Chocolate And Walnut Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups of plain flour
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
¾ of a cup of sugar
1 cup of chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
200 gms (7 oz) of melted butter
1/2 cup of milk
1 cup of natural yoghurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Method

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda into a bowl together.

Stir in the sugar, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Whisk the butter, milk, yoghurt, egg and vanilla together in another bowl and combine with the dry ingredients (do not over-beat).

Spoon mixture into 12 muffin tins or cases.  Sprinkle some extra chopped walnuts on the top of the muffins if desired.

Bake at 200C (or 390F) for approximately 20 minutes until cooked.

Lemon Muffins

Ingredients  
75 grams of butter
1 egg
1 cup of milk
Grated rind and juice of 1 - 2 lemons.
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 of a cup of sugar 

Method

Soften the butter and beat well with the egg, the sugar, the lemon rind and juice.

Sift together the flour and baking powder, combine with the sugar and stir into the wet mixture, being careful not to overbeat.

Place mixture into muffin tins or cases and bake for around 10 minutes at 200C.

Optional : brush with a glaze made from 1/3rd cup of sugar and 1/3rd cup of lemon juice before baking. 

If desired ice with cream cheese frosting and decorate with chocolate chips when cool.

Walnut & Dried Apricot Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups of flour,

4 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 cup of sugar

1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon 

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 cup of chopped, dried apricots

1 large egg

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 cup of cream

1/4 cup of oil.

Method

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and mix.  Add the walnuts and apricots and mix together with the dry ingredients.

Beat the egg, milk, cream and oil together and stir into the dry ingredients (do not overmix).

        
Put into greased muffin tins and bake at 200C for 15 minutes.
 

Cheese, Chutney, Corn And Salami Muffins

Mmmm muffin break, what's not to love! - and these simple but tasty savoury muffins fit the bill perfectly.

Ingredients

2 medium sized red onions, finely chopped

2 and a half cups of flour

4 tsps of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of ground black pepper

1 cup of grated cheese

1 and a quarter cups of milk

1 cup of diced salami (or use ham or bacon)

1 tbsp finely diced fresh chives

1 x 410 gm can of creamed corn (about 2 cups)

2 tbsps of melted butter

4 tbsps of chutney (mango or tomato work well)

2 eggs, beaten

Method

1. Combine onion, flour, baking powder, cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Make a hole in the centre.

2. Add all the other ingredients and combine. Do not overmix.

3. Spoon into greased muffin tins.  Bake at 200C for around 20 minutes for large muffins or about 15 minutes for medium sized or mini muffins.

The mixture makes about 20 medium sized muffins.