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IngredientsThis batter will give you a light, fluffy muffins every time. Use it as the basis for all the recipes and adapt accordingly.DRY INGREDIENTS 140g caster sugar 250g self-raising flour 1tsp bicarbonate of soda WET INGREDIENTS 85g butter, melted and cooled 2 large eggs, beaten 200ml/7 fl oz milk 1 tsp vanilla extract THE CHUNKS 150g punnet blueberries |
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MethodMETHOD1. Heat oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with muffin cases. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients in a jug, pour into the dry and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix or the muffins will be tough. Fold in blueberries. 2. Spoon the mix into the cases and bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and firm. Cool on a rack and serve warm or cold. The best muffins are naturally quite squidgy in texture, so don’t be fooled into overcooking them. They’re done when risen and just golden. If you can resist eating them as soon as they’ve cooled, keep in an airtight container for up to two days. Simple or savoury muffins can be frozen, defrosted and warmed through in the oven for a couple of minutes. Now create these scrummy versions using the classic recipe as a base: THE BASICS 1. Mix all the wet ingredients together first, then stir into the dry. 2. Fold any large chunks in at the end. 3. Don’t over-mix. Apple, Oat and Walnut 1. Switch 50g of flour for 50g rolled oats and swap the caster sugar for soft light brown sugar. 2. Use 85g sunflower oil instead of butter and 2 x 150g pots 0% Greek yogurt instead of milk. 3. Swap blueberries for 2 Bramley apples, grated, and 100g walnut pieces. 4. Spice up with 1tsp ground cinnamon and ½ tsp nutmeg. Top with more oats before baking. Carribean Sunrise 1. Replace butter with 85ml sunflower oil. 2. Reduce caster sugar to 50g and mix with 140g soft brown sugar. 3. Instead of blueberries, add 1 large carrot, grated, 1 x 227g can unsweetened, crushed pineapple, drained, plus 3 tbsp of the juice, 50g desiccated coconut and 50g sultanas. 4. Add 1tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp ground allspice. Pear and Ginger Streusel 1. Reduce milk to 5 tbsp and leave out the vanilla. 2. Switch the blueberries for 3 ripe pears, peeled and chopped, 2 balls stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped, and ½ tsp ground ginger. 3. Make a crumbly streusel topping – rub or whizz together 4 tbsp light soft brown sugar, 2 tbsp plain flour, ½ tsp ground ginger and 2 tbsp softened butter and sprinkle over each muffin before baking. Choc and Peanut Perfection 1. Use 140g light soft brown sugar instead of caster sugar. 2. Swap the blueberries for 3 standard-size Snickers bars, roughly chopped. Mix ¾ of them into the batter. 3. Top muffins with the remaining Snickers pieces before baking. Banana Coconut 1. Reduce milk to 100ml. 2. Swap blueberries for 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 300g) and 50g desiccated coconut. 3. Top muffins with dried banana pieces or more coconut before baking. Apricot Amaretto 1. Replace vanilla extract with 1 tsp almond extract. 2. Decrease the milk to 150ml. 3. Replace blueberries with 50g toasted, flaked almonds and 140g chopped, dried apricots soaked in 3 tbsp orange juice and 1 tbsp amaretto. 4. Pat another 2 tbsp almonds over the muffins before baking. Zesty Raspberry and Lemon Drizzle 1. Swap the milk for 150g tub lemon yogurt mixed with zest and juice of ½ lemon. 2. Replace butter with 85ml sunflower oil. Fold in 140g raspberries instead of blueberries, and bake. 3. When cooled, glaze with a runny icing made with 85g icing sugar and zest and juice of ½ lemon. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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