Moving to Manchester and Apple Semolina Muffins

Following up from http://doesnotxsist.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/moving-to-oslo-and-grilled-chicken.html

It has been a month now in Manchester and I can say that I am finally settled. It is not so easy to pack your life into a suitcase (or two) and then come to a totally unknown place (in a different country altogether) and settle there. Well, maybe not for good, but for a few months.

Moulds to be tested

When I finalized the room, I was really reluctant to move in. There was nothing in the room, just half a bed and an old mattress. And now when I look at my room, it feels like home. The bed has a bed sheet (a fitted one which comes with elastic and is a snug fit over the mattress), there is a duvet with duvet cover, pillows with matching pillow covers, the cloth rack has clothes, the closet is arranged, the fridge is stuffed, the bedside table has a table lamp and there is a plant by my window. The kitchen had basic stuff, but now the shelves are full of turmeric, garam masala and other variety of whole spices.

I bought everything from knives, chopping boards to pots and pans. After a lot of research, I found IKEA as the cheapest place for everything and the second best was Argos. Though I was really tempted to buy a dining set, I made myself understand that it might not be worth it.

My house-mates are mostly from east Europe (they eat a lot of potatoes). They are non-interfering and clean and quiet, which I like. They all have cute accents. A couple has moved in over the weekend (I do not yet know where they are from), and I hope they are clean and quiet too.

I got the local library membership this Saturday and got home with a handful of books. And that denotes that I have moved in to Manchester completely. And that calls for a celebration. And there is no better way to celebrate the autumn than to bake an apple-cinnamon cake and/or muffins. Besides I had to try out the silicone muffin/cupcake moulds from IKEA.

Ingredients:

Finished Product

• One and half cups of semolina
• Half cup of plain flour
• One teaspoon of baking powder
• One and half teaspoon of cinnamon powder
• Half cup oil or butter
• One cup sugar
• One teaspoon vanilla extract/essence
• Two eggs
• Two apples
• Half cup milk (or more if required)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
2. Peel, core and chop apples and toss in lemon juice to prevent darkening. Mix with cinnamon powder.
3. Mix dry ingredients, semolina, flour, and baking powder well.
4. Cream sugar in butter or oil. If using oil, it would not cream much, but don’t worry.
5. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla into the sugar mixture until frothy.
6. Add your dry ingredient mix two spoons at a time. Mix well and add spoonful of milk if the mixture becomes too think.
7. Incorporate all dry ingredients and keep on mixing and adding milk as required. The finished batter should not be too runny or too thick.
8. Gently mix the apple pieces and spoon the mixture in muffin moulds or cake tin.
9. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until a toothpick comes clean. Cool on wire rack.

Notes:

• Apples can be substituted for any fruit, but also change the spice accordingly or do not use any spice.
• Semolina gives the cake a crumbly texture; the outer layer will be crispy.
• Semolina would not rise as much as plain flour, so you can completely fill the muffin moulds.