The secret to moist muffins!

Muffins are ideal for lunch boxes, breakfast on-the-go, afternoon snacks and even lazy brunches. Since they can be so easily made ahead and kept in the fridge or freezer, they're the ideal convenience food. Dress them up with fruits and nuts for a nice brunch, or add in vegetables, bacon or chorizo for a heartier bite. No matter what you choose to fill them with, these easy tips will help you keep them moist, tender and delicious - never dry or tough!

 

The right amount of butter or oil, or a combination of both, is important to get a moist muffin. This fat is essential for producing a beautifully moist muffin with a tender crumb - so don’t reduce the amount stated in the recipe. Sometimes other ingredients will add moisture, such as apple, carrot or other fruits, but it’s still important to have the right amount of butter or oil.

 

Some recipes will have different amounts of butter and oil, or even combine the two, this changes the flavour of the finished product.

 

Do not overmix! It’s tempting to try and get a smooth batter, but lumps are totally fine in muffin batter. To avoid tough muffins, only fold in ingredients until they’re just combined. Overmixing will develop gluten and make the muffins tough.

 

To reduce the amount you have to fold, thoroughly combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately. Then when you combine them both, you won’t have to stir as much.

 

Stick to the cooking time. Don’t be tempted to cook for longer than suggested. Set the timer, 20-25 minutes is usually sufficient for muffins. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the muffin tray around halfway during cooking to ensure they're all cooked through.

 

Muffins are best eaten on the day they’re made, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Warm in the oven or microwave.

 

Bake muffins and cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Warm in the oven or microwave.

 

Muffins can be sweet or savoury, and tend to be denser and include more chunky ingredients such as fruits, oats, cheese, bacon and vegetables. Muffins also tend to have a mushroom-like shape with a “muffin top”. Cupcakes on the other hand are light and fluffy mini cakes that are almost always sweet, and they’re decorated with icing or frosting.

 

The difference lies mostly in the mixing process and the consistency of the batter. Typically, muffins are made by combining the dry and wet ingredients separately. These are then gently folded together with minimal mixing, making the batter a little lumpy.

 

Cupcake recipes usually follow a standard cake recipe which is divided into individual cases. They usually have more fat and sugar and the batter is beaten longer to give a tighter, more even crumb.

 

Get sweet and savoury muffin inspiration below!

 

These jumbo sized muffins are full of cheese and chorizo goodness, and because of their bigger size they take a little longer to cook.

 

 

These yummy savoury muffins are higher in protein thanks to lots of eggs. Be sure not to overcook them, or they can turn rubbery.