443.coconut and passion fruit muffins (eggless)

October 17, 2014

tropical taste

Coconut is such a versatile fruit. Bake with it, add it in rice, curries, decorate with it. So many ways to use it. I love the taste of coconut combined with a tropical fruit. I hadn't baked muffins in a while, and yesterday managed to bake some. This time round, I decided to combine coconut and passion fruit. I use the sour passion fruit to make juice, add to desserts or add to a fruit salad. I had a few passion fruits left over and decided to use them up in the muffins.The muffins taste really good... tropical flavour.
These are early Diwali gifts for my neighbours as the coming week will be pretty hectic. Still got a lot more baking to do and make a few traditional sweet dishes for Diwali.

COCONUT AND PASSION FRUIT MUFFINS
Makes 24 small ones

2 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
½ cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda (soda bicarbonate)
1 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
⅓ cup oil
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup passion fruit pulp (about 2-3 passion fruits)
½ cup passion fruit concentrated juice *

Topping :
5-6 tbsp desiccated coconut

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line the muffin trays or cups with paper cups.
Sift the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add coconut and mix well.
In another bowl, add sugar, oil, yogurt and the passion fruit concentrated juice.
Whisk the mixture.
Add it to the dry ingredients.
Add the passion fruit pulp.
Mix till the flour is all wet. Do not over mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared trays or cups. Fill it ¾ of the way.
Sprinkle desiccated coconut on top.
Bake for 20 -25 minutes or till done and the tops are light golden brown.
Insert a toothpick or fork into the muffin. If it comes out clean, then the muffins are done.
Remove the muffins from the tray or cups and put them on a wire rack to cool.

Tips:

* To make fresh passion fruit concentrate take the pulp. Put it in a blender and mix it using short bursts. Don't blend too much otherwise the seeds will crush. Sieve the mixture. Measure the amount of juice. Whatever the amount is you need to add half the quantity of sugar. Mix well. Store the concentrate in the freezer. Use it to flavour cakes and desserts or take about ¼ -⅓ cup of the concentrate, add water to make up to a cup. Serve the juice with ice cubes.

I have never used packaged passion fruit juice so wouldn't know how it would taste in the muffins.
To remove the pulp from the fruit, cut it into half and scoop it out using a spoon.
At first the batter will appear liquidy but let it rest for a few minutes and you will get a spoon able consistency.
Instead of sprinkling it with desiccated coconut on top you can use passion fruit flavoured butter icing. Add a tbsp of the passion fruit concentrate to the butter icing.
Fresh passion fruit concentrate is available in most Indian stores in UK.

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