Homemade Blueberry and Polenta Cupcakes
Breakfast Muffins with an Italian Flavour from the Primrose Bakery
Nov 7, 2009
Polenta is a tasty comfort food from northern Italy. Made from maize flour, it is usually made into a sort of thick golden porridge, which is extremely nutritious. Polenta can be used as a base for a wide variety of dishes, and is delicious grilled and topped with cheese or a rich tomato sauce. It can also be used in baking, and produces some delicious cakes. In this recipe, polenta is used to give a satisfying crunchy texture to blueberry cupcakes, which are rather like muffins, as there is no icing. The recipe, which appears here with permission, comes from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery, by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas (Kyle Cathie £14.99, photography by Yuki Sugiura). The blueberry and polenta cupcakes are ideal for a satisfying breakfast, or a snack during the day.
Blueberry and Polenta Cupcakes – Recipe
Ingredients – Makes about 14 regular cupcakes
- 110g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 110g Demerara sugar
- 120g soft light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, free-range or organic
- 160g plain flour, sifted
- 140g fine-ground polenta
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 125ml buttermilk
- 130g blueberries, fresh or frozen, at room temperature
- Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan)/180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and line one or two 12-hole muffin trays with the appropriate size and number of cupcake cases.
- In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.
- Combine the plain flour, polenta, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add one-third of the flour mix to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Repeat these steps until all the flour mix and buttermilk have been added. Gently fold in the blueberries. (To prevent the blueberries from sinking in the cupcakes, toss them gently in a little plain flour before folding them into the batter.)
- Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes – it should come out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave the cakes in their tins for about 10 minutes. These are delicious served still warm, maybe with some butter and a few fresh blueberries. You could dust the tops of the cupcakes with a little icing sugar before serving.
Now try this recipe for Italian Coffee Cupcakes, also from the Primrose Bakery
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