Durian Muffins

Do you like durian?  Durian is most famously known as the 'King of fruits'. Yet in Singapore (or perhaps most Southeast Asia countries as well) this fruit is banned in most hotels and on all public transports. We can find durians in the supermarkets, but they must be sealed with cling wrap / ready-packed containers.

Why ? Durian is also most famously known for its distinctive strong unique odour. For some people who have never encountered the fruit before are disgusted by the pungent and overpowering smell ... it's "smelly and stinks".  Enthusiasts will describe this as ‘fragrant'. The fruit is silky smooth and creamy in texture, sweet or bittersweet in taste. So, it's either you hate it or love it.

I love durians. There are different grades of durians whereby the stringent criteria involve taste, smell and texture and countries of breed. D24 ... 猫山王 ... XO ... Hongxia ... to name some.  Of course the price tags varies according to the grades. I'm not an expert in these durian grades, I just love the bittersweet or bitter ones whilst my family prefers the sweet ones.

My usual muffin bakes are berries, fruits, raisins & some chocolate chips / nutty muffins.  Hmm... how about durian muffins?

Recipe adapted from Happy Home Baking http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/2007/04/durian-muffins.html?m=1

With slight changes made in blue.
Ingredients:
(Makes 9 muffins *note :I could filled up all 12 muffin cups)
300g all-purpose flour
100g caster sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder (1.5 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
75g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten  (used 1 large egg)
160 ml milk (180 ml)
300g durian pulp

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 190 degC (180 degC). Position rack in center of oven. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

2) Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan. Set aside.

3) Separate durian pulp from seeds, mash slightly with a fork and set aside.

4) Add egg to the melted butter. Stir till combine. Add in milk and half of the durian pulp. Stir to combine.

5) In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a spatula or whisk to mix the dry ingredients completely (to prevent having lumps of baking powder/soda). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir only until the ingredients are just combined. The mixture will appear very lumpy. Do not over mix the batter otherwise the muffins will become tough.

6) Spoon batter into the muffin cups, filling half full. Add 1 teaspoon of durian pulp to each, top with remaining batter. Fill up with the remaining batter to about two thirds full. Fill any unused muffin cups halfway with water to prevent warping of the pan or uneven browning of the muffins.

7) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for 10mins in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Do not leave the muffins in the muffin pan otherwise the base will be soggy.

Oh yes ! The strong durian fragrance dominated the kitchen as soon as the oven door was opened. Left them on the cooling rack while I attended some household chores. After some 10 mins when I pass-by the dining area, noticed 11 muffins instead of 12. Haa ha ... 'hijacked' by my big boy ... These warm freshly baked durian muffins are so yummy!

I'm submitting this post to Little Thumbs up (May 2014: Milk) organised by Bake For Happy Kids, and My Little Favourite DIY, hosted by Tze of Awayofmind Bakery House