Dried Fig Muffins

I really have to thank Happy Home Baker for this recipe on her blog.

Ingredients:(makes 12 muffins)

• 375g dried figs
• 90g unsalted butter
• 250ml apple juice
• grated zest of 1 orange (omitted due to laziness)
• 315g plain flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 125g granulated sugar
• 60g dark brown sugar (simply used all demerara sugar, all that's left in my pantry)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract/essence
  

Method:
Remove the stem and cut dried figs into quarters.
Heat apple juice and butter in a saucepan over low heat until the butter is melted.
Remove from heat and add in the figs and orange zest. Leave to cool until the figs are softened, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 190 degC. Grease muffin cups with butter or line with muffin liners.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugars, salt and baking powder.
Make a well in the centre and add the cooled fig mixture, eggs and vanilla. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix, the batter will be slightly lumpy.
Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to the rim of the cup.
Bake for 20 ~ 25 mins, until golden, and toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer muffin pan to cooling rack and let cool for 5 mins. Unmold the muffins and let cool completely.

Verdict

The muffins taste extremely exquisite - Tin Hang Zai & Little Pixie & the Veterans finished the whole bunch, together with his colleague Flower - even though he's completely irked by the idea of eating these strange-looking things by themselves.