Apple Crumble Muffins {recipe}

Whenever someone says they don't know how to bake or they aren't good at baking I always try to encourage them to start with muffins. You cannot go wrong with muffins and if you comment and say yes you can I fucked some up one time. I will stand corrected, but I assure you that they are pretty easy and straight forward.

In the past 9 months or so I have become somewhat of a bookstagrammer. What is a bookstagrammer? Well, it's a made up word that smooshes book and instagrammer together and indicates people who share pictures of books and talk only of books.

And it is through this lovely amazing community that I have met some fun people a couple in person. One lovely person (find her here) and I did a book swap and along with the book she sent me a recipe for these Apple Crumble Muffins.

So, I just had to try them out! I am glad I did, they turned out great and the bonus was that my flat smelt like apples and cinnamon.

Apple Crumble Muffins: 

Crumble -

150g plain flour
150g light brown sugar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
85g salted butter, melted*

Whisk the dry ingredients together before mixing in the melted butter, use a fork or a whisk to sort of mash it together until it resembles crumbs. As seen in the pictures. *I didn't have salted butter so I added a pinch of salt.

Apple Muffins -

100ml veggie oil
85g light brown sugar
50g caster sugar
130ml buttermilk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
300g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
approx. 2 apples, peeled and chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 190C or 170Cfan and line your muffin tin with paper liners.
Whisk the oil, brown sugar, caster sugar, and buttermilk together until just combined.
Add eggs one at a time and whisk until just combined. Stir through the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the flour to the mixture and mix until just combined, you don't want to over mix. Fold in the apples.
Divide the batter between the paper cases, about 3/4 full. Then generously add the crumble topping to each muffin press down lightly, otherwise while baking it can just fall off.
Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven, I know I have a tricky spot in one corner of my oven so after 10 minutes I rotate my muffin tin.

While you are waiting for them to bake, take my advice and clean up so you don't have to deal with that shit later and get your coffee and book ready!

Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars {Curse Worker Trilogy: White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart by Holly Black}

"You're Only a Finger Tip Away from Another World." ~ The Curse Workers

My friend Missie and I have known each other some time and we've always liked the same things. We've always enjoyed the same TV shows, movies, and of course books. So, I was thrilled when she contacted me and asked me to be a part of her Bookies to Foodies week a couple years ago. I loved this recipe and I have been wanting to share it here with you now! 

I recently finished reading Holly Black’s Curse Worker Trilogy, having read White Cat a few years ago it was about time I read Red Glove and Black Heart. My only disappointment was not reading them sooner!

The Curse Worker Trilogy is about a young man named Cassel Sharpe. By-the-way I love Cassel!! He’s really an anti-hero, which is why I love him so much. He’s not the typical “good guy” even though he does try.

See he comes from a family of curse workers. People who can manipulate people’s emotions, change/steal memories, break people’s bones by just touching them and so on. There is a wide range of talent - some only being able to work little charms so to speak and those who have a talent that only comes along once in a generation like transformation. There are also those who do not have any talent at all. Cassel is one of those people. In a powerful family such as his he really is an odd one out.

With his mom in jail, his dad gone, and his brothers working for a big crime lord it only made sense for him to go away to a private school. It was the school food and more specifically school desserts that inspired these Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars!

In the Red Glove Cassel eats Cherry Crumble for dessert while dining in the school cafeteria. When I was at school and the rare occasions that I had a school dinner, I favored a packed lunch, I remember having dessert bars. So, a combination of the book and my experience so here is how I made them:

Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars

300g (2 cups) plain flour

100g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

228g (2 sticks) butter, softened

360g (12-ounces) packages cream cheese

120g (1/2 cup) sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 425g can of black cherries, pitted – 213g/7oz of fresh cherries, chopped

crumble topping (recipe follows) 

Heat the oven to 180C/350F. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x9in square pan or a 13x 9in baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and the sugar until combined. Then add the eggs 1 at a time and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust. Evenly spread out the chopped cherries before sprinkling the crumble mixture over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or 30 minutes if using a bigger pan. Leave to cool in the fridge and serve it up!

