Basic muffin recipe

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Put the softened butter in chunks, the sugar and eggs into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, mix for 2 minutes/speed setting 4. Add the buttermilk and, with the measuring beaker in place, mix for 1 minute/speed setting 3. Put the flour, baking powder and 1 pinch of salt into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, stir into a smooth batter for 1 minute/speed setting 3. Use the spatula to scrape the mixture down the inside of the blender jug and stir again, with the measuring beaker in place, for 20 seconds/speed setting 4.
3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cake cases. Divide the mixture between the holes in the tin and bake for 25 minutes. Carry out a skewer test using a wooden cocktail stick to check they are cooked through, and bake for a little longer if necessary. Then allow to cool on a cake rack.

VARIATION: Surprise muffins

To make the surprise muffins, press a piece of any type of chocolate into the middle of each muffin when in their paper cases and bake as described above.

VARIATION: Vanilla muffins

To make the vanilla muffins, add the pulp from a scraped-out vanilla pod at the point you add the buttermilk (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste, or 1 sachet (5 g) of bourbon vanilla) to the ingredients in the blender jug and stir. Then bake as described above.

VARIATION: Apple and cinnamon muffins

To make apple and cinnamon muffins, wash, peel, core and finely grate 2 medium-sized apples (350 g). Add to the mixture in the blender jug with 1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon and, with the measuring beaker in place, stir in with the reverse button/1 minute/speed setting 3. Then bake as described above.

VARIATION: Carrot muffins

To make carrot muffins, wash, trim, peel and finely grate 2 large carrots (200 g). Add to the mixture in the blender jug with 80 g of ground hazelnuts and, with the measuring beaker in place, stir in with the reverse button/1 minute/speed setting 3. Then bake as described above.

VARIATION: Cranberry muffins

To make cranberry muffins, divide the mixture between the muffin cases and add 5 dried cranberries to each unbaked muffin. Then bake as described above.

VARIATION: Walnut muffins

To make walnut muffins, before making the mixture, put 150 g walnut pieces into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop for 5 seconds/speed setting 6. Decant and prepare the muffin mixture as described above. At the end, add the walnuts to the mixture in the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, stir in with the reverse button/1 minute/speed setting 3. Then bake as described above.

VARIATION: Chocolate and walnut muffins

To make chocolate and walnut muffins, before making the mixture, put 100 g walnut pieces and 200 g dark chocolate in pieces into the blender jug and, with the measuring beaker in place, chop for 5 seconds/speed setting 6. Decant and prepare the muffin mixture as described above.

At the end, add the chopped walnuts and chocolate to the mixture in the blender jug. Then, with the measuring beaker in place, stir with reverse button/1 minute/speed setting 3 and bake as described above.

VARIATION: Lemon muffins

To make lemon muffins, wash 1 untreated lemon in hot water, pat dry and grate the peel thinly. Put the lemon peel in the blender jug with the flour and continue as described above.

TIP

If you like, you can decorate the muffins with a chocolate glaze or icing made of icing sugar and lemon juice.