11.3.09

CRAFT FIND AND BAKE-OFF OF THE WEEK

bring a plate
Finally it's Autumn in Melbourne, it's quite possibly our favourite season and the ladies are rejoicing in the cool mornings, warm afternoons and long fiery sunsets... it's also the perfect weather for cardigans and time to get the knitting out which of course endears it to us even more. With thoughts of golden leaves and crunchy footpaths in mind Beck was thrilled to find this set of autumnal themed and hand painted dinner plates, made in japan no less. She was so excited she even got the mixing bowl and sifter out and whipped up a suitably seasonal batch of chocolate banana muffins - and Beck, unlike Ramona is really no baker.

unfortunately there were only five of these beauties, so here's a hot tip: if anyone is hanging onto one of these or sees one out in their local op-shop or school fete, and by the way get ready people it's the season for fetes, please snaffle it up - she's willing to pay to get a full set of six.

Oh and that Muffin recipe:
3 cups sifted plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 packed cup brown sugar
250 grams 70% cocoa dark chocolate (the best you can get)
2 mashed ripe bananas
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup regular or soy milk
125g melted unsalted butter

Mix dry ingredients together, mix wet ingredients together then make a well in the centre and pour wet into dry. Mix together gently with a spoon - but do NOT over mix it, the mixture should be a bit lumpy. Fill muffin tray and pop the lot into a pre-heated moderate oven for 20 minutes. Makes about 12 muffins.

AND if anyone can tell us the difference between a muffin and cupcake we'd love to know, because from where we stand they seem mightily like the same thing.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yum, to the plates AND the muffins.
xR

pen said...

I meant to say yesterday that you can have my plate to make the 6...............
and muffin and cupcakes aren't the same.... they are based on different 'rising' methods and ingredients....
bi-carb/baking powder, oil/butter, creaming/wet mix........ but strangely your recipe is far more 'cuffin' than either!!

Beck said...

why thank you miss p, on both counts, as usual you are beyond generous! (not that this post was a shout out for your plate!!)
I'm very glad it wasn't just me thinking that the recipe was more cake than muffin what with all that butter and baking powder... now i'm going to have to investigate further, and of course you'll be invited around once i've perfected the batter... to be honest at the moment i'd embarrassed to foist my substandard baked goods on a kitchen maestro like yourself!!

Anonymous said...

I will keep a lookout at Camberwell Market for extras just in case of.. you know ...breakages.

Beck said...

yes, i'm still coming to terms with the fact that now we have a small person in the house no vintage find is safe!

Melanie said...

gorgeous plates. Oh and pen is quite right. I am a cupcake maker(mum of 4 who makes tonnes of cupcakes) and shudder at the thought of my cupcakes ever tasting like or resembling muffins lol