, then carefully fold everything together, taking care not to overmix. As soon as all the flour is moistened, spoon the mixture  into 12 lightly buttered or non-stick sprayed regular muffin pans or 24 mini muffin pans.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden and the muffins spring back when pressed in the centre.

Simplicity Cake/ Multicoloured Cake

Recipe from NMAA Cooks
Images by Yasmin

This is the most basic recipe on the planet and should be the first thing everyone learns to cook; a cake. Once you learn how to make a cake, you can do many wonderful and creative things to it, such as making a decorative cake or another flavoured cake altogether. I have made many different cakes by adjusting the ingredients or flavouring slightly, such as coffee, orange, lemon, banana, choc chip, chocolate (more my sisters than me) and multicoloured cakes. I am going to explain to you how to make multicoloured cakes on this post following the simplicity cake recipe. This of course is optional. You can just make the basic cake and put it in the oven, your choice! I like to be a bit creative!!!

Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the cooked product, because my friends and I ate it before I realised I needed a photo!!! Good times though!

Ingredients:
For simplicity cake:

• 2 tblsp margarine or butter
• 1 cup Self Raising flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavouring

For multicoloured cake add:

• at least three different food colouring (I chose Blue, Yellow and Pink food colouring)

Method:
Grease a cake, muffin or patty pan tin. Heat oven to 180'C fan-forced. Melt Butter. Add all other ingredients and beat for 3 minutes. Now either bake the simplicity cake for 30 minutes, or cup cake tray for 10 minutes or complete the following:

Separate the mixture evenly into three different bowls (or as many required for the number of different food colours). Add a few drops of food colour into each bowl to make different colours. Stir thoroughly with a knife until the food colouring is completely mixed in. Using a teaspoon, place one colour in the patty pan (in my case), then another and finally the third. Complete this pattern until all of the mixture is gone, make sure to vary your layers and patterns of cake coloured mixture. Be inventive and creative. You may have most of the cup cake being blue and only one spot being yellow and/or pink.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes if a cupcake tray, or 30minutes for a cake tin. Remove once a skewer can be inserted and come out clean.

Mish's Muffin Recipe

Recipe from Mish
Photos by Yasmin

This is a different way to make delicious blueberry muffins. Very moist and truely yummy for lunches or snacks. Bonus, it is healthy too!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups self raising flour
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
•  1 tsp vanilla
• 2 x 75g packets of frozen blueberries

Method:
Combine all dry ingredients and berries. Combine oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour oil mixture into the dry mixture and stir 12-15 times. Do not over mix. Muffin mixture should still have some dry flour.

Bake in oven at 170'C fan forced for 30-35 minutes. Makes 1 1/2 dozen.

Orange and Blueberry Muffins

Recipe from Favourite Muffins, Slices and Cakes
Images by Yasmin
(makes approx. 12-16)

The smell of this muffin in the oven began a frenzy around my house. Everyone was asking what I was baking, but due to the sweet sent on oranges, they had already half guessed; Orange and Blueberry Muffins. Only recently have I begun to expand my selection of recipes to muffins. This was because my mother had always warned me when we ate coffee and cake together in the shops that the selection of cakes and muffins can often be dry; something she couldn't stand. For this reason I tended to stray away from muffins because I knew she didn't particularly like them. Now that I am a more confident cook I am happy to spend the whole weekend baking muffins, cakes and slices to my hearts content and not worry about over-cooking. I really enjoyed this muffin and am soon going to make a classic dessert in muffin form; Sticky Date Muffins! My stomach is already rumbling!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 orange
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 125g butter, chopped
• 1 egg
• 185g plain flour
• 170g caster sugar
• 1 tsp bi-carb soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 125g frozen or fresh berries

Method:

Preheat oven to 200'C fan-forced. Peel the rind from the orange, remove all pith, and cut the rind into small pieces. Remove membrane and seeds from orange and cut the orange into segments. Place orange rind and segments, orange juice, butter and egg in a food processor and process until well combined (mixture will curdle). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Sift together flour, sugar, bi-crab soda, baking powder and salt, add to orange mixture and lightly mix. Batter should be lumpy. Fold in the berries. Divide batter between 12-16 greased muffin tin, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 180'C fan-forced until cooked and golden. Cool on wire racks. Serve.

Hot Cross Muffins

Recipe and Image from Coles

(makes 12)

This recipe is a modern twist on a classic favourite. I really enjoyed this creation and would recommend all to indulge in this tasty muffin on Easter morning. Eating one of these muffins is a great way to start the day. NOTE: muffins do not need to have white chocolate crosses on each muffin.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups SR flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 125g butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla essense
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup currants
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup mixed peel
• 1/4 white chocolate melts, melted (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 160'C fan-forced. Line 12 muffin pan with paper cases. Sift flour, spice and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk milk, eggs, butter and vanilla together in a jug. Pour into dry ingredients. Gently combine. Add dried fruit and nuts. Gently fold through. Divide mixture evenly between muffin pans. Bake for 20 minutes, until risen, and golden and firm to a gently touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Place melted chocolate in a small zip-lock bag. Pipe a cross over each muffin and leave it to set (optional).

Goey Caramel Muffins

Recipe and 1st Image from Super Food Ideas
2nd Image by Renata

There is nothing better when you need a pick me up than a warm, sweet muffin; oozing with caramel. This is what you feel when you take one big bight out of this mouth watering muffin. Although it isn't a citrus flavoured muffin, it is sweet and caramel flavoured; two things I love. The best aspect of this appetizing muffin is that it is the easiest muffin the bake in the history of cooking! All you have to do is add a jersey caramel to a normal muffin mix! It is that simple

Ingredients:
Basic muffin recipe:

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups SR Flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup milk

Add for Gooey Caramel muffin:

• 24 jersey caramels
• 3/4 cup brown sugar instead of Castor sugar (above)

Method:
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time (mixture will separate), beating after each addition. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until combined. Spoon into prepared pan. For muffins, spoon 2 tblsp of mixture per patty case. For cup-cake, spoon 1 tblsp of mixture per patty case. Push one jersey caramel into the centre of each muffin. Bake at 160'C fan-forced for 15-17 minutes. Stand cakes in pans for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in air tight container. Serve warm with icing sugar dusted over the top (optional).