Hello, darlings!
I excitedly present Miss Windsor’s Blackberry & Elderberry Breakfast Muffins – based on an original Fannie Merritt Farmer recipe.
These simple, subtlety sweet, rather healthful bundles of fruitiness are created with very little sugar; and naturally sweetened by British foraged fruits.
And, funnily enough, one mustn’t forget to add that these rather toothsome muffins feel remarkably soft and fluffy – just like a stroke of an alpaca’s furry mane – a slight exaggeration, but I’m sure you catch my drift!
I must divulge that the bountiful hedgerows of South-East and West London have been very generous this year – aren’t I a lucky girl!
You see, in order to pick the “crème of the crop”, my delicate mitts spent every conceivable moment buried deep within the brambles, whilst I tried to avoid a nip or two by those cheeky little thorns. Of course, that didn’t deter Miss Windsor from doing her best – thus hours later, three huge bags of blackberries were assigned a new home in her prickly cold freezer.
Moving swiftly on, this year I felt compelled to recreate an American muffin recipe from bygone days using the very best of British fayre. So, I called upon America’s very own culinary goddess – the illustrious Fannie Merritt Farmer!
I say, within “two shakes of a lamb’s tail”, and whilst scouring through the pages of my 1909 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, I discovered an ideal recipe for my foraged fruits – Fannie’s Berry Muffins! Darlings, I must admit, I get quite a thrill every time I utter Fannie’s name………….!
First off, I was staggered to read that Fannie’s recipe only requires approximately 68 grams (1/3 cup) of sugar (How spiffing!). Yet interestingly, I came across this recipe under the category of Biscuits, Breakfast Cakes, & Shortcakes – maybe this recipe is connected to the Deep South of America? Nevertheless, one naturally presumes that breakfast, the most important meal of the day should not be a sugar-laden affair.
Nowadays, more commonly, recipes for muffins, whether made for breakfast or a sweet treat, contain 200 grams (1 cup) of sugar or more. In fact, my research revealed that the good folks of America were more health-conscious back in the day and would’ve rather avoided that terrifying beast of obesity – Hear, hear!
Another noteworthy snippet of information: Fannie’s recipe contains very little butter (although they say butter is good for you, albeit in moderation) nevertheless, in this case, it was outweighed by the addition of whole milk, which I believe makes Fannie’s muffins extremely light and creamy.
Therefore, in addition to Fannie’s recommended measurement of milk, I added 1/2 cup more, as I found Fannie’s recipe a little too dry for my liking.
Okey dokey, Miss Windsor must pop off now for a well-deserved cup of tea! So, until our next meeting, I bid you farewell, but in the mean-time, I do hope you’ve enjoy Fannie’s, well Miss Windsor’s glorious muffins (Oh, I say!).
These little darlings are best scoffed at breakfast time – just cut in half and spread with slightly salted butter or blackcurrant jam – or one may enjoy a muffin or two during any time of the day!
Darlings, if you fancy having another jolly good go at a Fannie Merritt Farmer recipe, then why not try:
Fannie Merritt Farmer’s GENUINE Sponge Cake – Strawberries & Cream!
Miss Windsor x
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR – EXCEPT FOR PHOTO OF MRS SIMKINS.
Miss Windsor’s Blackberry & Elderberry Breakfast Muffins!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1/3 cup (70 g) caster sugar (double the amount, if you have a sweet tooth!)
- 1 egg – well beaten
- 2 & 2/3 cups (340g) all-purpose flour / plain flour
- 4 heaped teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 & 1/2 cups (approx.375ml) whole milk
- 2 cups (approx.280g) – mixed blackberries and elderberries (please note: you can use any berries you like!)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
For decoration
- Extra berries, and a sprinkling of porridge oats
Instructions
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Darlings, before you proceed, wash those greasy little ‘mitts’ of yours – Ta very muchly!
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Pre-heat your oven to: 200*C / 180*C Fan / 400 *F / gas mark 6.
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In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon beat the room temperature butter until light and creamy.
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Now, gradually add the sugar, then the beaten egg and vanilla essence – mix well!
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Using a separate mixing bowl, sift the flour about 2 or 3 times – this will help to make the muffins nice and light.
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Add the baking powder and mix together until thoroughly distributed. Reserve 1/4 cup (approx.40g) of flour to coat the blackberries and elderberries with.
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Darlings, using yet another mixing bowl, coat your blackberries and elderberries with the reserved flour – this will prevent the berries from bleeding during cooking. Set the berries to one side.
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To the butter/sugar/egg mixture – add 2 heaped dessertspoons of flour, followed by 2 or 3 glugs of whole milk. Repeat until the flour and milk are finished, then mix well with a wooden spoon.
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Carefully add the flour coated blackberries and elderberries, then with your delicate hand and dessertspoon please mix with caution to avoid any damage to the berries – Much obliged!
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Now, dollop the mixture evenly between the muffin cases. Top with blackberries, elderberries and a sprinkling of porridge oats.
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Place on the middle shelf of oven. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 180*C / 160*C Fan / 360 *F / gas mark 4.
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Bake for a further 15 minutes or so, until muffins have risen and are slightly sun-kissed – How pleasant!
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Darlings, enjoy with a generous slather of slightly salted West-Country butter, or any jam of choice!
Hi Miss. Lovely to meet you on Twitter!
You know what, there’s nothing a Hobbit lady delights in more than baked goods with berries!
X
Hello, Adaire WillowBlossom!
Well, I say, I was over the moon to meet a Hobbit lady on Twitter!
I’m so pleased you enjoy the delights of baked goods with berries. And I shall certainly let you know if I create any more ‘berryful’ goodies – purely for your delectation of course!
Cheerio for now,
Miss Windsor X
My dear,
I have just been reading your new muffin recipe up on your blog: so delicious! I love muffins (and for breakfast too: sometimes with a dollop of yoghurt and obviously a nice cup of tea!) and have a similar recipe but without the elderberries: I may add some next year now after seeing yours.
What an interesting point you raise with the butter and whole milk issue. Mine have milk in but rather more butter than milk. I’m thinking I might play around with the balance of milk to butter in my recipe too. I like the idea of an even lighter muffin but without resorting to oil or spreads. I’m not big on too much sugar either, you may have noticed! Quite agree with you. I like Fannie Farmer’s method of muffin mixing: I’m going to try that too.
Nice to see my favourite alpaca, Hobbs, up on your blog (not so sure about his companion!): bless him he is just completely adorable! He has his own twitter account: @hobbs_alpacaly
On that note, I must correct you my dear, I am sure earlier you meant to say within ‘two shakes of an alpaca’s tail’!!
Speak soon, Mrs S xx
Miss Windsor
Your muffins are beautifully baked..right amount of air to fruit…#truepro…well done you.. x