Eats/Reads

This is loosely based on a Maida Heatter recipe but adapted for what I had in the kitchen. Result: Fairly dense but flavourful and moist. Fresh out of the oven they were sooo yummy - crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Next day they liked being grilled with butter. I would use fewer raisins next time but otherwise utterly repeatable. 2 1/4 c flour (1 1/4 whole wheat; 1 white) 3/4 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp ground seeds (flax/sunflower/pumpkin) 1 Tbsp whole oats 1 1/2 c sour milk 5/8 c brown sugar 6 oz/1 1/4 cup raisins Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix milk and sugar in a small bowl. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients - don't overmix. Add raisins. Put in greased muffin tins (filled 10 of mine). Bake at 160C fan (180C/350F oven) for about 35 mins, turning pan front to back halfway through.

It's called courgette in the UK but when making muffins - such an American item - I call it zucchini. These were delicious - moist and fluffy inside, with crunchy tops. AND they used up both zucchini (cheap at the farmer's market these days) AND sour milk. I grated the zucchini in the food processor and it took about two seconds. I could have spiced them up more with some nutmeg or ginger (not that they needed it) - might try that next time if I'm in the mood for something spicier. 3 cups flour (one whole wheat, two white) 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1 pound zucchini, grated fine 2 eggs 1.5 cups white sugar 4 Tbsp oil 1 cup sour milk/buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla extract Mix dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients: eggs, oil, milk, sugar and vanilla. Combone wet and dry ingredients. Stir in courgette. Pour batter into oiled muffin tins (makes 12, if you fill them up to the top)...

We got behind on drinking our delivered milk, so I had to come up with some recipes to use the sour milk. These were super easy and pretty good - great texture, could have been either sweeter or saltier. As they were, best served as side dish or with butter and jam or honey. 1 cup corn-meal 1/2 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, well beaten 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup thick sour milk 1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil Mix dry ingredients: corn meal, flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat egg then add sugar, melted butter or oil and milk. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Bake in greased muffin tins for about 25 mins at 160C fan (350F/180C).