A Muffin for All Seasons

*A Muffin For All Seasons*
Makes 12

A delicious muffin with several variations that work for all seasons.  Adapted from the fabulous cookery book by Holly Farrell entitled "Grow Your Own Cake."

You will need:  1 X 12 hole muffin or cupcake tin, lined with paper liners, or greased

Ingredients

Basic Muffin Batter :
350g/12 ounces (3 cups) plain flour
150g/5 ounces (2/3 cup packed)  light brown muscovado sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
100g/3 1/2 ounces (7 TBS) butter, melted and cooled
1 free range egg, lightly beaten
300ml/1/2 pint (1 1/4 cups) milk
demerara sugar to sprinkle

Seasonal Fruit/Veg Versions:

Rhubarb and Ginger:
1 tsp ground ginger
100g/3 1/2 ounces finely diced rhubarb (1/2 cup)

Summer Berries:
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g/8 ounces  (1 1/2 cups) soft fruit
(blueberries, raspberries,  or currants)

Plum:
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large plums, pitted and cut into six slices each

Apple and Sweet Potato:
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100g/3 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) grated sweet potato
1--g/3 1/2 oz (1/2 cup) grated dessert apple

Method:

For the basic batter-

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.  Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in one bowl, and the melted butter, egg and milk in another.  Pour the wet mix into the dry ingredients and, using a whisk, stir briefly to combine everything, adding any fruit/beg along the way.  Spoon into the prepared cases/tin and add any further fruit.  Sprinkle the tops with a pinch of demerara sugar if desired.  Bake for 25 minutes, until well risen and springy to the touch.  Remove from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool.

For the rhubarb and ginger - add the ground ginger to the dry ingredients before mixing and stir in the rhubarb halfway through combing the wet and dry ingredients.

For the summer berries version - add the vanilla extract to the wet ingredients.  Stir in two thirds of the berries halfway through combining the wet and dry ingredients, and stud the remaining berries into the top of the batter once it is in the cases/tin holes.

For the plum version - add the vanilla extract to the wet ingredients, and set 2 plum pieces into the top of each muffin once the batter is in the cases/tin holes.

For the apple and sweet potato version - add the ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.  Stir in the sweet potato and apple halfway through combining the wet and dry ingredients.


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