Ask a Chef reveals the secrets of those superb dishes you ate in cafes and restaurants and wanted to try yourself.
Croque-o-Dile's pear and ginger muffins
Makes 12
Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup sugar
1½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
1 pear, roughly chopped
½ cup glace ginger, chopped
2 eggs
100g butter
1¼ cups milk
2 Tbsp golden syrup
small packet cream cheese (optional)
Method
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, spices, pear and glace ginger.
Warm the butter and golden syrup until the butter has melted, then cool. When cool, add eggs and milk and beat until combined.
Without overmixing, stir the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix lightly.
Spray a medium-sized muffin pan and divide the mixture equally. If you wish, add a small piece of cream cheese to the centre of each muffin.
Bake at 200degC for approx 20 minutes or until the centre springs back when pressed.
When cool, drizzle with ginger icing.
Requested by Ann Aitken.
This recipe comes from Julz Asher, chef at Croque-o-Dile in Dunedin Botanic Garden.
• 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.
