Blackberry muffins

Make the most of blackberry season with these easy muffins that taste like you’re eating blackberry crumble for breakfast! The hazelnuts are the perfect autumnal complement.

Ingredients

For the crumble topping

• 55g/2oz plain flour
• 40g/1½oz demerara sugar
• 25g/1oz blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
• 40g/1½oz unsalted butter, melted

For the muffins

• 75g/2¾oz unsalted butter
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch salt
• 100ml/3½fl oz full-fat milk
• 100ml/3½fl oz buttermilk or soured cream
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 200g/7oz fresh blackberries (halved if large)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with large or tulip paper cases (or make your own using 15cm/6in squares of baking paper).

2. To make the crumble topping, put the flour, demerara sugar and hazelnuts in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until the mixture comes together in small clumps. Set aside.

3. To make the muffins, melt the butter and leave to cool slightly. Sift the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl.

4. Whisk together the milk, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract in a jug until combined.

5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add the milk mixture and the melted butter and mix with a balloon whisk until only just combined. Do not overmix – it’s ok for the mixture to be a little lumpy at this stage. Fold the blackberries into the batter using a large spoon.

6. Divide the batter between the paper cases and scatter the top of each muffin with the crumble mixture.

7. Bake on the middle shelf for 25–30 minutes or until golden-brown, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blackberry muffins