Pam Corbin's Blackberry and Apple Muffins

The beloved pairing of blackberries and juicy apples makes the homeliest of muffins. Blackberries, those cherished gifts of the hedgerows, can be picked in season and frozen to use later in the year. For this recipe, you can use the blackberries straight from the freezer, but you will need to bake the muffins for 3-4 minutes longer.

Makes 10 large muffins
125g plain flour
125g wholemeal flour
2tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of sea salt
125ml milk
125ml plain yoghurt
1 egg
125g honey
100ml unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
100-125g blackberries
1 medium dessert apple (100g-125g), unpeeled, cored and finely diced
1 tbsp icing sugar, to finish

Equipment
12-hole muffin tray, holes about 6.5cm in diameter and 2cm deep, 10 lightly greased or lined with 10 paper muffin cases or 15 cm baking parchment squares.

Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6. Sift the first five ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Make sure they are evenly blended together by either mixing with a spoon or beating with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds on the lowest speed.

Next put the measured milk, yoghurt, egg, honey, butter and vanilla extract into a mixing jug or bowl. Beat together until well combined and the mixture is like a very thick batter. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir very lightly, scraping down the sides, until just combined, with no clumps of dry flour lurking in the bottom of the bowl. Add the blackberries and diced apples and mix through lightly.

Divide the mixture between the muffin cups, filling each to three-quarters full (this will be about one fully laden tablespoonful per cup). For lightly crisp, glazed tops, dust with sifted icing sugar before they go into the oven. (Alternatively, dust with icing sugar once baked).

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and the tops are golden. The muffins should spring back into shape when lightly touched.