The CANDIED FRUIT MUFFINS are delicious baked treats, simple to prepare but truly perfect to serve for breakfast on festive days or as an afternoon snack, perhaps accompanied by a cup of tea or hot chocolate. I make them in every season, but they are certainly particularly suitable for the Christmas holidays, when you seek colors and aromas that warm the heart.
The goodness of these treats comes from the lightness of the batter, which makes them very soft and tender, and from the richness of the candied fruit, which adds sweetness and fragrance. I especially recommend using plenty of candied citrus peel, which releases a truly wonderful aroma. To complete everything, coarse sugar adds a small crunchy element and, together with the cheerful colors of the candied fruit, brings beauty and indulgence to these muffins.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 9 muffins
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 152.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 27.29 (g) of which sugars 17.17 (g)
- Proteins 2.62 (g)
- Fat 4.32 (g) of which saturated 0.82 (g)of which unsaturated 3.26 (g)
- Fibers 0.46 (g)
- Sodium 16.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 40 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 egg (medium)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 3.4 fl oz milk (about 1/3 cup)
- lemon zest
- 1 cup 00 flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 oz candied fruit (roughly chopped (cherries, citron, orange))
- to taste coarse sugar
Steps
To prepare the CANDIED FRUIT MUFFINS start by roughly chopping the candied fruit (cherries, citron, orange) and set it aside.
In a bowl, quickly beat the egg with a whisk, add the sunflower oil and the untreated lemon zest and mix well. Add the milk and set aside.In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder and add the sugar.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix quickly, without overworking. Muffin batter should not be completely smooth; it should still have some lumps.
Fold in the candied fruit and incorporate it into the batter.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners or, alternatively, grease and flour disposable aluminum molds (in this case you will get fewer muffins since the molds are larger).Fill the liners about 3/4 full, sprinkle the surface with coarse sugar and bake the candied fruit muffins in a preheated, conventional oven at 356°F for about 25 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin; it should come out dry.
Remove your muffins from the oven and let them cool completely before enjoying them for breakfast or as a snack.
STORAGE
Once cooled you can freeze them and take them out 1 hour before enjoying, or store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Once cooled you can freeze them and take them out 1 hour before enjoying, or store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
