Lychee Muffin

The recipe was adapted from Oi Lin's cookbook "Delicious Asian Baked Treats". She is one of the most enterprising homegrown baker. You can visit her videoblog (http://www.pineapple-tarts.blogspot.com/) to "see" the steps in baking. She really make baking seem so effortless. I hope you can also show your support by buying her cookbook.



I have made some changes to the original recipe. For the original recipe, pls refer to her cookbook.


Ingredients:

240g self rising flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, any size

160g fine sugar

260 g canned lychee

160ml sunflower oil

2 tbsp lychee essence

8 tbsp lychee juice (reserved from the canned lychee)



Method:

1. Cut lychee into small pieces. You do not need to cut them very finely cos it will "shrink" after baking. Use the paper towel to pat them dry. Coat them lightly with some flour. This will prevent the lychee from sinking into the bottom during baking.

2. Mix flour and salt well. Set aside.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar in a mixer at medium high speed for 3 minute till pale coloured and triple its volume.

4. Using a spatula (or a large spoon), fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Be careful not to burst the tiny air pockets within the beaten egg so as to prevent the muffin becoming too dense and heavy). It's ok for the mixture to be a little lumpy.

5. Set the mixture aside for 30min to allow it to thicken.

6. Preheat the oven to 170C.

7. Fill the muffin cases to 3/4 mark. Add the lychee to the mixture in the muffin case as you scoop.

8. Bake for 25min till golden brown or when the inserted toothpick comes out clean.



The results:

• The muffin is as lusciously moist and frangrant as described in Oi Lin's cookbook. What a nice change from the usual muffin flavor!


• The texture is more cupcake-like to me, rather than muffin. You can also make this into cupcake; you can frost the flat-top.


• The first time when I baked, I followed the instruction and fill it up all the way - that didn't work cos I ended up with over flowing muffin which is not a very pretty sight.