I really don’t like tea. I think it tastes like hot, wet plants. Hmm… not an appetising thought.
So when this month’s Sweet Adventures Blog Hop theme was announced as ‘What’s your cup of tea?‘ I was in a sticky spot.
What does a girl make when she doesn’t like the core ingredient?
I stalked the supermarket shelves for a line of tea that didn’t make me screw up my nose and was delighted to discover Lipton’s Cinnamon and Apple. It’s a blend of cinnamon, chicory root, hibiscus, apple, orange peel, carob and chamomile flowers.
I turned to Google and found an interesting method for infusing tea into butter, via Cupcake Project. Forget mashing up your tea or infusing with milk – this is the only way to go!
The method is very simple and makes for an entoxicating blend. I wanted to pour the tea-infused butter into a tall glass and drink it. Seriously.
Melt your butter on the stove and then sprinkle the tea leaves and simmer gently for about 4 minutes. The butter will look horrible but smell devine!
You then strain the butter combination, leaving the tea leaves behind. Some might slip through but don’t worry, people won’t be tasting big chunks of tea in their muffins.
Apple muffins are so yummy but you will want to finely dice the fruit so that the apple is cooked through and soft when the muffins are baked.
The trick to even cupcakes or muffins is scooping the mixture into cases with an ice cream scoop. THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE. I’m not even exaggerating.
Before baking the muffins, sprinkle the streusel mixture over the batter. You want about 1 heaped teaspoon per muffin to achieve a crunchy even topping.
These muffins take a little bit of preparation, but the extra step of infusing the butter is really worth it. You will get a nice pop of apple and cinnamon flavour in the muffins. It doesn’t scream ‘I come from a tea bag!’ it just sings of appley goodness.
These muffins are a perfect morning or afternoon tea treat to warm you through on a chilly winter day. I think they taste just as nice with my afternoon latte, but I am reliably told they are just as enjoyable with a cup of tea.
Apple Tea Streusel Muffins
Makes 12 muffins.
140g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons or 3 tea bags of cinnamon and apple tea
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup caster sugar
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced finely.
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
For streusel topping
2 tablespoons reserved from the infused tea butter
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a 12 hole muffin pan with cases.
2. Melt butter on the stove, then add the loose leaf tea from the tea bag into the butter and stir occassionally for 4 minutes. Cool slightly then strain through a sieve, reserving butter in a bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of this butter for the streusel topping.
3. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Mix through sugar and apple using a wooden spoon.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour combine butter, milk and eggs into the bowl and mix gently until just combined.
5. Divide mixture into muffin cases evenly.
6. To make streusel topping, combine all ingredients into a small bowl and then sprinkle topping over the muffins.
7. Bake muffins in the oven for 20 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
The apple tea streusel muffins are delicious warm or you can store for a few days in an airtight container.
This recipe is part of the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop theme ‘What’s your cup of tea?‘.
