Anyone up for recipe testing today/tomorrow?

[CatherineHMumsnet]

We're still working on the Mumsnet Cookbook (these things take a LONG time!) and we've had a request in from the publishers to test a recipe that's in the book in a slightly different way.

Here's the recipe in question as it currently reads in the book:

Golden wonder

Serves 4 adults

unsalted butter, for the dish
2 large (around 375g) courgettes, grated
3 rashers of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
140g self-raising flour
115ml vegetable oil
5 eggs, lightly beaten
80g cheese, grated
1 tsp thyme leaves
hearty grinding of black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas mark 4. Lightly butter a round ovenproof dish, about 20cm in diameter.
In a large bowl, mix the courgettes with the bacon, onion, flour, oil, eggs, cheese and thyme. Season well with black pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake in the oven until golden on top, about 50 minutes.
Remove and serve. Or place the dish on a wire rack and wait until it has cooled, then slice into wedges and parcel out for lunches each day.

What we want to know instead is whether you could make them as muffins which might make for handy packed lunch portions so we need to know:

a) if it works in muffin tins or is a disaster.
b) how many muffins the recipe would make.
c) how long it takes in the oven, and at what oven temperature.

Is anyone free to have a go at this today/tomorrow for us and then give us feedback on the three issues a) b) and c) above?

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Anyone at all?

[MrsPnut]

I'll have a go at it tonight or tomorrow evening if I remember to get some courgettes on my way home from work.

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Brilliant - thanks! Anyone else want to join in?

[cocoplops]

Yes, Ok. Have all those things in and I'm up for experimenting with lunch stuff anyway. Sounds yum. Will try out a bit later.

[cocoplops]

Do you have to use the quantities suggested? Or do you want to use the quantities as given and see if that works in a muffin tin? Just seems its significantly different from any of the other savoury muffin recipes I've googled (hardly extensive search though!). Seems like most others use far fewer eggs and a bit more flour (or a mix of self-raising and plain + baking powder).

Don't know what the effect of more eggs and less flour, but sounds a bit more similar to a Yorkshire pudding batter type thing rather than the more doughy muffin??? Mind you, maybe that's what you're aiming for...tidgy puds?

Anyway, be great if you could clarify whether you want the recipe tried out as quantitues stand just in muffin tins with adapted timings/temp. - or changing quantities (to be more similar to other savoury muffin recipes...which I guess wouldn't be the same recipe at all, just the same flavour combos?)

[MrsPnut]

I made it as is, and cooked 12 muffins at 200C (fan oven) for about 25 minutes. I checked it after 20 minutes.

They were swimming with oil over the top when I took the tin out of the oven, and they are a very eggy taste, almost like a crustless quiche.
Like Coco - I knew there was not enough flour and too much egg to make a proper muffin but the taste was OK. I used comte cheese and red onion because that was what I had in. I also added a few shakes of hendersons relish for a more umami flavour. The batter is very liquid before it goes in the oven, I used an ice cream scoop to portion it into the tin.

I quite liked the courgette, cheese and bacon combination but I might have a go at making them into a proper savoury muffin instead. I have a photo to upload when my computer decides to co-operate!

[MrsPnut]

Oh has just tried one, and he'll eat almost anything. He has declared them "freaky" and thrown it half eaten into the bin.

[Cantdothisagain]

Jo Pratt has a delicious savoury muffin recipe using courgettes, cheese and ham/salami/chorizo. Only 2 eggs, includes pine nuts and polenta.

[CatherineHMumsnet]

MrsPnut - thanks so much for trying them. So OH didn't like them, then!

Cocolops - I'll check for you and let you know.

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Cocolops - no, we're apparently wondering if you can bake this recipe as it stands in muffin cases.

[cocoplops]

Ok we'll they're in the oven and looking not too bad at the mo.........time will tell!

[cocoplops]

So they're out and they're....meh, OK.

Used quantities of ingredients as indicated - although used 1 small oinion and 3 random spring onions languishing in my fridge. I combined all dry ingredients together first and mixed together all wet ingredients. Then mixed them both together roughly -which I think is what I've done before making muffins. I made sure to whisk up the oil and egg in the hope that it would combine more and not be too oily following mrspnut's review.

Used mature cheddar and also added a tsp of salt. Put a tablespoon of mixture in a muffin paper case in a muffin tin. Put a sprinkling of grated Parmesan over the top of around 6 of them as I like my cheese and thought it would be more tasty.

Cooked at 180C fan oven for 30 mins (checked after 20 and 25mins but wasn't cooked through).

Hot...tasted OK. Warm/tepid - tasted OK. Slightly on the bland side - could've done with more salt (despite using salt and having smoked bacon and cheese in the recipe). Not at all a muffin, more of a crustless quiche/baked frittata type of thing - but not really as nice as those either. Bit of an eggy no mans lands.

I found the thyme a bit overwhelming too. Gave it an almost baking soda/too woody flavour.

Ones with parmesan on the top were marginally more tasty (well, the top was), but still not tasty enough.

The 'muff-quitatta's were a bit on the oily side. When cold that might be a bit unpleasant. They did not want to budge from the muffin cases either and stuck firmly to the bottom. I didn't grease my muffin cases. Possibly if I'd baked them directly in a greased muffin tin it might've released more easily (or more likely I would be soaking and scrubbing to remove it!!!). So not ideal lunchbox fodder.

Made 18. Weirdly despite being self-raising they didn't rise. They weren't flat but weren't risen at all (see before and after pic). Not sure what that was about. Possibly not enough of the flour?

I'll try them on the DC and DH later. But not a huge success. I'll probably still eat them though ,, but wouldn't make them again.

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Cocoplops - thanks so much for doing that. Very helpful.

[cocoplops]

Five yo DC tried small mouthful after looking suspiciously at them. didn't say it was nice or otherwise but asked for his banana instead and wouldn't have anymore. Elder DS wouldn't touch at all.

However, I tried one cold today and it peeled out of case ok and tasted quite nice! I think if I was going to try again I'd use chives instead of thyme (or much less thyme) and maybe half the oil and replace possibly with milk?? And use more cheese.