Sweet and Simple Bake Number 1 - Not So Jammy Doughnut Muffins!

These little beauties are my first ever attempt at a Sweet and Simple Bakes monthly bake (Rosie and Maria just as soon as I figure out how to add your badge I promise it will be done)! This one has been mulling around in my mind for a little while now and as a result its not quite the same as the original recipe and it is entirely possible that I may have bent the rules slightly, very sorry if I have offended. The inspiration behind them being filled with Dulce de Leche and topped with caramel icing is twofold;

1) Iced doughnuts are the best.

2) I still had quite a bit of Dulce de Leche still kicking about

after the Banana and Mars Bar Cake.

But is a muffin with icing still a muffin?!?!?!?!?

So, I had the recipe, now all I needed was an excuse to bake ~ generally speaking having the recipe is normally reason enough but we're both still suffering with honeymoon weight gain and have promised each other to be extra strict with our WW points this week ~ and then Mr DF went and got himself admitted to hospital. Emergency baking action was required (as well as surgery for DF but he is home again now and driving Miss SD completely bonkers which is a sure sign he is returning to normality). Surely a trip into hospital and surgery and, in SD's case at least, having to look after a grumpy patient is reason enough for some nice Iced Doughnut Muffins? I knew you would agree.

Iced Doughnut Muffins

275g plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

100g caster sugar

2 eggs

200ml milk

75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

12 tsp Dulce de Leche

For The Topping

150g icing sugar

2 tbsp Dulce de Leche

2 tsp hot water

Chocolate Strands, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl, and stir through the sugar. In a large jug. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stir gently until just combined. (Do not over mix, its fine to have a few lumps in the mixture). Spoon half the muffin mixture into the base of each paper case, top each muffin with a teaspoon of Dulce de Leche. Now top each paper case with equal amounts of the remaining mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins until well risen, golden and firm to the touch.

For the topping; combine icing sugar, Dulce de Leche and hot water in a bowl. Dip the tops of the cooled muffins into the icing mixture and sprinkle with the chocolate strands.

Adapted from Sweet and Simple Bakes Blogspot

The original recipe would have made 12 muffins but mine made 7 owing to the fact that these ones are HUGE. I wanted to try and recreate the ones that you get in cafes that look as though they have exploded over the tops of their paper cases so filled them right to the very top. I got the desired effect but I think investing in some of those Texas muffin pans might help them along even further. I made a batch following the same recipe yesterday and used greaseproof paper instead of muffin cases but they weren't as successful. My tried and true taste testers (Hubby and SD) both sampled the ugly ducklings and confirmed that they were still entirely eatable and possibly would have scoffed the lot had it not been time to head back to work!

Next time I'm going to add white chocolate to the mixture (this received a thumbs up from both testers) and possibly replace the vanilla extract with some banana flavouring as Miss SD loves Banoffee Pie and sounded quite keen to taste test the Banoffee Pie Muffins.