Cinnamon raisin muffins

It's finally the weekend - finally time all to myself, for myself, to reboot my brain and unwind. The work week has given me a literal headache. I wonder if every profession faces the same frustration of waiting to rush, and rushing to wait. This really gets on my nerves. I wish I have a time locket which can be used to store all the time "wasted" while waiting, and release them for good use when the sudden load of work arrives.

After a tiresome week, I just wanted a fuss-free, sweet treat. These cinnamon raisin muffins are for a lazy day, when you simply just want an oven-baked dessert with the least amount of effort. You can almost never go wrong pairing raisins with cinnamon!

These muffins don't have to be cooled completely before serving. Best when slathered with butter when warm!

What?

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

How?

1. To plump the raisins, place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Leave for 5-10 minutes, drain well and set aside.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugars together.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, egg, vanilla and milk together until they are blended.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and fold in the raisins.
5. Fill muffin cups with the batter up to 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degC for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. 
6. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool. Best served warm with some butter and jam!

No-knead white bread

Touted as the easiest bread to bake, this no-knead bread is of artisan quality with minimal effort. It does take a long time to rise; I left it overnight. This seemingly unsophisticated plain bread quietly does the job on its own, rising ever so slowly that it's almost unnoticeable if you just sit there and watch it.

It's hard to take credit for the soft inside and crusty crust - it did it all on it's own.

This unassuming white bread is good for making savoury sandwiches or simply with butter and jam.

This recipe is much simpler compared to the cinnamon swirl raisin bread I made a week ago, and would be a good start to try making your own bread (without a bread making machine!) for the first time. Try it, it's therapeutic!

What?

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 tsp yeast
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup warm water
• Olive oil to grease

How?

1. Stir flour, yeast and salt together.
2. Pour the warm water into the flour mixture and stir thoroughly. The dough will look rough at this point.
3. Lightly coat the entire surface of the rough with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a cling film and a towel on top. Leave it to rise for about 8 hours.
4. The dough will look risen, smoothen out and slightly bubbly after 8 hours. Turn it out onto a lightly oil countertop fold it over once or twice. Shape the dough into a rectangle shape and place it in a greased loaf pan. 
5. Cover the loaf pan with cling wrap and let it sit for another hour.
6. Before baking it in the oven, cover the top of the loaf with a piece of parchment paper. Bake the loaf in a preheated oven at 200 degC for 30 minutes. (You can slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife if you want to!)
7. Remove the bread from the oven and wrap it in a clean kitchen towel if you want to keep it warm for serving. Slice and serve!

Cinnamon swirl raisin bread

There has always been something therapeutic about baking, about making bread. Baking isn't all about the frivolous; research has shown that this activity can be a crucial therapy that helps thousands of people suffering from depression.

It is more than just indulging in the final product - there is something reassuring and soothing about the entire ritual.

Some people think it is in the kneading process. I like watching the dough rise and getting all poofy.

Try it on one of those "down" days, maybe this will make you feel better. :)

What?

• 1/2 cup milk, lukewarm 
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 7g easy bake yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1/8 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 40 g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup raisins 
• 3 cups plain flour  

For the cinnamon filling:

• 1 tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

How?

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Mix in the egg, brown sugar, caster sugar, salt, butter and raisins. 
2. Stir in the milk.
3. Add the flour gradually until a dough is formed. (It will be a little sticky!) Knead the dough on a floured surface for a few minutes.
4. Lightly grease a mixing bowl (I used olive oil) and turn the dough around in the bowl to coat the dough surface with oil.
5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and allow the dough to rise until doubled - this takes about 1-1.5 hours.
6. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 1/2 thick (and roughly the 9" length wise). This can be done on a lightly floured surface. (I used a cling film instead!)
7. Prepare the cinnamon filling by mixing together the caster sugar and cinnamon. Spread a tablespoon of milk onto the rolled out surface of the dough and sprinkle the cinnamon mixture on the top. 
8. Roll up the dough lengthwise tightly and pinch the bottom together.
9. Place the loaf into a greased loaf pan (pinched end facing down). Leave to rise, uncovered, for about 1 hour.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 degC for 30 minutes, or until the loaf is lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped.
11. Leave the bread to cool before slicing.