Colorful parrot muffins from a jar

Ingredients for 24 servings:

• 250 g butter or margarine
• 300 g flour
• 250 g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 200 ml milk
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• Jelly powder (cherry)
• Jelly powder (woodruff flavor)
• Cocoa powder
• Breadcrumbs or
• Nuts, ground for sprinkling

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

with detailed instructions for baking glass cakes

This recipe is for those who want to give not only cakes but also muffins in a jar, or who like to have one every now and then without wanting or being able to bake them every time. I use the smallest jars I can find. The smallest I’ve seen so far are 70ml (screw-top) and 80ml (Weck jar). If you like large muffins, use 125ml. Preheat the oven to 175°C. If using Weck jars, soak the rubber bands in water. I do this in cold water, but some people boil them. Beat the butter or margarine with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and, stirring constantly, slowly sift in the flour mixed with the baking powder and then the milk. The batter shouldn’t be too runny so that the colors you’ll be adding next mix well and don’t run into each other. Divide the batter into different portions, depending on how many colors you’ll need. Now stir in the desired colors into each portion. You can use jelly powder and cocoa powder as described above, but food coloring also works. Grease the jars and sprinkle them if necessary so that the finished muffins can be easily removed. Now, using a piping bag or a teaspoon, gradually add blobs of different colored batter to the jar to create a colorful pattern. Fill the jar about halfway, but no more than two-thirds full. Place the open jars in the oven; depending on your oven, we recommend placing them in the lower third of the oven. The baking time is between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on the oven and the size of the jar. The skewer test will tell you if any batter has overflowed. If the batter is slightly higher than the rim of the jar, this is not a problem; it can be pressed down and usually does not need to be cut off. Close the jars with the screw lids or with rubber bands and clamps. Allow to cool – if you return the jars to the switched-off oven to cool, perhaps overnight, keep in mind that the cake will continue to darken. Condensation may form under the lid as it cools. This is harmless, however, and will disappear after a few hours. The muffins can be stored for several months as long as the jars are hermetically sealed. This may seem like a lot of effort to some, but they make a great gift! And perhaps someone in a single kitchen will appreciate them when they have an acute muffin craving.