Crumble Topping:

200g (1 cup) brown sugar

150g (1 cup) flour

60g (1/2 cup) rolled or quick cooking oats

114g (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Yield: approximately 3 cups

If you use a can of cherries don’t waste the juice reduce it in a saucepan with a tablespoon of sugar, a tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch, and a tsp of vanilla extract until thick and jelly like. Use it as a dip or drizzle on top!

I cannot recommend these Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars enough! The same goes for this series! I loved reading about Cassel and I wish I could read more about him! Thinking a re-read is in store sooner then later!

Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts

If you have read my previous post you will already know this, but if you have come here from another source then you should know that these tarts were inspired by a fictional King Edward VI from a booked titled Lady Jane: the not entirely true story. If you'd like to know a bit more about the story and my thoughts on the book click on the title above.

This post is to talk about these Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts...... which were super amazing! In the book the King loves his blackberries especially as pie. The thing is I am not a huge fan of fruit pie because cooked mushy fruit just doesn't appeal to me.

Brainstorming, isn't something you just learn at school, an idea other then pie was fairly simple. It went like this: use fresh blackberries, fresh berries taste great in tarts, tarts are similar to pie, custard goes well in tarts and done.

So, no these aren't exactly blackberry pie, but as the real fictional king loved blackberries in or out of pie I am positive he would have approved of these.

Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts

Shortcrust Pastry with orange zest

250g plain flour
100g icing sugar
pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter, cold grated or cubed
2 egg yolks
1 egg
zest of 1 orange

Sift the flour and icing sugar together in a large mixing bowl, add the pinch of salt and the cold grated butter. Rub gently between your finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs - try to handle it as little as possible. *I sometimes run my hands under cold water and pat dry before this last step as my hands are generally warm.
Gently whisk the egg yolks and yolk together, make a well in the bread crumbs and add the eggs as well as the orange zest. Using a spatula bring the dough together. It will be a bit crumbly, pour onto a sheet of clingfilm and gently pat down into a square and wrap in the clingfilm. Keep it in the fridge for a minimum of an hour, but is best if kept overnight.

Quick(ish) Custard

30g caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 egg yolks
260ml double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Using a glass or metal bowl whisk the sugar, cornflour, and egg yolks until lighter in color and you have incorporated a bit of air into them. Leave aside and heat the cream and vanilla together until it starts to produce little bubbles aka simmering. Gradually pour the now vanilla infused cream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the while.
Make a double boiler by placing your heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir the custard until thick and creamy. Can take about 7-10 minutes. To test it use a spatula or spoon by dipping it into the custard and when you pull it out it shouldn't drip off the spoon, run your finger through the middle and if the trail your finger makes stays it's done.
Take off the heat and continue whisking for a few minutes before leaving in the fridge to cool for a minimum of 4 hours.

To Assemble: 

225g blackberries
Oat Crumble (optional) recipe found here.
Egg wash: 1 small egg, lightly beaten

Pastry: Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, to about 3mm or .3cm and cut into rounds to fit your muffin tin make sure to leave a little over the top for shrinkage. Press carefully into the muffin cavities, no need to grease. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Take them out of the fridge and line with grease proof baking paper and line with baking beads or your choice of weight some people use rice. Blind bake for 10-15 minutes or until it starts to brown. Remove the baking beads and brush a very light layer of the egg wash over each pastry case and bake for an extra 2 minutes or so. Leave to cool completely before adding a blackberry or two depending how big they are to each case. Cover with the custard and oat crumble if using. Enjoy!

I shared these with my work colleagues and they had a deep discussion about how one of them didn't like blackberries, but were loving them with the custard and oat topping. Then I was asked what it was that was giving it that extra something and I said it was probably the orange zest in the pastry. With that revaluation it was readily agreed upon that that was what was giving it that something special. They are funny, I do love working with fellow foodies!

*recipe adapted from Sweet Tooth by Lily Vanilli

Oat Crumble

This is a short and sweet post sharing how to make oat crumble for a number of different bakes and treats! I would use this on top of yogurt, ice cream, and custard as well as muffins! Will add a kick to any breakfast cereal and of course it's a different type of crumble for fruit crumbles. My girls were eating it as is!

