Raspberry lemon crumb muffins

Tis the season for fruit picking! Specifically, strawberries and raspberries. These muffins made good use of the sweet raspberries I picked last weekend and they went down a treat. The lemon crumb topping really brought out the raspberriness (is that even a word?!) so if you also have a pile of berries and know not what to do with them... read on.

Ingredients:-

For the muffins:

245g self raising flour

200g caster sugar

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs

285g greek yogurt (none of this 0% malarky!)

1¼ tsp vanilla extract

250g fresh raspberries

For the topping:-

140g plain flour

130g light brown sugar

zest of 1 lemon

110g butter (melted)

Method:-

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. 

Line a muffin tin with paper liners (mix makes 12 muffins).

First make the crumb topping. Combine the flour, sugar and lemon zest. Then gradually add the melted butter and using a fork, rough up the mixture until you have a few big crumbs, and some little crumbs. You might not need all the butter here so don't pour it all in! 

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

Then in a larger bowl mix the eggs, greek yogurt, and vanilla. 

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated, being careful not to over mix..

Fill muffin liners ¾ full with batter (I use my trusty ice cream scoop here). 

Top with raspberries (about 4-5 raspberries each to cover the batter) and then add the crumb topping over the raspberries.

Bake for 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Allow to cool in muffin tins for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Enjoy!

Oreo Rocky Road

This is such a quick and easy sweet treat to whip up, especially with kids because it requires no baking. Simply patience, while it sets in the fridge (easier said than done)! In case you had not gathered by now, I am a huge fan of a traybake'esque creation. Brownies or Flapjacks and now Rocky Road; there's just something so simple (and yummy) about them.

Ingredients:-
100g unsalted butter
225g milk chocolate
2tbsp golden syrup
2tbsp cocoa powder
50g white chocolate chunks
50g mini marshmallows
1 pack of Oreo biscuits

Method:-

Line a brownie tin with grease-proof paper.

Using heavy bottomed pan on the hob melt the milk chocolate and butter together. Then add cocoa powder and the golden syrup.Mix together thoroughly. Then leave until slightly cool.

Break the Oreo biscuits into smaller pieces (reserving a few whole biscuits for decoration) and add to the chocolate mix.

Next, add the marshmallows and the white chocolate chunks and stir until everything is covered in chocolate.

Pour into your lined tin and pat it down with a spatula until even.

Press some whole Oreo biscuits onto the top.

Leave to set in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours then cut into squares and scoff!

Malteser Blondies

Sorry for the short hiatus. I've been on my holibobs, but I'm home now and eager to get back in the kitchen, baking again. Nothing pleases me more than a brownie...except for maybe a blondie! The white chocolate version of a brownie - what could be wrong with that? Nothing I tell you, nothing! These are SO good. You absolutely must make them. You'll thank me I promise!

Ingredients:-

100g white chocolate, chopped, plus 50g extra for the topping

125g unsalted butter, diced

225g light soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

3 large eggs, beaten

100g plain flour

50g self-raising flour

4 tbsp Horlicks

1 x 135g bag Maltesers

60g milk chocolate, chopped

Method:-

Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3. Lightly grease a 20cm square baking tin and then line it with baking paper.

Place the 100g white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the butter and melt gently together over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat, stir until smooth and combined, and leave to cool slightly.

Add the sugar, vanilla extract and beaten eggs to the slightly cooled melted white chocolate and butter. Stir well to combine.

Sift both of the flours and Horlicks powder into the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in 100g Maltesers and the milk chocolate and spoon into the prepared tin. Bake on the middle shelf for 35-40 minutes.

Leave to cool in the tin. Melt the remaining white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Meanwhile, lightly crush the rest of the Maltesers. Drizzle over a little of the the melted white chocolate. Then scatter over the crushed Maltesers, and finish with the remaining melted chocolate. Cool, then cut into squares.

Trust me on this, they wont last long!