A muffin cake? Crumb and get it!
Mr T and Little Miss Holly have had a ritual for weeks now, one that would put most prime time viewing habits to shame.
Every time Holly came over, the two of them would snuggle up in front of the television and settle in for an episode of ‘Malory Towers’. Enid Blyton’s world of midnight feasts, schoolgirl drama and the sort of ‘trouble’ that mostly involves hurt feelings and missing tuck. As a result, Mr T can now confidently be described as an expert in teenage girl shenanigans.
He and Holly dissected each episode with the seriousness of seasoned TV critics. Who was unfair? Who was dramatic? And who really deserved detention? After seven seasons, they finally reached the last episode and such a milestone clearly called for cake. After all, the girls on the show seem to eat an alarming amount of it. This is where things got tricky. Holly doesn’t like cake. Mr T doesn’t like cupcakes. After some diplomatic negotiations, I suggested a compromise: a muffin cake.
Holly loves the white chocolate chip muffins I make, so surely a small cake version would keep everyone happy. And it did, thanks to a mini baking tin and a dusting of icing sugar. It looked pleasant, if a little understated, but it tasted just as good as the muffins always do. These muffins are wonderfully easy to make, quick to bake, and guaranteed to be a hit with children (and grown-ups alike).
You’ll need 300g self-raising flour, 150g caster sugar, a bag of white chocolate chips (milk chocolate works just as well), 60g butter (melted and slightly cooled), 180ml milk and one egg, lightly beaten. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Don’t overmix, lumpy batter is your friend here (just make sure the flour is fully incorporated) or the muffins may turn out dense and sulky. Spoon the mixture into a six-hole muffin tin lined with cases and bake at 200°C (180°C for fan ovens) or gas mark 5 for about 25 minutes. That’s it.
The recipe is also easily adaptable. Leave out the chocolate and add stewed apple, chopped pears, or even a sneaky spoonful of Nutella or jam in the middle. Just fill the case halfway, add your filling, then top with more batter.
Your imagination really is the limit. If you fancy something savoury, feta muffins are a great option, though the recipe changes slightly. You’ll need 375g self-raising flour, 100g crumbled feta, 40g grated parmesan, 90g butter (melted and slightly cooled), one egg, lightly beaten, 250ml milk and one tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley. Sift the flour into a large bowl, stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined, spoon into a lined six-hole muffin tin and bake at the same temperature for about 30 minutes. For a change, swap the feta for a strong mature cheddar. These savoury muffins make an excellent lunchbox addition and unlike Malory Towers, they don’t come with any schoolgirl drama attached. I just wonder what the two will watch in the future.