Apple spice muffins

Tomorrow I shall mainly be baking apple spice muffins.  They’re easy, a piece of cake.

Makes 12ish

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch of ginger, pinch of cloves OR 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 110g sugar
• 1 egg
• 150ml milk
• 170g chopped apple, chopped into small pieces about 4mmx4mmx10mm approx (eating apples or cooking apples)
• 90ml corn oil
• 85g raisins (optional)

Topping: 3tbsp soft brown sugar (or any sugar actually)

Method

• Oven on to 190 degrees C and put muffin cases in the muffin tin in preparation.
• In a large bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt and spice and then stir in sugar.
• In another bowl, beat the egg with a fork, stir in milk, chopped apple and oil. (When chopping the apple I peel and core apple and chop large apple wedges.  I put these in water with a little lemon juice to stop it going brown.  I then weigh the wedges, without lemony water, until I have the right amount and then I chop it.)
• Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined adding raisins during final stirs.  The mixture is very dry/thick which is generally OK as the apple releases moisture when it cooks but if it super difficult to mix then don’t feel bad about adding a little milk or water.
• Spoon into muffin cases, sprinkle with the topping of sugar and bung in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  These muffins don’t go as brown as some other recipes and if they do then you’ve overcooked them.  They should just be turning a light golden brown when they’re ready.

Once again these muffins freeze very well and straight from the freezer a quick 30 blast in the microwave prepares the muffin to accompany a cup of tea (tea rather than coffee for these muffins).  Alternatively if popped into a lunchbox in the morning the frozen muffin is defrosted by lunchtime.