Passionfruit muffins

I have had a busy few weeks at work with a lot of functions and events on.  The negative is that it has been hard finding time to write (or perhaps that is just a limiting belief/excuse). But the positive has been leftovers from working lunch platters in the kitchen for all to share.  I made these passionfruit muffins – and took them to work – after rescuing some passionfruits that would otherwise have been thrown out.

This week I did my first ever Facebook live on the Frugal Dare to Millionaire Facebook group. I thought no-one was out there – I haven’t worked out how to see the comments as they come in yet.  After the event I was able to see many of the comments – and respond to them.  Thank you very much. I will do another one next Tuesday 26 February and talk about free food.

There is a subtle balancing act for using free food. If you go in as soon as a plate of leftover sandwiches goes into the kitchen and you scoff them all and then stuff leftovers into Tupperware to take home, leaving nothing for anyone else, it reflects a lack of generosity of spirit (or worse).  People will look at you and think you are mean.  Trust me, people notice little things like this even if you think they don’t.  Selfish, mean-spirited people rarely get ahead.

That said, I dislike waste and most people I work with know this.  If something is going to be thrown out, I will often take it home.  And help with doing the dishes and the cleanup. If there is any doubt about the appropriateness, I will ask others in the office if they want it or if it is okay that I take it.  Often I will make something with leftovers and bring it into work.  A lady at work regularly does this with overripe bananas or apples that look a bit ordinary (yes, I have fruit at work – a few small perks in my current position).

If you are not lucky enough to have a fruit platter with passionfruit at work, in warmer climates that Canberra someone might gift you some. Or else you could use canned – freeze any leftovers and reuse as you don’t need a lot for this.

Ingredients:

200g sugar
125g butter
2 medium eggs
3 tablespoons milk powder
2 tablespoons cream cheese (mine was homemade)
1 cup water
400g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
1 dessertspoon passionfruit pulp – around one or two passionfruits depending on size

Icing
1 tablespoon soft butter
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 dessertspoon passionfruit pulp
1-2 cups icing sugar (until the right consistency)

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in.
2. Add the milk powder and cream cheese, then alternate the flour with the water.  Add the salt and passionfruit pulp last.  I usually like to just stir this all together with a wooden spoon rather than a mixer to get a rich consistency rather than a light one.
3. Spoon into muffin tins and bake at around 160C for 20 minutes or so until it has risen.  Allow to cool.
4. Meanwhile, combine the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy.  Stir in the passionfruit pulp, then gradually add in the icing sugar until it is the right consistency.  [Note on icing sugar.  Icing mixture, which usually adds in cornflour, is easier to work with but purists prefer icing sugar. If using icing sugar, be sure to sift it to avoid lumps.]
5. Allow the muffins to cool and then ice.  This recipe made 16 large muffins and 11 small ones.

Cost:

Sugar – 25c
Butter – 70c
Eggs – 50c
Milk powder – 20c
Cream cheese (from yoghurt) – 15c
Self-raising flour – 30c
Passionfruit – gifted or 50c

Icing
Butter – 10c
Cream cheese – 10c
Passionfruit – 50c or gifted
Icing sugar – 50c

Total:  $3.80 (15 cents each muffin, assuming mixture makes 25 large ones)

Do you ever take things that are leftover from work functions?  How do you manage the ethics?