Basic Muffin Recipe Mary Berry Food

MARY BERRY'S BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a muffin tin really well, or line with paper liners. (I used a six cup muffin tin and 2 ramekins.)
• Measure the flour and baking powder into a bowl and give it a good stir. Drop in the butter and then rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine dry bread crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest, sugar and blueberries.
• Mix the eggs and milk together and then add to the dry ingredients, stirring all together just until the mixture is combined. Its okay if the batter is a bit lumpy. In fact, this is desirable.
• Spoon the batter into the muffin cups filling them almost to the top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean and they should spring back when lightly touched.
• Leave to cool for a few minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack to cool for a bit longer.
• Beautiful served warm with a nice hot cuppa!

MARY BERRY'S BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
• Put flour in a large bowl, add baking powder and give it a good whisk. Alternatively you could sieve both into the bowl instead.
• Add butter or margarine and rub it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles sand/breadcrumbs.
• Add caster (fine) sugar, grate the zest of one lemon and add fresh blueberries (see tips on baking with frozen blueberries in the notes below). Give it all a good mix.
• Prepare your wet ingredients by mixing eggs with milk and adding vanila extract (if using).
• Pour the wet ingredients into dry ones and mix in gently with silicone spatula until incorporated. Take care not to burst your blueberries. The muffin batter will be really wet, almost pancake batter like which is how it's supposed to be so don't panic. I find soup ladle really useful for pouring the batter onto the cases.
• Pour batter into the tin lined with muffin cases and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden on top and spring back as you touch them.
• Take the muffins out of the oven and let them cool on the wire rack before serving.

BASIC MUFFIN RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 muffin trays with paper muffin cases. In a large bowl beat 2 medium eggs lightly with a handheld electric mixer for 1 min.
• Add 125ml vegetable oil and 250ml semi-skimmed milk and beat until just combined then add 250g golden caster sugar and whisk until you have a smooth batter.
• Sift in 400g self-raising flour and 1 tsp salt (or 400g plain flour and 3 tsp baking powder if using) then mix until just smooth. Be careful not to over-mix the batter as this will make the muffins tough.
• Stir in 100g chocolate chips or dried fruit if using.
• Fill muffin cases two-thirds full and bake for 20-25 mins, until risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the trays will not fit on 1 shelf, swap the shelves around after 15 mins of cooking.
• Leave the muffins in the tin to cool for a few mins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

EASY BANANA MUFFINS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/gas 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and caster sugar with a big pinch of salt. In a separate bowl mix the melted butter, vanilla extract, eggs, mashed bananas and buttermilk.
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Roughly mix together with a fork, being careful not to over-mix. Scatter in the chopped pecans, if using, then spoon the mixture into the muffin cases. Top with pecan halves, then bake for 20-25 mins, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.