Wednesday 24 April 2013

not my everyday muffins

These are not your everyday muffins.

They are uji matcha or green tea muffins topped with mini chocolate chips...

made, not by the usual 'muffin method' of mixing the dry with the wet ingredients, but by creaming butter and sugar...

and, there's a little surprise in each of these delicious cuppies...


what's the surprise?! A ball of cream cheese in the middle!


Well, the cream cheese is meant to be in the middle, but mine was too close to the top ;)

I didn't blame myself as I did follow the instruction closely, that is, to fill the muffin cups to half full before adding the cream cheese balls. I believe if I were to fill it to 1/3 full, the cream cheese would be right there in the middle. It also turns out that the cream cheese became tapered and not round like a ball. I think it has to do with my shaping. I am not complaining, since there is a 'heart' in every one of those muffins ;) I have taken the recipe from a cookbook ' Home Baking 星期天的烘焙时光' (loosely translated as: Home Baking on a Sunday). My baking friend suggested that I could try out this recipe after I told her I have some left over cream cheese from the matcha cheesecake tart. I am so glad I heeded her advice!


These aren't my everyday muffins. They're indulgent!

The texture is tender, moist, much softer and lighter than a slice of pound cake. I guess they taste just like cupcakes, minus the frosting. There is also a good balance of flavours...matcha, cream cheese and chocolate...each having its own distintive taste, yet, with not one flavour overpowering any of the others. What can I say? Every bite is a delight!

Oh, before I forget, they taste really good when freshly baked! So, if want to give this a try, do plan ahead, you won't regret enjoying them with your morning or afternoon cup of tea, warm and fresh from the oven :)


I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #30: it's Tea time! (April 2013) hosted by Food Playground.




Matcha Green Tea Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:
(makes 10, muffin cup size: diameter 6cm top, 4.5cm bottom, ht 3.5cm)


150g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
15g icing sugar

85g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
145g cake flour
5g matcha green tea powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1g salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)
80g milk
some mini chocolate chips


Method:
  • With a wooden spoon or a spatula, mix cream cheese in a mixing bowl still smooth. Add in icing sugar, mix to combine. Divide the mixture into 10 portions (about 15-16g each). Shape each into round balls. Leave to chill in fridge.
  • Place butter in a mixing bowl, beat with a balloon whisk or an electric mixer till smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture turns pale, light and fluffy.
  • Gradually add in the egg, little by little, whisking after each addition. 
  • Sieve over the flour, matcha powder and baking powder. Fold with a spatula until just combined.
  • Add the salt, stir to combine.
  • Add in the milk gradually and fold with spatula until just combined.  
  • Fill paper muffin cups with batter till about 1/3 full, add the cream cheese balls to each muffin cup. Spoon over the remaining batter till each muffin cup is almost full. Sprinkle top with some mini chocolate chips.
  • Bake in preheated oven at 180degC for about 20-25mins until the top is lightly browned or until a toothpick inserted into the side comes out clean.
Recipe source: adapted from Home Baking 星期天的烘焙时光



22 comments:

鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝 said...

啊,好漂亮,看了好喜欢哟:)

Unknown said...

looks so cute and yummy!

Unknown said...

what is the taste of Matcha?

Anonymous said...

Wow it looks so interesting.
I think I will try this soon too.
Where can I get the green tea powder?
Maybe at asia shop?
I'm really excited. :)
Thank you for sharing!!!

Master Chefette said...

Oh they look divine!

PH said...

Very luxurious muffins and I like the colour!

Angelic Heart~ said...

i love the cream cheese at the middle, taste must be remarkable nice.

Small Small Baker said...

I have this book too. Wanted to ask you how you make the heart shape. Then I read that it was not meant to be like that. Nice outcome though. Hehe!

Foodplayground said...

Lovely cake! Although The cream cheese is not meant to be in this shape but it can pass off as heart shape! Thanks for your support! :)

Genie (honeybee916) said...

it's so beautiful

Ola said...

Really love the colour of these muffins, so funky! x

Anonymous said...

yummy!!!

where can I get the matcha powder?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, you can try meidi-ya supermarket.

Anonymous said...

My friend tried this recipe when i introduced her to your blog! It was soo delicious :')

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Simply bakes, thanks for sharing the recipe with your friend, and I am so glad to hear that these muffins turn out delicious!

Michelle said...

Hi, I just tried your recipe and it taste fantastic! thank you for sharing the recipe! (:

Anonymous said...

hi, I tried your recipe and it worked great...the muffins tasted great!! but one thing, how did u manage to shape the cream cheese into such nice shape? I have difficulty shaping them into nice round balls...when I took out from the oven, the cream cheese filling did not turn out as nicely as yours (in fact yours can pass as a heart shape)...any tips? TIA :}

Carol

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Carol, I shaped them into balls, but they turned out to look like heart shapes...no special techniques involved ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi! May I know where you get your paper muffin cups from?

Happy Homebaker said...

I bought them from phoon huat.

Unknown said...

Can I use top flour as substitute for cake flour?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, yes, you can replace it with top flour.