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28.04.11

Muffins are such a popular item for children's lunch boxes or birthday parties. They are also a wonderful treat for long lazy weekend breakfasts.

This is a very basic recipe, and I've suggested a whole series of flavours that you can add to the mixture. Basically, you can have lots of fun playing around with different alternatives.

Ingredients

1lb/450g plain flour

6oz/175g caster sugar

1 rounded teaspoon of baking powder

4oz/110g butter

2 large eggs

6floz/175ml milk

Flavouring of choice

Method

-Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

-Line a 12 cup muffin tray with muffin paper cases.

-Mix flour, sugar and baking powder together.

-Rub in the butter with the tips of your fingers.

-Break in the eggs and milk and mix to a stiff batter.

-Add in the flavouring of your choice at this stage and mix well.

-Spoon into prepared muffin tin (lined with the muffin cases) and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed up

-Dust with icing sugar and serve!

Or

-Mix 3 tablespoons of icing sugar with little boiled water until it reaches a running consistency and drizzle haphazardly over the top of the muffins.


Suggested Flavourings/Toppings:

White chocolate & raspberry: 3oz/75g white chocolate chips and 3oz/75g fresh/frozen raspberries

Lemon & blueberry: Grated zest of 1 lemon & 5oz/150g blueberries

Chocolate chip:   5oz/150g mixed chocolate chips

Apple & cinnamon:  2 eating apples, diced & ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Banana & milk chocolate: 2 ripe bananas, mashed and 3oz/75g milk chocolate chips

Cranberry & sultana:  4oz/110g fresh cranberries & 2oz/50g sultanas


Edward's Top Tip:

Before baking the muffins why not sprinkle some crumble topping over the top  to add a different texture to the muffins

'Food to Love' by Edward Hayden. Launch is this Friday April 29th in the Springhill Court Hotel, Kilkenny at 8pm.