pineapple chai muffins

I was flicking through a magazine last week and came across a recipe for pineapple and coconut muffins. It made me stop and think. It made me realise that I only ever eat pineapple on pizza! Clearly something  had to be done about this..... Later that week I found myself craving some home made chai tea.  Could pineapple and chai tea thrown together in a muffin really work? Make them and find out........I dare you :)

Ingredients

7grams of ginger, skin off
10 cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tea bag of your choice (I use a plain black tea bag)
3/4 cold water
60g butter
100g brown sugar
1 egg
1x 225g tin of pineapple in juice, drained, juice discarded. Reserve 9 pieces of pineapple for the tops.
170g Self raising flour


how to make your Pineapple chai muffins


pre heat your oven to 180C. Get your muffin tray ready with baking paper, cases and/or oil spray. This mix makes 9 muffins.


Place ginger, cardamom pods, cloves and the cinnamon stick in a saucepan with 3/4 cup of water on high heat, bring to the boil and boil for  4 mins. Reduce heat to medium, add soy milk and the tea bag and simmer for 2 minutes. remove from heat, . Strain the liquid into a jug or bowl  (making sure there is no debris left in the chai tea mix) and set aside to cool. You will only use 1/2 cup of this chai liquid so at this point you could just enjoy the leftovers.


Place butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer untl pale and thick.  Add the egg beating well. Fold through flour and pineapple (don't forget to keep 9 pieces aside) , alternating with the chai liquid until well combined. Pour into prepared muffin tray/cases and pop a slice of pineapple on the top of each muffin mix.  Cook the muffins for about 25 minutes, checking them as you go. Set aside in the tin for a few minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Enjoy warm from the oven or at room temperature.