September Recipe

Blackberry Muffins

his is a great recipe to make with children as they can help with picking blackberries from our hedgerows, then (carefully) washing them and making these tasty muffins. The recipe uses buttermilk; traditionally a by-product of butter-making - the liquid that’s left over after butter is churned from cream. It has a slightly sour, acidic taste and skimmed milk can be used instead if preferred.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 20 mins

 
Ingredients (all available at Holme-Grown)
400g/14oz plain flour
175g/6oz caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2.5g/½ tsp salt
284ml/10fl oz carton buttermilk (or use skimmed milk if preferred)
2 large Happy Hens free range eggs, beaten
85g/3oz Jersey Dairy butter, melted
250g/9oz blackberries, our hedgerows are full of them!

For optional streusel topping, if liked
Brown sugar
Porridge oats
Plain flour
Butter
Mix all together and sprinkle on top of each muffin before they go into the oven

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin (or use muffin cases).
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs and butter.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Stir until the ingredients are just combined and the mixture is quite stiff, but be careful not to overmix.
4. Lightly fold in the blackberries, then spoon the mixture into the tins/cases to fill the holes generously.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes until risen and pale golden on top. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, as the muffins are quite delicate when hot. To turn out, run a palette knife around the edge of the muffins and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool. Best eaten the same day.