Working in the snow!

The first recipe of the year! And for that I choose my number one muffin recipe. A few weeks ago I made it again and took the muffins out into the snow to make some pictures (how often do you get the chance to do that?!). The muffins themselves aren’t anything new. They’re just a twist on muffins I’ve made so many times I know the recipe by heart. Since the very beginning , the recipe has never failed me and every time again I end up with delicious muffins in a very short time. I keep opening the little muffin-cookbook I have on the same page to make the doughnut muffins again and again and again. And every time I bake them, I instantly abandon any diet plans I had in mind. Lastly, like with most of my recipes, it’s so easy to make variations to the recipe. I’ve used about every dried and fresh fruit in these lovely bakes already.

Ingredients:
275 grams self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
100 grams caster sugar
75 ml sunflower oil
150 grams (Greek) yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

200-300 grams dried fruits of your preference

1. Sift the flour, the bicarbonate of soda and sugar together.
2. In a separate bowl add the oil, yogurt, vanilla extract and eggs together and whisk.

3. Add the dried fruits of your preference.
3. Add the flour/sugar-mixture and mix until everything is thoroughly mixed. Try not to beat the batter any more than necessary as the muffins might be dry.
4. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake cups and drop a spoon or two in each case until the cupcake wrappers are filled for about 3/4.
5. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit and leave the muffins in for about 16-20 minutes.
6. When the muffins are done, leave them to cool and dip them in some extra sugar if you like.

I have to say, the measurement for the dried fruits is really just an estimate. I normally use half a package of raisins (500 grams), but I always use a bit more dried fruits in any recipe as I totally love them. Especially raisins and dried plums, I could eat them all day long! So if you’re not that fond of dried fruits, or you’re unsure, keep adding the fruits little by little until you think it’s enough. When you’re using fresh fruits, or when you’re very extremely unsure on how much dried fruit to add, try step 5 from the original recipe: Doughnut muffins with blackberries.

Then, sit back and relax, and enjoy. There’s nothing more satisfying that a good cup of tea, a book and a couple of muffins to enjoy. Although, for this winter, I’d include some blankets. Perhaps a fireplace as well, with wood that softly crackles as the fire licks it. Oh, and those lights for in front of the window that twinkle like snow is falling. Or the company of some friends or family to make it even more cosy? What about some hot chocolate? Some sweet Christmas melody in the background? Fresh holly on the tables and on the walls that give the room the fresh smell of forest?

... in the end, just the muffin is enough for me.