Moreish Muffins

Muffins rule supreme as the most popular treat with coffee in cafes and coffee shops. Whether sweet or savoury, they are growing in popularity - and size. In many cases, one whopper can satisfy two people - or even three.
The term muffin was derived either from the French word "moufflet", meaning soft bread, or from the German word "muff", the name for a type of cake. The English muffin is an entirely different creation. Yeast is the raising agent, the muffins are flat and they are generally cooked in a toaster for breakfast.
The popular coffee-shop - and home-baked - muffin is the American type. The raising agent is baking powder and/or baking soda. The more sugar and more fat the muffin has, the more cake-like it becomes, with a softer crumb. Preparation is simple: the dry ingredients are combined in one bowl; the liquid ingredients are combined in another bowl; then the two are mixed together - briefly.
Over-mixing tends to overdevelop the gluten in the flour, making the muffins tough and dense. All you need is up to eight strokes to combine the wet and dry ingredients. The batter may still be a little lumpy and you may still see a few traces of flour, but these will disappear.
Muffin pan holes are best lightly greased or sprayed with oil even if they are of the non-stick variety. Fill empty holes with water to prevent any butter or oil baking on to the surface. And the extra moisture in the oven helps prevent the muffins from drying out. Use paper cases - this makes cleaning up easier - but the muffins will not develop a crust.
Fill the muffin holes to about three-quarters full and handle the batter as little as possible to keep the muffins tender. Over-filling will cause the muffins to have irregular-shaped tops. You may need to turn the muffin pan during baking to ensure even browning.
I've used heavy silicone muffin pans for today's recipes, brushing them lightly with oil before use. Each hole holds about half a cup of batter.
RECIPES
BACON & EGG MUFFINS
Cook the hard-boiled egg and bacon first. If you don't have a sifter, stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a wire whisk to aerate.
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 tsp each: salt, dry mustard
1 cup grated tasty  cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large hard-boiled egg, shelled and coarsely chopped
1 large rasher rindless bacon, cooked and chopped
Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly grease an  eight-hole muffin pan or line with paper muffin cases.
Sift the flour, salt and mustard into a large bowl. Add the cheese and parsley. Mix well.
Combine the milk and oil. Stir into the flour mixture until just moistened.
Half fill the muffin holes. Top with a little chopped egg and bacon, then cover with the remaining muffin mix.
Bake for about 20 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Best served hot for breakfast or  lunch. Makes 8.

PASSIONFRUIT & CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS
Developed for those lucky people with passionfruit falling from the vine.
2 cups standard flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup each: milk, passionfruit pulp
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g cream cheese (approximately)
Topping:
1/4 cup passionfruit pulp
1 tbsp icing sugar
Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly oil about eight muffin holes.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Combine the milk, passionfruit pulp, oil and egg. Stir into the dry ingredients to make a sticky dough.
Half fill the muffin holes with half  the mixture. Place about three-quarters of a teaspoon of cream cheese into the centre of each. Fill the holes with the remaining muffin mixture. Spoon a little of the topping over each muffin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Brush with remaining topping. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.
Excellent served warm or at room temperature, with or without whipped cream.
Makes about 8.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

2 cups standard flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
3/4 cup caster sugar
200g dark chocolate drops
100g butter, melted
1 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg, lightly beaten
Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly brush about 10 muffin holes with oil.
Sift the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and caster sugar into a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate drops.
Whisk the butter, yoghurt, milk, vanilla and egg together. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin holes.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to stand in the pan for a few minutes before cooling on a wire rack. Makes about 10.

KIKORANGI & CARAMELISED PEAR MUFFINS
Topping:
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored and sliced
1 tbsp each: butter, brown sugar
Muffins:
2 cups standard flour
1 tbsp each: baking powder, sugar
1/2 tsp salt
125g Kikorangi blue cheese (or similar), crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 cup walnut or canola oil
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
To make the topping, saute the pear in the  butter and brown sugar until caramelised. Drain on paper towels. Cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Lightly oil or line  nine to 10 muffin pan holes.
Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl. Add the cheese, parsley and pear and mix well.
Combine the oil, milk and egg and stir into the dry ingredients briefly. Spoon into the muffin holes. Top each with two slices of the caramelised pear.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. May be sprinkled lightly with paprika before serving.
Best served at room temperature. Makes 9-10.
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