Yield
12
Cooking Time
25 mins
Preparation Time
15 mins
Ingredients
300g (10oz) plain flour
2tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
185g (6oz) unrefined caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
300ml (9½fl oz) buttermilk
2 large eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
150g (5oz) unsalted butter, melted
150g (5oz) fresh or frozen (thawed) strawberries
Method
Heat the oven to 190°C (gas mark 4). Grease a 12-cup muffin tray or paper cases.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and grated zest and make a well in the centre.
Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour and stir until the ingredients are just combined.
Add the fruit and lightly fold to combine. Do not over-mix as the batter is fine a bit lumpy.
Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack.
Tip
If you can't find buttermilk, use 300ml (10fl oz) of milk, and sour it with a squeeze of lemon juice. No muffin cases to hand? Make your own by cutting circles in greaseproof paper (about 3cm wider in diameter than the size of the cups in the tray) and then line each cup with them.
Tip 2
Muffins are best eaten on the day they're made, and are particularly delicious served warm.