Oat Crumble

110g salted butter, cold and cubed
110g oats
110g plain flour
110g dark muscovado sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl and like if you were making a pastry rub between your fingers until it resembles bread crumbs. Spread over a prepared baking sheet (lined) and place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking in a preheated oven at 180C for 10-15 minutes.
Let it cool before breaking up.

Then use as you want! Feel free to add other spices or ingredients like nuts. Also adjust the amounts to how much you want or need! Keeps for at least two weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Stay tuned for the recipe I used this Oat Crumble on!

Bookies into Foodies Week

Missie over on A Flurry of Ponderings has turned all her bookie friends into foodies for one week. For me it was a bit of the opposite! Although my love of books has never been a secret on here!

It started on Monday so go check out these amazing posts!

Monday/May 11- Historical Treats with Jess from Curiouser and Curiouser

Wednesday/May 13- Dinner from Nowhere But Home with Lisa from Reading, Writing, and Random Musings

Thursday/May 14 - Butterbeer with AJ from Covert/Extrovert (blog removed)

Friday/May 15th - is my day! Check out my review of The Curse Workers Series by Holly Black and a recipe for some amazing Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars!

Don't forget to check out tomorrow's post from Jess at Writing Pearls (Saturday/May 16th) and of course Missie's at A Flurry of Ponderings on Sunday/May 17th!

Update:
Jess at Writing Perals- Asparagus Tart
Missie at A Flurry of Ponderings - Rock Cakes and Treacle Fudge

Gluten & Dairy Free Blueberry Almond Crumble Muffins

When I was little I had a good dentist, who happened to live in our neighbor hood and on Halloween would give out toothbrushes and Trident sugar free gum. I didn’t realize how great he was until we moved states and I encountered a capable, but horrendous dentist.

Which is why I really appreciate our current dentist, he’s pretty cool and my girls love visiting him. They don’t see the dentist as something to fear and I thank him for that. I think it really does matter how you feel about going depending on who you’re going there to see.

If it were not for my friend who used to work with him, we’d still be with our old dentist who just wasn’t great with kids.

To make sure he knows he’s appreciated I occasionally bring him baked goods. The first time I brought a big plate of Rocky Road, however unbeknownst to me he cannot have gluten or dairy. So, he was unable to enjoy the Rocky Road due to all the chocolate and biscuits.

This time round, as our appointment was in the morning, I brought him these Blueberry Crumble Muffins. They were a bit heavier then regular muffins but they were good. The blueberry and almond flavors really go well together.

It will be six months before I get to ask him about them, but I really hope he’s enjoyed them. Wonder what I should bring him next?

The recipe was adapted from Ms Cupcake’s The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town! It’s one of those books I highly recommend to any one who is after Vegan or dairy free cakes and bakes. Plus all of the recipes can be adapted like I did to this one to be gluten-free as well!

Blueberry Almond Crumble Muffins

crumble:

100g gluten free self-rising flour

50g demerara sugar

50g dairy-free margarine

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix together with your hands until it’s all crumbly.

blueberry almond muffin:

500g gluten free self-rising flour

60g ground almonds

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 tsp baking powder

250g golden caster sugar

500ml Oatly Oat Drink

320ml sunflower oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

100g whole blueberries

Heat the oven to 180C/350F and line a muffin tin with paper cases. I had enough batter for 18 muffins. In a big bowl mix the dry ingredients together. In another bowl mix the wet ingredients together. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and quickly fold together with a metal spoon until just combined. It will be a bit lumpy but that’s exactly how it should be, if it starts to fizz just bang the bowl on the counter a couple of times. Then fill the paper cases about ¾ full before dividing the blueberries between the cases and sprinkling with the crumble. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in the tins for at least 10 minutes before placing on a cooling rack to finish cooling off. Then package up and give to really cool dentists who can’t have gluten or dairy.

notes: I used Dove’s Gluten-Free Self-Rising flour and Vitalite Dairy Free Margarine. I also used Oatly Oat Drink that was leftover from a previous post I did for them. Feel free to use a soya or rice milk. Be sure to check that your baking powder is gluten free. None of these brands are sponsoring this post, but thought I would mention it as I felt it would be helpful. All opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page for more information.

If you enjoyed this post here are a few others you might like:

My first attempt at Vegan Cupcakes

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting 

Oatly Espresso Cupcakes

Oatly Chocolate Mini Donuts

Apple Bake Linky Post!

I love apple bakes!
I am sharing with you some of my favorites I have made in the past!
I would love to see what you have made please link up below!

Apple Pie Cheesecake Bars:

Sticky Maple-Apple Tray Bake

Apple and Oatmeal Cookies

Apploffi Pie

Then there are the things I have made this week with Apples! 

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Caramel Apple Crumble

Pumpkin & Apple Streusel Muffins

Caramel Apple Crumble

Funny how in my last post I went on a bit on how I don’t like cooked apples. Yet here I am sharing a recipe that I am in love with and it has cooked apples!

I have said before I am completely contradictory. This is just another example of that! In fact I am very contradictory because I love apples in cakes and stuff and they are all cooked.

I might have to rethink this not liking apple pie thing. I have never tried to make my own apple pie nor have I had one made for me. So, maybe I just don’t like shop bought apple pies?

Apples are generally paired with either cinnamon or caramel. Those are both good combinations, this recipe has no cinnamon, but a lot of caramel!

In the states you can buy caramel sauce aka dulce de leche in a tub. It’s marketed as apple dip and they charge a freaking fortune for it. Just buy a can of condensed milk and make your own I say!

This crumble really hits the spot after a big roast dinner or a late breakfast. Don’t look at me like that, it has apples and crumble goodness served with some cream how is it much different from high sugar cereals or a bagel or something?

Caramel Apple Crumble

1kg apples, sweet apples such as Spartan’s or Golden Delicious

2-3 tbsp of apple juice

75g toasted pecans

4 heaped tbsp Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel

Preheat oven to 180C/gas4. Peel and slice the apples and place them in an oven proof dish. Pour over the apple juice and gently coat the apples. Spread the toasted pecans over the apples before spooning over the caramel sauce. Try to cover as much as the apple and pecans as possible.

Crumble Topping

100g polenta

100g plain flour

75g golden caster sugar

a pinch of salt

75g butter, chilled and diced

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Then rub the butter in until it looks like breadcrumbs. 

to finish:

Spread the crumble topping over the apples and caramel and press down lightly. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve it however you find best! I served mine up with some vanilla ice cream and more caramel sauce!

notes: Part 3 of Apple Week; How to make your own caramel; I used the apples from our tree (Spartans), but you could use any type you have to hand. Whatever you want! I used apple juice as my husband is allergic to citrus, but please feel free to use the juice of 1 large lemon. You can also chop up the pecans, but I left mine whole. I found the Bonne Maman Confiture de Caramel at Waitrose in the ice cream topping area. This recipe is adapted from Bonne Maman, The Seasonal Cookbook which I received as a prize from the Cake & Bake Show! 

It’s so hard to say goodbye {Lemon Crumble Cupcakes}

Autumn is here! The days are starting to get shorter and the nights are definitely cooler.

I love this time of year, but I also love the long sunny days of summer! I have a lot of conflicting feelings about different things.

So, before I say goodbye to summer (until next year) I thought I’d make these super summery and light Lemon Crumble Cupcakes!

Not that you can’t make these in the middle of winter to remind you of summer or in the spring when you are anticipating summer or in summer as lemons go well with sunshine.

Although saying that a crumble always reminds me autumn and winter. There I go again with my conflicting feelings and thoughts!

No matter the time of year these cupcakes are gorgeous and should be made to share!

Crumble Topping:

75g plain flour

75g golden caster sugar

zest of 1 lemon

100g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into blocks

Make this first by mixing the flour, sugar, and lemon zest together. Then rub the butter into flour mixture until it looks like breadcrumbs and then set aside in the fridge until needed.

