UPDATED POST ON 4-12-2016

I have updated another new recipes on using muffin approach to prepare a quick bake for Christmas. Please scroll down for recipe 2 in red.  This muffin is especially relevant for those who do not like to eat dense fruit cake but want some simple and fast Christmassy bakes . It is also relevant as Christmas gifts for colleagues or casual friends as a gesture of showing love during Christmas. In addition, if you are requested to some thing during Christmas party, you can prepare this as a contribution or you can give this to party host  so that they can have these delicious muffins as breakfast the day after.

INTRODUCTION

This is the simple fruit cake designed for office environment. Good to give those colleagues or clients or business associates that you are not really that close with them. It is simple and taste like the traditional fruit cake sold in the bakery. What differentiate from this with the traditional bakery fruit cake is the use of some rums or fruit wines in the cakes to make it have some Christmas feel.

The basic recipe is from my butter cake post yesterday with slight modifications. Due to the weight of the dry fruits, the batter will have to be drier such that it can hold the fruits. It is different from traditional fruit cake as the cake is light and best to be consumed within a few days after it is baked. Therefore, it is a good alternative if you are running out of time to bake the traditional dense fruit cakes.

In this illustration, since I only have very little mixed fruits left, I have substitute the normal mixed fruits with mostly raisins. You can either use brown sugar or castor sugar. Brown sugar would give you a more traditional look as the cake will be brownish whereas castor sugar will yield yellowish type of fruitcake resembling those sold in the traditional bakeries. I have experiment 5 of the cakes with some wholemeal toppings and if you wish you can have some muesli toppings or totally without toppings.

RECIPE 1 – CUPCAKE APPROACH

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings : Prepare 10 medium muffin size cupcakes

• 250 grams of dry mixed fruits or raisins – soak in cherry wine or rum or brandy with the volume stated below
• 250 grams of butter at room temperature
• 250 grams of castor sugar or brown sugar
• 250 grams of self rising flour
• 5 eggs or about 300 grams of eggs
• 50 grams grams of milk
• 1/8 cups of rum (not in picture)
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional and not in picture)

For wholemeal crumble toppings (optional) – For 5 muffin cups

• 2 tablespoons of wholemeal flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of oats/muesli
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius
• Get ready 10 medium size muffins cups
• Soaked the dry fruits in the rum/brandy/cherry wine for at least 1 hour.

• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and beat until all the eggs are well mixed. Sift in one third (1/3) of the flour and add in 1/3 of the milk. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix the batter until well combined.

• Add in the vanilla essence and repeat the same procedures for the remaining 2/3 of flour and 2/3 of milk. Once well mixed, add the soaked dry fruits. Stir until well mix. Transfer to the muffin cups.

• For wholemeal crumble toppings (optional), mix the wholemeal flour, oats, melted butter and sugar, sprinkle on top of the fruitcake batter. Bake the cakes in the oven at 180 degree Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

RECIPE 2 – MUFFINS APPROACH

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: Prepared about 8 cupcake size muffins

• 150 grams of mixed fruits (can soak in rum or orange juice in advance)
• 180 grams of self raising flour
• 100 ml or grams of yakult or fresh milk
• 135 grams of white castor sugar or brown sugar
• 135 grams of butter,melted
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of brandy or orange juice (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of orange zest
• 1 teaspoon of mixed spice aka rempah kuih  or cinnamon powder

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

• In a bowl, sift in the self raising flour, spices, orange zest and castor sugar. Add mixed fruits and stir until well combined. Make a well in the centre.

• In another bowl, add melted butter, eggs, alcohol or orange juice and yakult or fresh milk. stir until well mixed.

• Pour the liquid ingredients onto the dry ingredients, use a FORK or SPOON  to stir until well mixed. A bit lumpy is acceptable for muffins. Over stirring or mixing will result in chewy muffins as gluten have developed.

• Fill up the muffin cup to at least 80% of the muffin cup and bake at the pre-heated oven of 180 degree Celsius for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Timing is for estimation and depends on your muffin cup size . If it tends to brown too quickly, after 10 minutes, you can reduce the temperature to 165 degree Celsius and continue to bake until cooked.

CONCLUSION

A simple recipe with no hanky panky ingredients. It is rather light, taste like fruity butter cake and full of rum flavour. If you are running out of Christmas gift ideas, this may be one that you can considered. It is especially a good gift for those who are casual acquaintances such as interdepartmental colleagues. A good packaging will bring up the status of your muffins.

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