Blackberry Apple Muffins | The Tale of Peter Rabbit

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter

There is nothing more nostalgic for me than stories from Beatrix Potter. A friend of mine has a great online op-shop where she sells some amazing vintage finds, I was able to get from her some classic Beatrix Potter books recently which reminded me of my utter love for the characters within.

I grew up in the middle of the bush, with rabbits playing in my backyard and fox pups wrestling nearby. I have memories of a child of attempting to leave them little treats outside that I imagined they would like based off the homely characters from books such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit.

Now I'm in Melbourne and far away from the picturesque area I spent my younger years, it can be hard to recall that particular kind of nostalgia. While when I was younger I would be used to wandering down the dirt roads at home picking wild blackberries throughout summer, instead now I must compensate by picking blackberries up at my local farmer's market.While not exactly what Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail may have had, I'm sure those three bunnies would have enjoyed these muffins immensely.

Blackberry Apple Muffins
Makes 7-8 muffins approx
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup raw sugar
2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola is best)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla essence
100g fresh or frozen blackberries
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small

1. Prepare a muffin tin (or two depending on how many the tin holds) with liners or by greasing the tin.

2. Mix together all dry ingredients in a largish bowl.

3. Whisk together all wet ingredients except for the fruits and add wet mix into dry. Mix until just combined.

4. Add in the apple and berries and mix until just combined. Try not to over mix.

5. Spoon into the prepared tin(s), filling them up with batter right to the top in order to get the nice, raised muffin tops. Place in oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

6. The muffins are done when an inserted skewer into the middle comes out clean. Leave them to cool in the tin for at least five minutes before removing. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea.

Caramelised Pear and Walnut Porridge | The Secret Garden

 ‘Tha’ doesn’t want thy porridge!’ Martha exclaimed incredulously.
‘No.’
‘Tha’ doesn’t know how good it is. Put a bit o’ treacle on it or a bit o’ sugar.’
The Secret Garden
Frances Hodgson Burnett

Porridge for breakfast is memory that is forever buried in my mind. Oats cooked with honey and bananas, sometimes even on the old wood fire stove that sat in the middle of the house I grew up in. I’m not sure exactly at what point I decided I didn’t like porridge, but at some moment throughout the years I must have come to the conclusion that I hated it. Much like Mary from The Secret Garden I would push it away with barely a spoonful eaten if I had the misfortune of having it placed in front of me at breakfast time.

It was only a few years ago that I began searching for an easy breakfast in the morning that the prospect of porridge suddenly became appealing again. I generally get up for work at about five am most morning, which is quite tough during the winter months. Summer was easy, I’d just make a smoothie, but the cold months of winter left me wanting something far more nourishing before I’d step outside into the frosty mornings.

Porridge is a great option for an early morning, while this particular recipe does take a little longer to cook, you can instead simply use quick oats to speed up the process. Obviously you don’t need to top them with caramelised pears every morning - there’s many more options, such as honey, brown sugar, nuts, apples, bananas, or basically anything that you want.

Porridge
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats
2-3 cups of coconut milk + 1/2 cup coconut milk
2 pears, sliced however you want really
Small handful walnuts, chopped roughly
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
Vanilla pod or vanilla essence
Sea salt

1. Place the oats into a medium saucepan along with the 2 cups of coconut milk (leaving the extra cup to add in if the porridge thickens too much) and vanilla essence or vanilla pod - ensure if using the vanilla pod that you open it before putting it in the porridge to ensure the inside flavour comes out.

2. Place on the stove on a medium heat and remember to keep an eye on it, stirring every few minutes. Porridge will quite easily overcook and stick to the pot if you don’t stir frequently. Add in the extra coconut milk during this time if the porridge thickens to much before cooking thoroughly.

3. While the porridge it cooking, you can caramelise the pears and walnuts. Heat the butter in a small frying pan until it is foaming. Add in the pears and cook until browned before turning to the other side and repeating the process.

4. Once the pears are nicely browned scatter the brown sugar over them evenly, keeping them in the pan and on a low heat. After a few minutes the sugar should dissolve in with the butter - turning into an almost thick syrup. Make sure you use a wooden spoon to keep it all moving in the pan during this time so it doesn’t burn - plus it’ll coat the pears nicely.

5. Add in the remaining half cup of coconut milk, it will sizzle quite a bit, but that’s fine, just keep it moving in the pan. Add in the walnuts at this point also and gently mix the pears and walnuts around so they get coated in the caramel.

6. Serve the porridge immediately with the pears and walnuts spooned on top, and the caramel drizzled over.