Pink Fairy Muffins

Fairy Muffins

This was another treat for the girls during the holidays. They are into Pearlie the park fairy so were quite excited when I told them we were going to make fairy muffins instead of the usual fairy bread. We made this together and they had fun frosting the muffins and eating the icing and 100s & 1000s along the way.

We added the 100s & 1000s in the batter hoping we can see those colourful dots when we cut the muffins but as expected they melted and we can only see faint colours. I think they still look pretty though. If you don't want to ice them, just sprinkle some 100s & 1000s  on top of the muffins before you bake them. I think they look quite pretty even without the icing.

Fairy muffins without icing

Pink Fairy Muffins 


Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

dry
1 1/2 cups (220 gr) self raising flour
1/2 cup (115 gr) caster sugar
2 tbsp 100s & 1000s

wet
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

icing
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
a few drops pink/red food colouring
100s & 1000s

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) and place muffin papers in muffin tins or grease muffin tins well with butter.
• Mix the dry ingredients except 100s & 1000s.
• Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk lightly.
• Pour into flour mixture and stir with a fork until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Add the 100s & 1000s and mix lightly
• Spoon the batter equally into muffin tins. 
• Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until skewers come out clean.
• Let cool before icing them.
• To make the icing, stir milk into sugar then add vanilla extract and colouring. You want it to be a bit thick so it is easier to ice the muffins. Add more milk or sugar until you have the consistency you want.
• Enjoy.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I have baked carrot muffins a few times but have not found a recipe that I really like, not until now. I am using a recipe from Smitten Kitchen and it is definitely a keeper. It is very moist and light. I reduced the amount of sugar and added some sultanas. My kids loved them even without the frosting and it is a great way of having them eating their vegetables.

Since I have leftover cream cheese seating in the fridge, I made the frosting as well. It's a lovely frosting with a hint of maple but I will probably omit the maple syrup next time mostly because I am so used to having carrot cake with plain cream cheese frosting.

Carrot Cake Muffins with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

muffins
1 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cups + 1 tbsp canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated peeled carrots
1/2 cup sultanas

frosting
80 gr cream cheese, softened
40 gr unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Line 12 muffin molds with papers, or butter and flour them.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots and sultanas. Divide batter among muffin molds, filling 3/4 of each.
• Bake muffins 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pans for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing them.
• For the frosting, beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. Chill the frosting for 10 to 20 minutes, until it has set up enough to spread smoothly.