Raspberry muffin recipe & coffee
Go straight to the raspberry muffin recipe
For me the beginning of summer is the raspberry muffin time because this is the raspberries season time of the year. Gosh, am I addicted to this fragile and juicy fruits or what? This addiction actually started when I was a little girl and I still vividly remember strolling through my mum's garden right to the edge where you could find a kingdom of most beautiful raspberries ever. Could you imagine the shear kid's joy? My brothers were quick to help me but I wouldn't be in the sharing mood usually. I was particularly appalled when they were squeezing raspberries to get red hands (even after so many years I don't understand this joke, but they probably just wanted to tease me).
There is not much chance to go to my mum's garden any more, particularly since our move to England. Farmer markets are therefore the best place to get fresh and juicy raspberries. Supermarkets are preferably my last resort, because raspberries are already mouldy and soft.
OK, OK, I like to eat them fresh but then again who would argue against raspberry muffins or cakes? I certainly don't and use them a lot.
One of the easiest in the family of raspberry desserts is a raspberry muffin recipe. Raspberry muffins are such a delicious way of having a breakfast royal. Raspberry muffins are delicious as a dessert or a snack. I could eat them any time of the day. Many would now argue that they are not really healthy because of the high sugar content but then again you know what's in them and raspberries themselves can correct this "bad" impression. Moderation is the key of course.
These fragile, delightfully juicy and expensive berries have so many health benefits that cannot be destroyed with cooking. They are low in calories and high in fiber, full of anti-cancer and anti-inflammation compounds. They have lightly acidic, sweet and fruity taste which balances greatly the sweetness of muffins. It is a remarkably tempting combination of flavors that are so difficult to resist.
What about the raspberry muffin recipe? There is something about making raspberry muffins that fills me with satisfaction. There is no need for fancy equipment and you don't need to set aside like half day or something. The recipe is simple and easy to follow. There are no hard-to-get ingredients and the method itself is very user-friendly. The most tricky part of this muffin recipe is the process of buying raspberries unless you've got a garden that is.
Raspberries must be fresh, deep in color and firm but you can also use frozen raspberries as well. I usually add more raspberries than required in the recipe to give muffins even more fruity flavor but that's a cheat right? Well, sorry, can't help myself. When muffins are baked I just must have one straight from the oven first before having another one later with my favourite coffee.
Coffee is a faithful companion to all muffins that I've tried so far. Of course it depends on various flavors to team right coffee with a particular type of muffins. My verdict, however, is that raspberry muffins are best with cappuccino - a truly yummy coffee and food combination. Here you go, I love the taste of raspberries and wouldn't like the taste of my coffee to prevail over the taste of fruit, no matter how good the coffee itself. Yep, you might disagree but hey, that's me right.
Raspberry muffin recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
Makes: 12
- 1/2 cup butter (115g)
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar (260g)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour - self raising flour (300g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/3 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- In a large bowl add 1/2 cup of butter and 1 1/4 cup of sugar.
- Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract in the mean time.
- Mix flour, baking powder, allspice and salt.
- Add egg, butter and sugar mixture to flour mixture and alternate with milk. Fold in all raspberries.
- Fill muffin cups to 2/3 and bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven when raspberry muffins are baked and wait 10 minutes before serving (they should cool down a little).
Use this handy conversion calculator
Method (step by step):
STEP 1:
In a large bowl add 1/2 cup of butter and 1 1/4 cup of white sugar.
STEP 2:
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
STEP 3:
Add eggs one at a time and mix in. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
STEP 4:
Mix flour, baking powder, allspice and salt.
STEP 5:
Add egg, butter and sugar mixture to flour mixture and alternate with milk. Fold in all raspberries (on this picture there are frozen raspberries which I only use in case that fresh ones are not available - winter time).
STEP 6:
Fill muffin cups to 2/3 and bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.
STEP 7:
When raspberry muffins are baked remove them from the oven and wait 10 minutes before serving as they need to cool down a little.
Our coffee choice for this easy raspberry muffin recipe:
Cappuccino
Espresso
Cafe latte
Turkish coffee
* all combinations have been tested with medium roast Arabica blend
Useful baking tips
- When you buy raspberries they should be firm and deep in color and avoid those that are soft and mouldy. Make sure that they are not packed too tight and that container isn't stained and moist.
- Raspberries can be stored in a refrigerator for a day or two. Do not leave them for more than that or they won't be fresh anymore.
- You can also use frozen raspberries. To freeze fresh raspberries wash them gently and pat them dry with a paper towel. Place them on a baking sheet (in one layer) and put them into a freezer. When they are frozen hard transfer them in a plastic bag and put them back into the freezer. They can stay there for up to 1 year and will stay equally yummy.
- This fruit is loaded with vitamins and cancer-fighting antioxidants. Since cooking doesn't destroy this compounds raspberry muffins may also be beneficial for your health if eaten in moderation, of course.
- The best source of raspberry recipes is internet (naturally) with so many food websites and food blogs.
Good to know
- Raspberries were first mentioned in 45AD. They were described as "IDA", after the mountain where they were growing.
- Ellagic acid, a phenolic compound which is found in raspberries may help prevent cancer and inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
- The flavonoids that give raspberries their rich color help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria in the body.
