alternate ending – muffin topping

just to clarify a few points of contention arisen and aris from the previous muffin post and to preemptively clarify some contentious issues which will invariably result from this here post.

1. these muffins are not savory

2. muffins should never be allowed to sweat. id sooner over mix my mix than contain these in a plastic vessel

3. i dont believe in toppings on muffins and here, i personally believe it to be a travesty

4. i know theres many who stand against me on point three and so i have included it so as not to alienate my every diminishing readership

5. if you are going to be so destructive as to use a topping, this one with its seeds and savory (yet not at all savory) bent is the only acceptable kind

ingredients

50g butter in cubes

75g plain flour

25g brown sugar

50g oats

50g sunflower/pumpkin seeds..and poppy ones too if you are so inclide

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp honey

in a bowl mix together the flour butter and sugar. rub with fingertips until its all incorporated. then mix in the oats and seeds and then the water, honey and oil. stir it all together until it has a wet and sandy consistency. sprinkle on top of muffins and ruin them.

carrot, apple and walnut muffins

The muffins herewith are drawn, scavenger-like, from a number of muffins and muffin-related experiences of which I have been the fortunate (and, once in Agadir, not so fortunate) subject. In a secondary inspirational role is a small suite of muffin-centred dreams, dreams of muffins great and muffins good. Once upon an aimless day (are there other sorts of days? if so, where may I enquire further about them?) i happened upon a unique genre of muffin at baker d. chirico. In retrospect, I’m quite certain Fitzroy st cleft itself in twain beneath my feat that day. Revelation always strikes when you least expect it, and often when suffering from a particularly bad case of gout . Loaded though this muffin was with its constituent bits (carrot, apple, walnuts) it seemed out of place in a humble st. kildan bakehouse. But who am I to question the universe when it reaches out and taps me on the shoulder with a crumbly top and a moist centre like a whisper?
One day I’ll tell you about the Agadir-muffin debacle of 92. Till then, enjoy these.

ingredients

300g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

2tsp ground cinnamon

pinch salt

4 free range eggs

160ml sunflower/vegetable oil (i used 100ml oil and 60ml orange juice. because i can)

200g brown sugar

80g caster sugar

vanilla (vast amounts)

220g peeled grated carrot

200g granny smith

100g grated zucchini

100g walnuts

100g saltanas

preheat oven to 170 degrees. grease a muffin tray. but first get all your ingredients together, and realise you dont actually have said muffin tray and do swearing, see your life and your failures flash before your eyes and then run for your sad little life back to the shop from whence you came for a new fresh muffin tray. then, back to the grating task at hand.

sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and mix. then whisk eggs, oil, sugars and vanillas with the grated apple, carrot and zucchini. fold in the walnuts and sultanas and finally the sifted flour mix.

spoon mix into the greased tins and bake for 25 minutes.

this post was adapted by spoon after spoon and is a dedicae for snow who is possibly the greatest muffin lover and maker i know.