HEC: Mini Applesauce Mufffins

Mini Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients

1 c Apple sauce
2 T Butter, melted & slightly cooled, or canola, a neutral oil
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c milk or soy milk
1 t vanilla essence
1 c wholemeal flour or white flour
1/2 c rolled oats
1/4 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon 

For this recipe, the ingredients are collected (Mise en Place), then the method is started. The recipe is quite straightforward that it mixes the ingredients first based on their state. The liquids are mixed together and the dry ingredients are mixed together as well. But previous to that the oven is to be preheated at the temperature of 180oC degrees.

 With mixing the liquid ingredients it will be wise to beat the egg first then mix with the other liquid ingredients. A whisk is not really needed just fork would be good enough for this activity. After they have mixed together then fold it with the dry ingredients. 

Mix the dry ingredients first before the adding of the liquid ingredients as this will make sure it is equally blended. The liquid and dry ingredients are to be folded, just until the dry ingredients are mixed in with the wet mixture. The mixture is then put in lined up small muffin trays, with the excess being put in a different tray that was not lined up. Put the trays in the oven for approx 10 mins though more likely it should be in for about 15 to 16 mins or so. 

After the batter has cooked and turned into muffins it is then to be put into a cooling tray. For this practical lessonwe were to taste test the different muffins from each groups, with each having a slightly altered version of the original one. For this recipe that we have done, we were given the butter and soy milk. With the other groups containing the following:

Group 1 : Original muffins - It was okay. It was creamy, nice blend, could use sweeter flavor and cinnamon.

Group 2 : Butter & Wholemeal flour - It was okay. It was quite soft in texture and could be more structured.

Group 3 : Canola & Wholemeal flour - It was okay. It was rough on the outside but the texture was soft in the inside. The blends were nice.

My Group : Butter & Soy -  My group thought the muffins were okay. They thought the muffins could of been better if it was more creamier, more flavor, sweetness and not too strong.

With all of the taste tasting and rating of the different muffins, there wasn't any that was better than 'ok'. All were too much lacking in some way. Overall all of the following were lacking on flavour, the amount of cinnamon was not enough. For me personally I would have liked if the muffins were just a touch sweeter as I figured that they were quite bland. Given that we only had to taste a singular muffin (for each group) that was quite small, it should be more flavourful and much more intense. In addtition, the amount of time that the muffins have been cooled may have been another factor in them just being 'ok'. As the time was not much for us to cool, the muffins were still just out of the oven for only a few moments. That may have been the reason for their structure, there were all quite soft [too soft] espicially group 2.  

(Special mention- The muffins that were in the unlined tray were much better in structure, they had a crust on the outside, contrasting the softness inside)