Energy Packed Muffins for snowy days

It is still very cold, in fact yesterday it was -9 at 7am and -6 on the school run.  My two younger girls and I had a rather interesting walk/slide to school on untreated footpaths, although thankfully the path from the main road to their primary school had been cleared.

We played in the snow after school and made a snowman whilst waiting for my eldest daughter to get home from high school.  After another snowball fight we all staggered inside to warm up with a cuppa and snack.

Today was much the same, without making a snowman, and 9yo stayed at school for an hour for Art Club.  I made the Oaty Banana, Apple and Sultana Muffins for the kids at Art Club to devour and made the Oaty, Carrot and Apple Muffins for us to devour at home.  I also made a Wholemeal Banana and Sultana Bread but will blog that recipe tomorrow.

Oaty Banana, Apple and Sultana Muffins

265g wholemeal self-raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

40g rolled oats

125g sultanas

2 free range eggs, lightly beaten

200g natural yoghurt

80g butter melted and cooled

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 apple, grated

125ml cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

20g rolled oats

Preheat your oven to 190C/170C Fan.  Line a 12 hole muffin tray with large paper cases.  

In a large bowl combine the flour, mixed spice, rolled oats and sultanas.  Make a well in the centre.

In a large jug combine the eggs, yoghurt, melted butter, mashed banana, grated apple, honey and vanilla extract.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix them together until everything is combined, take care not to over-mix or your muffins will be tough and heavy.  Divide the mixture between the paper cases.  Sprinkle the muffins with 20g of rolled oats.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Leave the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Oaty Carrot and Apple Muffins

3 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baicarbonate of soda

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup light soft brown sugar

1 cup porridge oats

2 free range eggs

125g butter, melted and cooled

250ml milk

250ml natural yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 apple, grated

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan. Line 16 muffin holes (one and a half muffin trays) with paper cases or use 16 mini loaf moulds.

Put the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar and oats into a large bowl.  

In a large jug combine the eggs, butter, milk, yoghurt and vanilla extract.  Grate the carrot and apple and add to the wet ingredients.  

Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl containing the dry ingredients.  Gently but thoroughly combine the ingredients together.  

Spoon the mixture into the lined muffin trays and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the centre of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Both of these recipes are very easy to make and bake, great to get the kids involved, the muffins freeze well and are fab for lunchboxes as well as after school snacks.  You can vary the dried fruit in the muffins too, I have used dried apricots, dates and cranberries in the past - just use what you have available.