Recipe: Raspberry, macadamia and white chocolate muffins

Hi, my name is Danielle and I am now a buttermilk convert.  For too long I have placed buttermilk in the same 'too hard' category as yeast.  I would avoid a recipe as soon as I saw it in the ingredient list.  I'd just flip over the page and keep looking.  Sure I've used it and recognised it's ability to help make a great baked product but for some reason I kept putting it back in the 'can't be bothered' basket.

I initially ignored buttermilk as I didn't know about it and so never had it in the fridge. I used it for the first time when I saw it marked down at NQR and I was curious to make some buttermilk pancakes I'd seen floating around the blog world.  I discovered it added tang and lightness to the batter but I was still resistant.  When I found out you can use soured milk (1 cup milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice) as a substitute when I didn't have buttermilk in the fridge, I still wasn't swayed.  But now that I've made these muffins I am a convert.  I will now add buttermilk to my shopping list on a semi-regular basis and indulge in my new go-to muffin recipe.

These muffins were inspired by Bizzy Lizzy and I had every intention to cook them exactly as her recipe was written.  But the pantry gods had other ideas and so I have adapted her recipe.

I use paper liners for ease of removal and cleaning but you can get a slightly crisper bottom if you don't use them and grease the pan instead.  You can use a Texan muffin pan but your yield will be 6 muffins instead of 12.  

 Raspberry and Macadamia Muffins

2 cups Self Raising Flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white chocolate bits or chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup macadamia oil or rice bran oil (I used 1/4 cup of each)
2 tbsp chopped macadamia
3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk
1 egg, whisked
1 cup frozen raspberries

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.  Place paper liners in a 12 cup muffin tin. Combine flour, sugar and chocolate in a bowl and whisk to break up lumps. Fold in the vanilla, oil, egg, milk and nuts until just combined.  Fill the muffin trays half way and then place 3 raspberries in each muffin.  Use remaining mixture to top each muffin.  Place one raspberry on top of each muffin.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Bonus Recipe: Choc-Caramel Muffins

These didn't photograph as well but they are a yummy version of the same recipe I created as my husband loves chocolate!  I didn't sift my flour and cocoa as I've stated in the recipe method, but you should, and I will next time, to reduce the grainy texture (although the wholemeal flour also contributes to this texture).

1 3/4 cups wholemeal Self Raising Flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caramel bits 
1/2 cup chocolate melts (dark or milk chocolate)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup rice bran oil 
3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk
1 egg, whisked

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.  Place paper liners in a 12 cup muffin tin.  Sift flour and cocoa to remove lumps and add sugar and caramel bits in a bowl.  Fold in the vanilla, oil, egg, and milk and nuts until just combined.  Fill the muffin trays half way and then place 3 chocolate melts in each muffin.  Use remaining mixture to top each muffin.  Place one chocolate melt on top of each muffin.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Compared to other muffin recipes this is pretty good in terms of oil and sugar content.  But I'm still going to play around with this recipe and look at making it more wholesome -I'm thinking 'Apple and Walnut' and 'Lemon and Poppyseed' versions.  Watch this space!

Happy baking.

I'll be linking up with Lucy at bake, play, smile for their first Fabulous Foodie Fridays.

Keep smiling
Dani