Lemon Crumble Cupcakes:

200g butter, room temperature

200g golden caster sugar

4 medium eggs

200g self-rising flour

juice of 1 lemon

150g Mackays Lemon Curd

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F and line a cupcake tray with your choice casing. Beat the butter until soft before adding the sugar and then beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs together, and then slowly add little by little to the light and fluffy butter mixture. If you add too much too quickly it will curdle. Gently fold in the flour and lemon juice until just combined.

Place a heaped tablespoon (one from your drawer not a proper measuring spoon) into the bottom of each case. Dollop about a ½ tablespoon of lemon curd in the middle of each cupcake case before topping each cupcake roughly with another tablespoon of batter, then cover each cupcake with the crumble topping. There should be plenty to cover each cupcake.

Bake for 30 minutes they should be a golden color on top and should spring back slightly. A skewer test would probably be useless as it has curd in the middle. Let them cool down in the cupcake try before removing to a wire rack to cool.

notes: Mackays Lemon Curd was provided for me as part of there #bakingwithmackays campaign please see my contact/policy tab above for further information; recipe adapted from Rachel Allen’s Cake (my book review); if you like this post you make like Lemon & Poppy Seed Scones another post where I talk about lemons and sunshine

Spiced Apple Custard Tarts {from Lily Vanilli's Sweet Tooth}

I'm so excited that when this post is finally up I will be on my way to London to visit Lily Vanilli's bakery in East London. I can not wait!! Had to cancel my plans as my littlest one has a sick bug. London isn't going anywhere....already thinking of a date to reschedule! So, being the impatient person that I am I had to bake something from her book before I went! This past week I baked these very yummy tarts from Lily Vanilli's Sweet Tooth in anticipation of my visit to London!

It wasn't hard to choose as these Spiced Apple Custard Tarts were on top of my list since I read the book a few weeks back. I am not going to share the recipe with you as I think this recipe alone is worth buying the book..... also because I am know to be a bit lazy. It's not a hard recipe but there is a lot of time managing and steps to get right. First you make the pastry and its best if sat overnight or no less then an hour. So, I made my pastry the night before. Then the custard needs to be cold so it has to set for at least 4 hrs. I split my custard the first time.... oops. Then you make the apple filling (not pictured as once I started eating them I wasn't gonna stop for a picture) which needs to cool. Then you need to make the oat crumble for the top and roll and rest and bake the pasty that was setting over night. So basically I couldn't be bothered to write all that out.

However I don't want all my rambling up there to put you off making them if you have a copy of the book or someone you know does. These were absolutely delicious!!! I took them to 2 different friends houses and had nothing but compliments all around! Mine didn't look as neat and tidy as the book picture, but when they taste good who cares if they don't look perfect?!?

Can't wait to share my experience at Lily's with all of you later this week!!

Buy here on Amazon or at The Book People 

Baked White Chocolate, Mascarpone & Passion Fruit Cheesecake from Giraffe

We went out to dinner last night with some friends visiting from the states! Since we had our Mini-Bakers with us I choose a family style restaurant: Giraffe. Maybe not exactly authentic British cuisine but it was good. This cheesecake was good! My husband decided on the Chocolate Chunk Brownie, the little ones had a scoop of ice cream (strawberry of course), and our friends shared the Toffee Apple Crumble!

Where have you had a good dessert from recently??

Apple & Cinnamon Crumble Muffins

I chopped up my pecans with a knife as I didn't see the point in using a food processor just for that. 

It's a perfect recipe to use up old fruit! I always seem to have a only apple sitting around. They were very good and didn't last long! ;0)

Apple & Cinnamon Crumble Muffins

adapted from 100 Magnificent Muffins & Scones by Felicity Barnum-Bobb

225g plain flour
75g golden caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 medium egg
150 ml semi skimmed milk
2 apples peeled cores and finely chopped
50ml sunflower oil
25g pecan nuts
50g light muscovado sugar

Preheat oven 190*C/375*F/ gas 5
Put the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, 1/2tsp cinnamon and salt in a bowl
Add the egg, milk, apple, and oil and stir for a few secs until just combined.
Spoon the mixture into paper muffin cases
Put the pecans into a processor and whiz to chop finely, add muscovado sugar and the remaining cinnamon. Sprinkle over each muffin.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until well risen and firm. Serve warm.