Every week in jewelry class, someone brings some kind of baked good to share. Midway through the class, we order rounds of büyük çay (big sized tea) and take an extensive break, chatting and stuffing our faces with delicious pastries and cakes. I’ve stopped trying to be ‘reasonable’ on Sundays and whole-heartedly enjoy the treats. One important exchange in Turkish that I’ve learned during these classes is what a person says to someone who has cooked something, and what the chef/baker says in return. People who are enjoying someone’s food will say, “Elinize sağlık”, which literally means “Health to your hands.” The cook will in return say, “Afiyet olsun”, which is the equivalent of “Bon appétit!” in French.
This is a coffee cake that I made last week for jewelry class. The recipe is actually for muffins, but all I’ve managed to find so far here in Turkey is a cake pan and a loaf pan. I’ve been making a lot of loaf-shaped cakes lately and I’ve discovered that loafs are not very photogenic. Hopefully, I can get more creative with my photographs… and hopefully you’ll take my word that it was good!
So, “Afiyet olsun!” Here is the recipe (from epicurious.com-):
Golden Raisin Oat Bran Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup oat bran
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1/3 cup mild honey
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup golden raisins
- Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter muffin pan.
Whisk together flour, oat bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, honey, butter, and eggs. Add to dry ingredients along with raisins and stir until just combined.
Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
Cooks' note: Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.
