My my, these are the most delicious thing I’ve ever put together using such simple ingredients. Also know as French Toast Muffins, they have a wonderful rich and crumbly texture – and the butter, sugar and cinnamon topping is just the right finishing touch.

 

I didn’t actually use all of the butter that the topping recipe calls for – I had about 20 g left over – but I think it’s easier to dip the muffins if there’s more butter in the bowl. But, I suppose you could use a pastry brush and brush the butter onto the last few muffins – I just used the leftover butter in baking that same day, thinking it couldn’t have been too contaminated by a baked muffin top.

 

Sugar Cinnamon Muffins




Muffins:
350 ml all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
125 ml sugar
75 g butter, melted
1 egg
125 ml milk




Topping:
50 ml sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
50 g butter, melted




Preheat oven to 175 C. Lightly oil 8 holes of a 12-hole muffin tin.
Sift together the dry ingredients, stir. Add wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide batter between the 8 muffin tin holes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden.
To make topping: mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl. Dip the top of each muffin in butter and then roll in sugar&cinnamon mix.




CHEESECAKE!

 

With blackcurrants!

 

It’s delicious! (And quite pretty too)

 

The fork is actually not huge; it’s a perspective illusion thingy.

 

 

 

Blackcurrant Swirl Cheesecake




Blackcurrant puree:
225 g fresh or frozen blackcurrants
50 g caster sugar




Crust:
350 ml graham cracker crumbs
60 ml caster sugar
115 g butter, melted




Filling:
600 g cream cheese, softened
175 ml sour cream
2 eggs
225 g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract




Puree the blackcurrants in a food processor. Strain through a sieve. You should end up with 100-120 ml of smooth puree.
Place the puree and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened, and set aside to cool.
To make crust: Preheat oven to 175 C. Line the base of a 24 cm spring form tin with non-stick baking paper; grease tin.
Crush biscuits (10 Digestives or an equal amount of other graham crackers) and stir in sugar. Add melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbs are moistened.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared tin and bake for 6-8 minutes. Allow to cool.
To make filling: Set oven to 150 C. Blend the cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, eggs, sugar and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the base. Drizzle the blackcurrant mixture over the cheese filling and swirl lightly with a knife.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the sides are set but there is still a small circle of jiggliness in the middle.
Leave to cool at room temperature, and refrigerate until ready to serve.




 

Once upon a time I lived in a tiny town. There’s not much one can say about it and I wasn’t terribly sad when I moved out. One of the things the tiny town does have going for it, however, is the local bakery. Firstly, they make the most divine vanilla & jelly donuts, that are a) triangle-shaped as opposed to round, and b) somehow inexplicably far more delicious than anyone else’s. Secondly, they make the most divine cheese & herb spirals. Cinnamon roll-like thingies that are savoury and cheesy and herby and wonderful.

 

I decided my life really needed more savoury cheese spirals. And cheese & salami spirals. Don’t see why you couldn’t throw in some chopped ham too, or make a Mediterranean version with pesto, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, or a spinach and feta combo, or…

 

Cheese & Green Chilli Spiral Rolls or Salami Spiral Rolls




Dough:
300 ml milk
25 g fresh yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
300 ml bread flour
appr. 400 ml all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil




Cheese filling:
100 g garlic cream cheese
150 g grated cheese
1 (113 g) can chopped green chillis




Salami filling:
50 g garlic cream cheese
100 g chopped salami
100 g grated cheese
1 (113 g) can chopped green chillis




For egg wash: one egg, lightly whisked




Crumble yeast into a bowl; add salt and sugar.
Heat milk gently to 37 C and pour into the bowl, whisking until the yeast has dissolved.
Add flour, a little at a time, and knead until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and no longer sticks to your hand (as always, you might find that you need more or less flour than called for). Knead in oil. Cover the bowl and let rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled.
Butter a 9” square or round cake pan.
Roll the dough out into about a 30 cm x 40 cm square (11” x 15”) – the exact size and shape is not critical here! Spread the cream cheese evenly on the rolled out dough and sprinkle cheese, chillis (and salami) on top. Roll the dough up, starting with the wider side, and cut into nine pieces. Place the pieces into the prepared pan, cut side up. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 175 C. Brush the risen rolls with egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes.