Berries a go-go

I was being good, so checked the freezer for use by dates too, and found a box of mixed berries.  Hmmm, smoothies for breakfast didn't go down quite so well as I'd imagined, so while the girls were out with Daddy to the cinema for a surprise Saturday morning treat, I whipped up a batch of Mixed Berry Muffins for their return/after lunch.  These were thanks to the cutest little book, Muffin Magic by Susannah Blake, and the easiest and best use of the remaining berries I could find at a pinch. 

Thanks to the smoothies, I was a bit short of the required 300g of berries, so added in some chopped (and flour-coated so they didn't sink) dried apricots - also nearing expiry.  Thus killing two birds with one stone, score.

They baked up well, and the house smelt great for their return.  But these were deemed too fruity by The Team  What??!!  I, and my friendly helpful eaters, thought they were delicious.  Even when microwaved a  few days later.   Mmmm...

Autumn starts with Apple & Cinnamon

I thought I'd lead with the photo this time.  This was taken just a few moments after the muffins came out of the oven, and the Cinnamon butter had been added.  I'd pushed a bit inside each muffin, and left a generous blob on the top to start melting... making you want one yet?  Ha ha.  We posted on our Facebook page, to invite someone (anyone) for afternoon tea, but no-one came.  So these beauties were shared with some happy-to-help-out neighbours. 

I had a book on the shelf that I'd barely opened, and felt it was about time.  Called simply Muffin Magic, it has a selection of delicious and even healthy-sounding recipes.  I chose these because it said they were 'faff-free' (proved to be true, as they were easy to do) and as a way to help Mini-1 eat apples, as she has 3 wobbly teeth at the front (weeeeell, she is 6 and a half) and is complaining of sore gums.  So these contain 2 apples, finely chopped.  Plus the usual sort of ingredients and cinnamon.  And wow, did the house smell good or what?!!

Shame it happened to be one of the warmest and sunniest days of the year, ha ha.