Alright, so I got this sudden urge the other day. You know how it is, sometimes you just need something… solid. Comforting. And I had all this dried fruit sitting around. Honestly, it’s been in the cupboard for ages, leftover from Christmas I think? Felt bad just letting it sit there, seemed like such a waste. My grandma, she never wasted a thing. Used to drive me nuts sometimes, but looking back, she had the right idea. Anyway, fruit cake muffins popped into my head.
Getting Started
First things first, had to dig everything out. You know the drill.
- Flour, sugar, baking powder – the usual dry stuff. Dumped it all in a big bowl. Made a bit of a mess, always do with flour.
- Then the wet ingredients. Eggs, milk, melted butter. Whisked those together in another bowl. Simple enough.
- Got that dried fruit mix, chopped it up a bit finer. Some nuts too, found some pecans. Threw them in with the fruit.
Mixed the wet into the dry. Didn’t want to overmix it, heard that makes muffins tough. Just enough so it all came together. Then folded in the fruit and nuts. The batter looked pretty decent, chunky, you know?
Baking Time
Greased up my muffin tin. Used those paper liners too, makes cleanup less of a headache. Spooned the batter into the cups. Tried to get them sort of even, but who really manages that perfectly? Popped the tray into the oven. Preheated it, of course. Not an animal.
Then, the waiting game. The kitchen started smelling pretty good, that warm, spicy, fruity smell. You can’t beat that. Peeked through the oven door probably more times than I should have. They were puffing up nicely, getting golden brown on top.
The Result
Pulled them out after about, I don’t know, 20 minutes? Maybe a bit longer. Let them cool in the tin for a few minutes before getting them onto a wire rack. They looked alright! Not picture perfect like out of some fancy bakery, but like proper homemade muffins.
Had one while it was still warm. Pretty good! Moist inside, lots of fruit, nice flavour. Not too sweet, which I liked. Honestly, miles better than those dense, heavy fruitcakes you sometimes get. Reminds me of this one time, years ago, at this old job I had. This manager, oh boy. He’d bring in this brick of a fruitcake every holiday season, thought he was doing everyone a huge favour. Tasted like cardboard soaked in cheap booze. Nobody wanted to eat it, but you kind of had to, you know? That place was full of stuff like that. People doing things because they thought they should, not because it made any sense. Lots of show, not much substance. Thinking about it now, I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with that kind of nonsense anymore. Just me, my kitchen, and some decent muffins.
Yeah, these turned out okay. Definitely worth making again sometime. Simple pleasures, right?
