Mmmmmuffins…

I love cupcakes. I love the cute bun cases, the pretty sprinkles and, most of all, the icing. Preferably buttercream! However, the one thing I dislike about them is the fact you have to make the batter, cook them, leave them to cool, make the icing and then pipe the icing on, all before you can take a bite. (Okay, I'll admit that maybe not all of the cupcakes make it to the icing step. But that's a secret between you and me!) You might as well make a big cake for the same amount of time and effort.

Sometimes, I just need something that is simple, quick and most of all, delicious.

Sometimes, I just need a muffin.

I know that the Americans are the kings and queens of muffin-making, but I think that I might have found the princess in the form of Delia Smith. I first baked this recipe last year and I've never looked back. This recipe is so easy; and its minimal sugar content plus lots of fruit makes it seem almost healthy! If you're feeling very Domestic Goddess-y, you could whip up a batch of these for a nice weekend breakfast. However, they taste just as good as a snack - or even for lunch if you really wanted…

I like my muffins with a nice domed top. Not gigantic, but not tiny either. I've made a couple of tweaks to Delia's original recipe and I'm sure you could fiddle around with it too if blueberries aren't your thing. Next on my list is raspberry and white chocolate; and I'm toying with the idea of pear and almond! 

Blueberry muffins (makes approx. 8 - 10 medium sized muffins)
150g plain flour
1/2 level tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium egg
40g caster sugar
40g butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
150g blueberries

Demerera sugar, to sprinkle

1. Heat oven to 200°C and line a muffin tin with papers.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together.

3. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and quickly and gently fold them in.

4. Add in the blueberries; mix carefully without knocking out the air and spoon into the muffin tin. Sprinkle each muffin with a little demerera sugar to create a crunchy golden top when baked.

5. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until golden and the smell is almost overwhelming. Enjoy!

Adapted from "Delia's Summer Collection" by Delia Smith