Lemon, oat & blueberry muffins

1 1/2c + 1/4c rolled oats
2tbsp firmly packed brow sugar
1 c + 2tbsp flour
1/2c white sugar
1tbsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1c milk
2 egg whites
2tbsp vegetable oil
1tsp grated lemon peel
1tsp vanilla
1c blueberries

- Preheat oven to 180deg C
- For the topping, combine 1/4c rolled oats and brown sugar. Put aside.
- Combine the remaining 1 1/2c oats and all other dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well
- In a separate bowl combine egg whites, milk, vanilla, lemon peel and oil
- Add to dry ingredients, stir to combine and add blueberries
- Fill muffin cups until almost full, and sprinkle with brown sugar/oat mixture.
- Bake for approx 24 minutes until golden brown

Oops! I only added a tsp of baking powder! I'm not sure if it's that, or the recipe in general, but these are the type of muffins that don't come out of the muffin cup very easily. They're tasty, but very sticky. Won't make them again I don't think.

Tequila apple pies

Warning: Do not make these early in the morning. The smell was way too intense!

40g tequila
Juice of 1 lime
1/4tsp cinammon
1 1/2tsp vanilla
4 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
6tbsp flour
3/4c brown sugar

- Combine the tequila, cinnamon, lime juice and vanilla in a medium sized bowl. Soak the apples for 15 minutes. Drain apples but don't discard the liquid, you need it later!
- Add the flour and sugar to the apples and combine well.
- Cut pastry to fit into a greased muffin tray (I used puff pastry, possible not the best idea, as the tops exploded!) - I think next time I will bake them in ramekin dishes instead, that usually works out better for me
- Pour in the apples, and top with more pastry or a crumble mix or whatever you want!
- Bake at 180deg C for 20 minutes odd (I didn't actually take notice of the time, but I made them in the morning and then reheated them for another 15 minutes that night which probably took total baking time to closer to 40 minutes, and they weren't overcooked, they were crispy and delicious)

As angry as I was that the tops exploded off these pies, they looked really cute! I combined the rest of the tequila liquid with some cream and icing sugar to make tequila cream! yum! The tequila wasn't noticeable at all, these pies were so so good, I'd definitely make them again. And there was none left after our dinner party, which is always a good sign.

Coconut & berry crumble

Ingredients

• 500 g mixed berries
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp berry jam

Crumble

• 1½ cups plain flour, sifted
• 60 g desiccated coconut
• 60 g rolled oats
• 80 g brown sugar
• pinch salt
• 120 g butter, diced into even pieces

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put berries, caster sugar, cinnamon and jam in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, allowing the flavours to combine and the jam to dissolve. Allow to cool slightly.

Place flour, coconut, oats, brown sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until you have a breadcrumb consistency, or you can do this by hand — mix the dry ingredients together then rub the butter into them.

Tip your fruit mixture into a large, ovenproof dish and top with your crumble, ensuring you get an even covering. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden and you can see the fruit bubbling at the edges. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

YUM! Fruit desserts are growing on me, especially on a winter night. Again, we topped with cream in a can, and I'll certainly be going to bed happy tonight!

Fruit sponge

2-3 cups sweetened fruit
2 eggs
2 heaped tbsp sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder

Today I did the unthinkable. I did two things I hate. Touched/cut feijoas, and stewed fruit. I did it because there was lots of left over fruit in the lunch room at work, and because I didn't have anything else to do and felt like making Tom some pudding. I cut up 2 pairs and 5 feijoas and used a handful of frozen boysenberries. I put about 3/4c water in the pot with them and 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, and boiled them for 10 minutes.

Then....
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick
- Fold in flour and baking powder
- Bake at 190 deg C for 30 minutes

Easy! I halved the sponge mix, because I intended to make a mini pudding but apparently I used too much fruit so it's poking through the sponge at the top! Tom loved it, and said "If I didn't know you better I'd swear there was feijoas in this" - he was surprised to learn that there was! I had a mouthful of what I hope was boysenberries and some sponge and it was nice :) But no guarantees on quality, Tom isn't picky ;)