Longan Muffins With Hot Syrup

This week's Bake Of The Week is Longan Muffins with Hot Syrup.

This recipe is being inspired by Food & Travel magazine March edition when I saw it featuring muffins using tropical fruit flavours.

It doesn't actually have a Longan Muffins recipe. I modified it from the Lychee Muffins Recipe. I used canned longans instead of fresh ones. And I also used plain all-purpose flour and baking soda instead of self-raising flour.

Straight from the oven without toppings yet

I like how the muffins turned out - very light and fluffy. I guess it was due to recipe calling for 1 cup of plain yoghurt to be added into the wet ingredients.

Muffins with Toppings

When served, I crowned each muffin with a small piece of longan and drizzle it with hot syrup. Ohhh...I always love my muffins warm and fresh.

I was feeling rather generous and also because parents & ah-yee went to China and I've got less people fighting for my muffins. Therefore, I gave a few to Pat. ;)


Lychee Muffins with Hot Syrup (Original Recipe from Food & Travel Magazine March Issue)
(yields 12 muffins)

Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour ( I used all-purpose flour instead)
(I also added 1/2 teaspoon baking soda)
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 cup canned lychee syrup (I used canned longan syrup)
1 egg, lightly beaten
100g butter, melted
1 cup lychees, drained and diced (I used canned longans instead)

For lychee(longan) syrup
1/2 cup canned lychee(longan) syrup, extra
1/4 cup caster sugar

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Prepare one 12-hole muffin tray with muffin cases.
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour and then add sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, mix yoghurt, lychee syrup(longan syrup) and egg together, followed by the melted butter.
4. Fold the flour mixture into the liquid ingredients gently until just combined.
5. Add in the diced lychee (longan). Mix well.
6. Spoon batter into muffin cases.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted to the heart of the muffin comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
8. To make lychee syrup, place both ingredients in a small pot and cook over low heat till the liquid becomes thick and syrupy.
9. To serve, crown each muffin with a small piece of lychee(longan) and drizzle with hot syrup.