Category Archives: Quick Breads

Muffins and Scones

Hot Cross Muffins

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These yummy muffins borrow their flavour from Hot Cross Buns and are infinitely easier to make!

Hot Cross Muffins
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cloves
1/4 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 cup Currants
1/2 cup Glazed Mixed Fruit

1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 cup Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons Bundaberg Rum (or Captain Morgan’s Spicy Rum) (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line 12 cup Muffin tin with paper liners.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger; make a well in the centre.
Stir in glazed mixed fruit and currants; set aside.
In small mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth; add sugar and brown sugar  and stir until well blended.
Add egg, vanilla. Add rum if using.
Stir in buttermilk; pour liquid ingredients all at once into dry ingredients.
Stir just until combined, batter will be lumpy.
Use a 5 ounce Pampered Chef scoop to fill muffin cups.

Hot Cross Muffins in the Making
Use a 5 ounce scoop for no fuss, no muss muffin cup filling

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 20 – 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 10 minutes.
Turn out muffins to cool completely on wire rack.
When cool, drizzle with Glaze.

Glaze
1 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Bundaberg Rum
1 + Tablespoon Milk

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth adding enough milk to get consistency desired.

 

Coffee Cakes

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

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This recipe is adapted from an Orange Raisin muffin recipe given to me years ago by Daniella.

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
A yummy citrus delight - Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Oranges, peeled and quartered
1 cup Strong Orange Juice made from Concentrate
1 cup Butter, melted
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla

3 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sugar
1/2 Brown Sugar
1 cup Dried Cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F
Lightly spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and  dust with flour.

Puree quartered oranges in blender.
Add orange juice, melted butter, vanilla and eggs, pulse a few times to combine.

In large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Stir in sugars and cranberries.

Add liquid ingredients all at once and stir just until combined.
Spoon into prepared Bundt pan and bake in preheated oven for 50 – 60 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately run a small metal spatula around the edges; cool in the pan for 5 – 10 minutes.
Turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.

Frost with Orange Glaze

2 Tablespoons Butter, softened
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1 – 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice

In small mixing bowl, stir butter until smooth; add 1 cup of powdered sugar and stir well.
Add a Tablespoon of orange juice, continue stirring.
Add another 3/4 cup of powdered sugar and another Tablespoon of orange juice, stir well.
Add the last bit of powdered sugar, stirring until smooth.
Spread on cooled coffee cake.

 

About, Breads, Quick Breads

Just Like Mum’s Pancakes

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Stack of 'cakes 

Mum’s Pancakes and Home Made Syrup

 

 

In medium mixing bowl combine and whisk together:
2 cups flour
4 slightly generous teaspoons of baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp saltMake a well in the center.
In small mixing bowl whisk together
2 eggs
1 Generous tsp Vanilla
1/3 vegetable oil or melted butter (<- extra flavour with the second option)
1  + 1/2 cups milk … Start with a cup of milk but keep the milk close by

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together.
You will need to add milk to get the right consistency.
When you get really good at this you can heat your pan while making the batter.
Heat pan to med-high heat. 350 on an electric griddle.
(To test griddle/pan, sprinkle a few drops of water on surface…if bubbles skitter around the pan it is good to go)
Spray heated pan with a bit of veg oil spray.
Using ladle, pour a scant scoop onto hot pan. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Flip and continue to cook until lovely and golden.
Now you can spray the pan again but the fat in the pancake will allow you to continue cooking pancakes if you are using a non stick griddle/pan.

Top with warmed Maple Syrup.
Or Strawberries and Whipped Cream.

Stack of 'cakes with Strawberries

Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Buy Mapeline flavouring, if you can find it, and make your own syrup! If you can’t find it, which I cannot, then use Maple Flavouring.

And leftovers call for Mum’s homemade jam!

 

 

 

 

 
Breads, Quick Breads

Baking Powder Biscuits

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Wholesome Baking Powder Biscuits
Wholesome Baking Powder Biscuits
 4 cups Flour
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2/3 cup Shortening (Butter works too), cold and cubed
2 cups Milk
Preheat oven to 450F.
Sprinkle baking sheet with a bit of cornmeal; set aside.
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir well.
Using a pastry blender, cut cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Using a fork, stir in enough milk so dough leaves the side of bowl and rounds into a ball.
Turn soft dough out onto lightly floured surface and GENTLY knead about 10 times.
Gently roll out to 1/2″ thickness; let rest for a few minutes.
Cut with floured, sharp edged biscuit cutter.
Place on ungreased baking sheet that you have lightly sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal.
Bake in hot oven until gold brown, about 10 minutes.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Decrease Baking Powder to 5 teaspoons and add 1 teaspoon Baking Soda. Substitute Buttermilk for milk.
Cheese Biscuits:
Stir 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, a sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese some chopped fresh chives into flour mixture.
Herb Biscuits:
Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons each  Sage, Thyme, Parsley into flour mixture.
Italian Herb Biscuits:
Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons each Basil, Oregano and a pinch of garlic powder into Flour mixture.
Whole Grain Biscuits:
Decrease flour  to 2 cups; add 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour, 1/2 cup mixed Grains: Ground Flax Seed, Wheat Germ, Ground Rolled Oats