This is the time of year when I start craving food that is bright and light but still comforting. A bowl of citrus on the bench, a handful of berries folded through batter, a spoonful of passionfruit over yoghurt, the last of the winter apples grated into something warm from the oven. Fruit seems to catch the spring light beautifully, and muffins are one of the simplest, happiest ways to celebrate it.
I love a good base recipe because once you have that, the options really are endless. Muffins are forgiving little things. They do not ask you to be too perfect. In fact, they prefer a gentle hand, a few lumps in the batter, and a generous heart when it comes to adding fruit, spice, nuts or a crunchy top.
My endlessly adaptable fruit muffin base
Makes: 10–12 muffins
Ingredients:
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed spice, optional
- 1 cup milk, buttermilk or plain yoghurt thinned with a little milk
- ½ cup light olive oil or melted butter
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups fruit, fresh or frozen
- A little raw sugar, oats or chopped nuts for the top
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
- Place the flour, sugar and spice, if using, in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- In a jug, whisk together the milk, oil or butter, eggs and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together gently. Do not overmix; a few lumps are perfectly fine.
- Fold through the fruit, then spoon the batter into the muffin cases.
- Scatter the tops with raw sugar, oats or nuts.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and springy to the touch.
- Cool slightly, then eat warm, preferably with a cup of tea and the kitchen door open to the garden.
Lovely spring variations
- Blueberry, lemon and yoghurt: Add the zest of 1 lemon and use blueberries with yoghurt in the batter.
- Apple, cinnamon and walnut: Grate 1 apple, dice another, and fold through with chopped walnuts.
- Raspberry and white chocolate: A cheerful one for lunchboxes and afternoon tea.
- Pear, ginger and oat: Add a pinch of ground ginger and finish with oats on top.
- Banana, passionfruit and coconut: Mash 1 ripe banana into the wet ingredients and swirl passionfruit through before baking.
