Butterscotch Cream Muffins

These were another creation from Helen Weaver, the butterscotch sweetie bits giving lovely gooey-chewy bits in the cake!

Butterscotch Cream Muffins

150g butterscotch sweets (like Werthers)

280g plain flour

1tbsp baking powder

Pinch salt

115g soft dark brown sugar

2 eggs

250ml double cream

6 tbsp oil

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and fill a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cases.

Put the sweets in a strong plastic bag and bash to crush them.

Combine all the rest of the dry ingredients including the crushed sweets in a mixing bowl and mix together well.  Make a well in the middle of the bowl.  In another bowl, beat all the wet ingredients together and pour into the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir GENTLY (don’t over-mix) until just combined and divide between the muffin cases.

Bake for around 20 minutes until risen, golden and firm – leave in the tin for 5 mins before cooling on a rack.

Cow Cake!

It's easy to see why this got its nick-name!  This yummy rich chocolately concoction was baked every day at N'fest and not once was there any left over!  It was one of the first bakes to be snaffled each day - it's everso easy to make though...give it a try!

Base ingredients

250g butter

420g sugar

2 eggs

380g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

Topping ingredients

90g white chocolate chips

300g full-fat cream cheese (eg Philadelphia)

60g icing sugar

1 egg

Line a 23 x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.  Make base first – beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time to incorporate fully into mixture.  Add rest of dry topping ingredients into batter and mix well.

Break off approx ¼ of the dough, cover with cling film and put in the fridge.  Press the remaining dough into the prepared baking tray and leave it to set in the fridge for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile pre-heat the oven and make the topping: Carefully melt the chocolate by your preferred method (either microwave if you’re me, or over a bowl of simmering water) and allow to cool slightly.  With an electric whisk beat cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth, add the egg and mix again and finally add the melted white chocolate and mix to combine well.  Put to one side.

Cook the base for  20 minutes or so, remove from oven and pour over topping and then take the reserved base dough from the fridge and break into smallish pieces, dropping them randomly over the top of the topping mixture. 

Bake again for approximately 25 minutes until the cheesecake topping has set then cool completely before putting in the fridge to set.  Cut into rectangles to serve

Rocky Road Chocolate Muffins

These little beauties were made by Helen Weaver and her daughter Poppy during N'fest week - they didn't last long!

Rocky Road Muffins

225g plain flour

55g cocoa powder

1tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

115g sugar

100g white chocolate chips

50g mini marshmallows, cut in half

2 eggs

250ml milk

6tbsp sunflower oil

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 and fill a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cases.

Combine all the dry ingredients (up to marshmallows) in a mixing bowl and mix together well.  Make a well in the middle of the bowl.  In another bowl, beat all the wet ingredients together and pour into the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir GENTLY (don’t over-mix) until just combined and divide between the muffin cases.

Bake for around 20 minutes until risen and firm – leave in the tin for 5 mins before cooling on a rack.

Long awaited cake recipes from N'fest 2011...

Hello again! Sorry for the massively long delay with getting you these recipes and also for the even longer silence on the blog - truth is, now I've been getting some guidance on making it a bit more user friendly so you can actually easily find and use the recipes after they've been posted! Do sign up to follow the blog (if you've got a Google password already you can do it straight away, or it's easy to get one if you're not registered yet) - it's great to get feedback and see what culinary triumphs (or disasters) you've been having!  Currently the only person who comments is the church administrator and webmaster (who also happens to be my Dad) and it's usually along the lines of asking us to bring him spare muffins after The Early Shift finishes!!

Anyway, we'd love to get your feedback and look forward to seeing you at the next Early Shift session!