Just In Case: 30 Day Muffins

A plenitude of profligately plantain produce.

Thanks to Rachel, I find myself with muffin batter encased in a pink tupperware pot, awaiting the family’s pleasure in the fridge.  Just in case we have unexpected guests.  Just in case the last batch is all lapped up and I don’t fancy baking (although admittedly that would be  very rare condition).  Just in case.

Of course, it isn’t any specific ingredient in her recipe that makes it ‘30 day’.  One of the big differences between this and other muffin recipes is simply that she uses double the raising agents – eggs (which will lose their air after a little while just sitting, hence why it’s important to promptly bake cake batter normally), and bicarbonate of soda (which will serve in the eggs’ stead after 29 days).  An added ‘preserving’ bonus might be that butter isn’t used in this recipe but the very American baking ingredient, oil (although the existence of milk makes it perishable anyway).

Ramekins of the remainder.

Raising agents release carbon dioxide bubbles into the batter once they are introduced to acidity and liquid.  Bicarbonate of soda requires a certain amount of acid in the recipe (eg cream of tartar, a little vinegar or lemon juice), whilst baking powder, although weaker, already contains a little acid to counter its alkaline bicarbonate of soda.  Other forms of leaven include beating the eggs well (most conducive at 14C apparently) and creaming sugar into butter, forcing pockets of air into being.  These muffins call for bicarbonate of soda – one side-effect of which is that it leaves a certain bitter after-taste in cakes, one that is sadly distinguishable in this recipe, and that combined with the flavourless oil over yummy butter means that the muffins could taste better, in my opinion.  Anyhow, nice to try new things.

As always, I’ve adapted the recipe slightly to fit what we have in the cupboards…sorry!  Miss Allen gives five suggestions on flavourings, each using 400ml of the batter to make about 8 to 10 muffins.  Her ideas are: banana and maple syrup; rhubarb, strawberry and orange; cherry and almond; apple, raisin and walnut; and blueberry.  I went for the banana option, since Asda’s had a bunch of fairtrade bruised bananas for 84p yesterday afternoon…

‘New Improved’ Super-Long-Lasting Muffin Mix (up to 30 muffins)

Sumptuous Banana Muffins

3 eggs

170g sugar

500ml milk

125ml oil

100g oats

385g plain flour

2tsp bicarbonate of soda, rounded

1/2 tsp salt

3 bananas, peeled and mashed

1. If baking immediately, preheat the oven to 180C/gm4/350F, and prepare a single or multiple muffin trays.
2. Beat the eggs and sugars in a large bowl.
3. Blend in the milk, oil and vanilla.
4. Sift together the flour, salt, and bicarbonate of soda, then add all these and the oats to the batter and stir well.
5. Separate out the batter for immediate baking and mix in the banananana.
6. Fill the muffin cases 3/4 full, and bake for 15-20 minutes.