Ralph's foolproof Muffin recipe.....

Ralph's a sucker for Muffins so here's his easy and  foolproof basic recipe, then add one of several different ingredients for a variety of different muffins. Get comfortable with this base recipe, and you can start creating your own variations.....Ralph's been making mincemeat pie flavoured for Crimble!  

The good news is they're so easy to make and they're ready in just over 30 minutes, although you might want to let them cool down just a tad before diving in!

• Ingredients:
• 
  
• 250g (9 oz) plain flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 150g (5 oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 225ml (8 fl oz) semi-skimmed milk
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method:

Prep: 10 mins | Cook: 25 mins

Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas mark 6.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. 

Make a well in the centre. In a small bowl, beat egg with a fork. Stir in milk and oil. Pour all at once into the well in the flour mixture. 

Mix quickly and lightly with a fork until moistened, but do not beat. The batter will be thick and lumpy. 

Add any fruits, nuts, chocolate (see below for a few ideas) at this point and gently fold in to combine.

Pour the batter into a muffin tin that is either greased or lined with paper muffin liners. Bake for 20 -25 minutes, or until golden.

Variations:

Mincemeat Pie Muffins: Add 3 Tablespoonfuls of Robertsons Classic Mincemeat, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 75g sultanas.

Blueberry Muffins: Add 175g (6 oz) fresh blueberries. 

Sultana Muffins: Add 150g (5 oz) sultanas. 

Date Muffins: Add 150g (5 oz) finely chopped dates.

Cheese Muffins: Fold in 125g (4 oz) grated Cheddar cheese, and reduce sugar by half. 

Bacon Muffins: Fold in 75g (3 oz) crisp cooked, diced bacon, and reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon.

Needless to say you can just add whatever filling takes your fancy!