Monday, January 27, 2014

Condensed Milk Coffee Muffins #MuffinMonday

Creamy, thick sweetened condensed milk makes sugar unnecessary for these sweet muffins, while adding moisture and richness to the batter.  These were inspired by the dark coffee sweetened with condensed milk that is served in many countries around the globe.  Vietnam springs to mine as one of my favorites. 

During the years we lived in Southeast Asia, we took advantage of cheap fares and proximity to travel often to neighboring countries.  Vietnam was a favorite and we went there at least three times.  I’ll share a few of our photos from Saigon, Hanoi and Vung Tau at the bottom of this post, for those who might be interested.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups or 315g plain flour
2 scant tablespoons or 8g instant coffee granules
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 can (1 1/4 cups by volume or 397g) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup or 60ml ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar, optional, for serving

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 12-cup muffin tin by lightly rubbing it with oil or use non-stick spray to coat or by lining it with paper liners.  I ended up getting four extra muffins out of this batter because I decided not to fill the muffin cups too full.  If you have an extra muffin pan, you can do the same.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, coffee powder, salt and baking powder.



Whisk the condensed milk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract together in a smaller mixing bowl.


Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ones and stir until just combined




Divide the batter between the muffin cups.



Twelve and four spares.


Bake in your preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.



Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.


Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using.



Enjoy!


If you’d like to enjoy a glass of Vietnamese coffee along with these, here’s a good link to instructions.

And the filter thingy is really inexpensive on Amazon.com – only $2.49


***This is an affiliate link so I will earn some small change (literally six cents) if you buy when you click through.  I’m gonna buy myself some bubble gum, if one can even get bubble gum for a nickel anymore.***


Here are some very random photos from our trips to Vietnam, with the disclaimer that I don’t always take the most touristy of photos.

Struggling through the narrow, low Chu Chi Tunnels that were used by the Viet Cong during the war.
I don't know the guy in front of me. 

In an underground board room with mannequins posing as Viet Cong.  Why we are smiling, I cannot tell you. 

How families travel. 

Many of the homes are tall and narrow. 

The local florist shop.  In Malaysia floral wreaths are sent to shops or businesses for grand openings,
but these might well be for funerals.  Anybody out there know the tradition in Vietnam?

Floral street vendors

 The tomb of Ho Chi Minh - It was a holiday that day so the queue to get in was enormous.  These are not tourists but mostly locals, there to pay respects.  His body is on view, embalmed and preserved, despite his wishes.  

So many motorcycles.  Everywhere. 

I took this photo because this is the communal water fountain, in the park outside Ho Chi Minh's childhood home. Still open for sharing at the height of the SARS epidemic, 2003.  Everybody used those same plastic cups. 
More typical housing.  I love the plants growing everywhere. 

The bay in Vung Tau.

And that's it for the tour!  Thanks for stopping by! 


14 comments :

  1. I did not try your muffins, because I am very bad at baking and on a diet, but I really enjoyed your blog anyway! I admire anyone who can make up a recipe and this one sounds delicious. I also was very interested by the pictures of your trip to Vietnam, a country I have never seen. Thank you for sharing them!

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  2. Think I will never see the light at the end of the Chi Chui tunnel -I'll be stuck like Winnie the Poo! Am into a muffin making spree at home, want to be the perfect Mama :)

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  3. Seriously? I need to make these muffins. I haven't baked muffins in a very long time. I'm sure I'll be using Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee!! Its always good to find various ways to consume coffee :-) Great photos too - such an awesome glimpse of Vietnam!

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  4. Thank you, Maureen! I don't mind if you just come to look at the pictures. At least you come and you comment and I am delighted to have you here. :)

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  5. Love this post. Sounds like you were in the area around the same time I had my honeymoon in Thailand (July/August 2013). I would love to go to Vietnam!!!

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  6. Terrific muffins...my oldest and I would devour these babies! And I love your travel photos from Vietnam. Another spot I'd love to visit.

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  7. The muffins looks wonderful and the tour was fabulous! The underground boardroom picture made me laugh out loud!!

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  8. The photos and the commentary were absolutely fascinating, Stacy! And I laughed when you said you had no idea why you were all smiling in that Viet Cong bunker. I think you were taking a cue from the mannequins cause they looked pretty jovial! I definitely want to go to Vietnam someday. A lot of what I saw in the photos looked similar to Thailand - everyone rides scooters, often with four people piled on, the buildings look pretty similar (thin and tall). The food must've been fantastic. I adore Vietnamese food and I LOVE that you used the condensed milk coffee flavour profile for these muffins. I can't wait to try this recipe!

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  9. Thank you, Nancy! It is quite similar in many ways to Thailand, especially the good food part. Seafood of every kind was fresh and deliciously prepared. Sometimes those scooters had six people, counting the toddler propped up by the handlebars. I tried not to look, just made me nervous!

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  10. Ha, ha! I love that you could have been buying them locally all the time. The hard thing about foreign supermarkets is knowing what you are looking for though. Now you know exactly what they look like. So that is worth paying a bit extra the first time. Book something warm for the midterm break. I think you've earned some time on a beach!

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  11. Wow, this is an awesome post Stacy! I've never been to Vietnam but I've had similar condensed milk coffee in Malaysia which was seriously delicious. I'd love to try your muffin version... love the fact that the instant coffee resulted in little coffee speckles throughout the batter :) The photos are great. I also had a chuckle at the smiles in the Viet Cong bunker! Very interesting perspective into a culture that is quite different to our own... I'll have to holiday there one day :) xx

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  12. I love the idea of sweet apricots and tangy blue cheese - sweet and salty which is the perfect combo for me. I think the the stacking salt box could very quickly become my favorite, but for now it is the "garbage" bowl, which I guess is not technically a tool, but it is for me because it saves me going back and forth to my trash which is not close to my kitchen bench.

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  13. I would love this

    13-Inch by 18-Inch Jelly Roll Pan, Silver

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