Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself.
Espresso Garden Cafe's caramel muffins
Makes 12
Muffins
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup oil
1½ cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
3½ cups plain flour
1½ tsp baking soda
Caramel apples
250g butter melted
1½ cups brown sugar
1 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp salt
1 cups diced apple
Muffins
Place ingredients in a bowl and fold together gently until just mixed in.
Caramel apples
Add sugar to the butter and whisk until smooth. Simmer for 1 minute.
Then add cream, vanilla, salt and apple.
Simmer until soft.
Add half the caramel apple mixture to the muffin mixture and mix through gently.
Spoon the mixture into muffin tins until they are half full.
Put the remaining apple mixture on top of the muffin mixture and top with the remaining muffin mix.
Bake at 180degC for about 20 minutes or until springy on top.
Requested by Helen Wekking, Cromwell.
Supplied by Shelley McIntosh.
• If you have enjoyed a dish in an Otago cafe or restaurant and would like the recipe, write to Ask a Chef, Features, Otago Daily Times, PO Box 181, Dunedin, fax 474-7422, or email odt.features@odt.co.nz , including your name, address and a daytime telephone number, and we will request it.
