muffins once more...

After short period of disenchantment, I had to admit that muffins are, after all, the perfect solution for my sweet tooth. I also discovered that I can work everything and anything into these little cups, and, incidentally, they make even the most diet friendly recipe taste good. So, muffins and me resolved our issues and I started new habit of baking small batch every morning. With half closed eyes and still in my pj’s, I make my way to the kitchen to mix light batter and pop it into the oven. While I prepare breakfast, I keep one eye on fast growing golden spheres, to have them fresh and ready right when I finish brewing coffee. Now, this is the way to start a day!

While dieting, I discovered not so much a recipe, as a way of making a perfect batch of 6 medium muffins. I use hardly any oil and little sugar so they are nearly guilt free, which is a nice bonus.
My almost scientific method: 1 cup dry ingredients to roughly 1 cup wet ingredients – depending on how liquid they are. For example if I use milk, I would make it 2/3 – ¾ cup, but if I go with greek yogurt, I use full cup.
I usually use ½ cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 3-6 tsp sugar. The rest differs almost every day. I discovered that pudding powder gives really tasty results. Otherwise I add shredded coconut, various nuts, oats, powdered muesli – anything really. Wet ingredients give even more freedom of choice. I always use 1 egg and sometimes 1 – 2 tsp oil mixed with greek yogurt, blended fruits or vegetables, juice, tea, coffee, soda…  Traditionally,  I mix wet and dry ingredients separately and then stir together with a spoon. Baking time, depending on the oven, is 15-20 min. I’m happy to report that, so far, it hasn’t failed even once.


these are just few of them:

 Apple and cinnamon:
dry: 3/4 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       4 tsp brown sugar
       2tsp cinnamon
       top the cup with almond powder
wet: 1 egg
        2tsp oil
        few drops vanilla essence
        top the cup with greek yogurt
        1 cubed apple
sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled

Apple and oats

dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       pinch of salt
       2 tsp brown sugar 
       top the cup with oats
wet: 1 egg
       1 blended apple
       2 tsp honey
       top cup with greek yogurt

 Coconut pudding muffins
dry: 1/2 cup shredded coconut
       1 tsp baking powder
       5 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       2 tbsp of flour
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
wet: 1 egg
       1/2 cup greek yogurt
       1 tbsp oil
       top 3/4 cup with coconut milk
* these muffins are extremely delicate

Pudding powder muffins
dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       4 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
wet: 1 egg
       2tsp oil
       top cup with greek yogurt
sprinkle each cupcake with dark cocoa and mix gently with chopstick, bake, cover with instant coconut milk dissolved in 2 tsp of water

 Zucchini muffins
 dry: 3/4 cup flour
      5 tsp sugar
      1 tsp baking powder
       top cup with powdered muesli
      pinch of green food colouring
wet: 1 egg
       1/2 cup blended zucchini
       few drops of lemon essence
       top cup with greek yogurt
mix, bake,when cooled cover with mascarpone mixed with lemon juice and powdered sugar

Strawberry muffins
dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       4 tsp sugar
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
       pinch of food colouring
wet: 1 egg
       2tsp oil 
       few drops of vanilla essence
       top cup with greek yogurt
place strawberry inside each muffin, then bake

Blueberry lemon muffins
dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       2 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
wet: 1 egg
       2tsp oil 
       4 tbsp blueberry jam
       top cup with greek yogurt
 bake, when cooled top with mascarpone whisked with lemon juice and powdered sugar

Blueberry muffins
dry: 1/3 cup wholewheat flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       3 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with regular flour
wet: 2 eggs
       2tbsp oil 
       top cup with greek yogurt
in muffin form drop 1 tsp of muffin batter, 1 tsp of blueberry jam and top with batter 

Orange muffins ( my absolute favorite)
dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       5 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
wet: 1 egg
       1 tbsp oil 
       juice from 2 oranges
       top 3/4 cup with greek yogurt
 bake then sprinkle with shredded white chocolate and orange peels mixed with 2-3 tsp of orange juice

Raspberry cream cheese muffins
dry: 1 tsp baking powder
       5 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with flour
wet: 1 egg
       2tbsp oil 
       top cup with greek yogurt
 + 3 tsp cream cheese and 3tsp raspberry jam
in muffin tin drop 1 tsp batter, 1 tsp cream cheese mixed with raspberry jam and top up with batter

Raspberry muffins
dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       3 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
wet: 1 egg
       2 tbsp raspberry jam
       top cup with greek yogurt
fill muffin tin with batter then drop 1 tsp of jam in the middle. when cooled, top with whipped cream

 Lemon, chocolate chip muffin
dry: 1/2 cup flour
       1 tsp baking powder
       3 tsp sugar
       pinch of salt
       top cup with vanilla pudding powder
wet: 1 egg
       4 tbsp of lime or lemon curd
       top cup with greek yogurt
+ 1/4 cup chocolate chip
when cooled, top with whipped cream whisked with lemon juice

the fabric, the care package and the Cat

Since I can remember, I’ve always loved fabrics. There is something really magical in meters of untouched colors, prints and textures, the way they drape and run through my fingers… I can nearly see all the beautiful creations that can come out of it… or the big pile of ruined scraps and me pulling my hair out over them.

In order to avoid the second scenario, I wanted to refresh my sewing skills for quite some time. Before learning fashion design I was terrified of sewing machines – too many sharp and moving parts – it’s like begging for a hole in my finger! During the course, we never made anything fun. Sure, there were lots of experiments with draping, manipulating patterns and so on, but it was all in muslin and in tiny little model size (for those who never stitched a day in their life – muslin is sticky and smells funny). At some point I really started to resent the whole process: hours of sewing and ripping and sewing and ripping, crossed eyes, cramping fingers and, in the end, not very impressive but smelly results. Not surprising, I seldom felt the need to make “real” clothes in the spare time. 

Plus, for me, the best part of studying fashion was the designing – sketching, illustrating. The actual “putting clothes together” process was always on the sidelines – probably that’s why I’ve never learned it properly. But now, after a solid break from sticky muslin, I started circling around my fabric box and thought, why not give it another go? On my own terms this time.

I figured it’s better to start simple before I jump to inventing some complicated patterns, so I decided to check off some projects from my pinterest list. Of course I made few alterations and there was some occasional ripping, but I have to say, working with pretty fabrics and sewing clothes I can actually wear made all the difference!

While I was moving from skirts to shorts, care package arrived from my parents. Since I spent half of my college life in my home town, the whole care package concept was lost on me. That is to say, until the second half, which I spent in India, when parcels from home were more like lifesaving kits. Fortunately, after we put the genius plan of moving to Goa into motion, so called care packages are pure fun and joy! I have to say, I’m in big danger of breaking my “learn basic sewing before you jump to anything else” resolution. I simply can’t wait to lay my hands on all the new pretty shiny thing, but I’m trying to stay strong, so the book will have to do for now.