Seaweed muffins
Bursting with nutrition and adding subtle layers of umami flavour, seaweed makes a fantastic addition in baking.
Here are a couple of my favourite seasonal muffin recipes and tips for you to try at home.
Rhubarb, Apple and Sugar-kelp muffins with a sprinkle of Dulse
Ingredients
Wet
2 medium free range eggs
120ml sunflower oil
100ml full fat milk
100ml water
1 tsp baking soda
1 medium apple grated
1 medium stick of Rhubarb cut half longways and thinly sliced
1 medium stick of Rhubarb cut into 12 small chunks for tops of muffins
Dry
300 grams of quality plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
150g demerara sugar
1 Tbs ground Sugar-kelp
1 tsp salt
Optional Dulse flakes
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C on fan. Grease well a 12 cup muffin tin with oil using a pastry brush, also apply oil to top of tin to stop edges of muffins sticking. (These muffins grow big!).
2. Put eggs, oil, water and milk into a measuring jug and whisk with a fork then add grated apple, thinly sliced rhubarb and tsp of baking soda. Mix well.
3. In a large bowl place flour, sugar, baking powder and ground sugar-kelp. Combine well.
4. Make a ‘well’ in dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a flat wooden spoon or your hands ‘fold’ wet and dry together until just combined do not over mix, batter should appear lumpy but not dry and should just ‘drop’ from spoon.
5. Fill muffin tins almost to top, place a chunk of Rhubarb on each muffin and sprinkle with a little sugar and flaked Dulse.
6. Bake in middle shelf of oven for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into middle comes away clean.
Allow muffins to cool in tin for a few mins before removing and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
Wild garlic pesto, Carrot and Laver Muffins topped
with cheese
Ingredients
Wet
2 medium free range eggs
100ml sunflower oil
100ml full fat milk
100ml water
1 medium carrot grated
Dry
300 grams of quality plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs toasted and crushed Laver seaweed
1/2 tsp salt
To prepare Laver
Put dried whole Laver into a bowl and gently ‘massage’ with a little oil.
Place onto heavy baking tray and toast in a hot oven for a couple of minutes until just crisp.
Allow to cool and crush.
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 180C on fan. Grease well a 12 cup muffin tin with oil using a pastry brush, also apply oil to top of tin to stop edges of muffins sticking.
2. Put eggs, oil, water and milk into a measuring jug and whisk with a fork then add grated carrot and Pesto. Mix well.
3. In a large bowl place flour, baking powder and toasted crushed Laver . Combine well.
4. Make a ‘well’ in dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a flat wooden spoon or your hands ‘fold’ wet and dry together until just combined do not over mix, batter should appear lumpy but not dry and should just ‘drop’ from spoon.
5. Fill muffin tins almost to top, sprinkle a little grated cheese on each muffin.
6. Bake in middle shelf of oven for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into middle comes away clean.
Allow muffins to cool in tin for a few mins before removing and leave on a wire rack to cool completely.
Some tips for the best muffins
Grated vegetables or fruit help to keep muffins moist.
Never over mix your batter, folding rather than ‘mixing’ helps to keep in air making your muffins a fluffy texture.
Flour can be temperamental and is affected by humidity, age and other factors. Always reserve a little of your wet ingredients while folding into dry ingredients to ensure you don’t end up with a mix thats too wet.
Consistency is everything, you don’t want a batter thats too wet or too dry. If your batter is dry then add a little more milk or water and gently incorporate.
Adding a topping before baking turns a good muffin into a great muffin and can help to reduce cracking.