I recently bought a set of digital kitchen scales. It is like having a toy in the kitchen. I keep putting random things on it just to see what they weigh. It amuses me. It is addictive to predict what something will weigh just before you hoist it on the scales. It is childish. It is fun. It is this one by a brand called Soehnle and it does its job well. I really have no clue how I survived all these years with my red retro contraption. There was no fun weighing ingredients all these years, I can tell you that.
I bought a bag of juicy blood oranges from the Frenchs Forest Organic Markets last week and after whitling the bag down to one lone orange, decided to make muffins out of it. I measured ingredients for this recipe with my brand new scales. This is a simple recipe, a no brainer. Mix dry ingredients with wet and bake. The blood orange gives the muffin a lovely burnt sunset hue, the polenta adds a wonderful crunch, the white chocolate bits are little pockets of surprise and the rice bran oil adds a delightful lightness.
SO tell me, what kitchen gadget or equipment have you bought in recent years that made your life much easier?
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BLOOD ORANGE MUFFINS
Gorgeous citrus muffins with the tang of blood orange, crunch of polenta and sweetness of white chocolate!
Preparation Time - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 Minutes
Makes - 12
Ingredients
250g plain flour
50g polenta
100g caster sugar
50g raw sugar
150g white chocolate bits
2 tablespoons wheatgerm
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
100ml rice bran oil
200ml milk
1 large egg
juice and zest of 1 blood orange
Method
Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line a 12-hole large muffin tin with paper cases.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, polenta, sugar, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, wheatgerm, chocolate bits) in a large bowl. Whisk wet ingredients (milk, eggs, oil, juice and zest of orange) in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Mix lightly with a wooden spoon.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until tops are golden and cooked through.
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Prop & Styling Alert - Muffin Cafe Cases by Multix - $3.99 for 24. The cases can also be DIY as I have explained in this post (in the recipe method) - DIY Cafe Muffin Cases.
fabulous! mum just bought a box of blood oranges last weekend 🙂 looking forward to making these! btw happy belated 2yr blogaversary!
mmmh, like the idea of making these with blood orange. Will have to put blood oranges on my shopping list ...
They look delicious!
I don't have many new gadgets, but I did get an amazing zester for my last birthday. I could definitely put it to good use with this recipe!
Those are some beautiful muffins! Love your photography....so artistic!
Hi Sneh, firstly I adore blood oranges and considering this is a mix and bake recipe I will definitely try this! In terms of gadgets, I cannot live without my electronic kitchen scales (mine can convert liquid weight to cups!)and my good old stick blender. I use it almost every day!
I love using polenta in baking. As you say, it gives a little crunch. I know what you mean about a great set of scales. I have ones that I can zero after placing a container on them and then add the ingredient. It makes life so simple.
Gorgeous looking muffins! I've a big fan of using baking paper instead of paper cases, but HOW do you get yours folded so perfectly? Mine end up a smooshy mess, and pop out of the tin while I'm trying to fill them!
Hi Claire, when I make the cases at home, mine are uneven and ruffled too. The ones I have used above are by Multix (I have added the link to them after the recipe). Cheers!
I got so excited when blood oranges started appearing at the markets...how sad is that! Those muffins look great. Best kitchen gadget buy of recent times is definitely my salad spinner - i wouldn't be without it these days!
Gorgeous muffins, the polenta sounds perfect here!
Who needs muffin cups? Your DIYs are cuter!
My most recent kitchen gadget is a coffee grinder .. a mini one 🙂 I love it because now I don't have to grind spices in bulk!
I only used polenta for savoring meal you know. This is interesting. Come Fall and I am gonna give this a try.
An army of beautiful muffins that look tender and gorgeous
beautiful, beautiful images!
I love blood oranges and my digital scales! I'm also currently loving my new stick blender set. Especially the mini food processor attachment. So good for curry pastes etc.
yummm ! and yup even I dote on my digital kitchen scales
Gorgeous muffins Sneh!! I can't wait to get my hands on some blood oranges. They are my all time favourite fruit.
Congratulations on your new set of kitchen scales. I have used digital scales for years and honestly don't think I could survive without them. Sadly I don't really have any new equipment, however I recently broke my mini stick blender food processor attachment and am really missing it. It was so much easier than hauling out my huge food processor all the time. I really do need to replace it.
Mmmhhh, those must be extremely delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa