The results of last night’s baking are rather lovely.

Cranberry and Orange muffins with certain “off-recipe” additions, notably chopped pecans, several teaspoons of Neal’s Yard Omega Sprinkle (lovely sunflower, pumpkin, poppy & other seeds mix) and some dark choc chips courtesy of Dr Oetker.

I wasn’t quite sure how these would turn out as not only was butter and milk involved but yoghurt too (yoghurt & chocolate…hmmm).  But they’ve they’ve turned out very well.  I stretched the mix to 12 rather than 10 muffins and though they are very fluffy and light they’re a wee bit flat on top as I had no self-raising flour so just threw more baking powder into the plain flour mix.

All in all though I declare them a success!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g caster sugar (I used the unbleached unrefined kind)
• 100g dried cranberries
• zest of an orange
• 150 ml milk (in my case semi-skimmed organic)
• 4 tbsp natural yoghurt (greek 0% Total)
• 100g butter melted and cooled
• 2 large lightly beaten eggs

My additions – I would say handfuls but I did weigh them before I threw the extra ingredients in!

• 45g chopped pecans
• 70g Dr Oetker dark choc chunks
• 35g Neal’s Yard Omega Sprinkle

It’s supposed to make 10 but it comfortably make 12 for me!

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F/ gas mark 4 and set out muffin cases.
2. Combine all dry ingredients down to zest of orange and the three additions (if required) in a bowl & mix well.
3. In a separate bowl whisk the milk, yoghurt and butter. (I started with the butter, added the milk & yoghurt).
4. Add eggs to milk mix and whisk again.
5. Pour the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients and combine slowly.
6. Do not over stir, just mix till all flour etc coated. Mix should be thick and slightly lumpy.
7. Spoon into muffin cases.
8. Bake for 15-20 mins, until muffins spring back when the top is tapped and a skewer or knife comes out clean.
9. Cool (if you can wait that long).
10. Eat.

If  you want an extra punch of sweetness mix the juice from the orange with 2 tbsp of icing sugar and heat in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved and then for 1-2 mins further until it goes syrupy. Spoon glaze over muffins.

I find them sweet enough without more sugar but then again I don’t like really sweet cakes.