Apple crumble muffin cake

The search for the perfect curry continues. Jyoti’s has been on the ‘must visit’ list for ages: it’s family-run, Hindu and completely vegetarian.

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Jyoti’s Vegetarian

After years of research, I think vegetarian Indian food is (whisper it) better than meat-based. It tends to be lighter, which makes the flavours sing and the dishes are generally less heavy going. But it’s surprisingly hard to find a decent veggie selection in many restaurants, presumably because most are Bangladeshi and vegetarianism isn’t so great a part of the culture there.

Not so at Jyoti’s, where the vegetable and the legume are king. The food tastes like proper home-cooking, is incredibly cheap (£12 for a three course meal) and knocks the socks off pretty much everything else I’ve tried in the city. Love Jyoti’s.

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Chickpea and spinach curry, chapati and yoghurt

I’ve been making experimental muffins this week, getting through some of the fruit that’s been hanging around. Apple crumble muffin cake anyone? It’s a basic muffin mix with chopped Cox apple, spiked with cinnamon and baked with a handful of crumble on the top.

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Apple crumble muffin cake, ready for baking 

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…and after baking. The crumble has merged into the cake, giving a crunchy topping.

I baked two apple crumble mini-loaves and then used leftover batter to make muffins, this time with a dollop of raspberry compote in the middle. A really easy way to get something sweet and fruity in next to no time.

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Raspberry compote muffins, before baking

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And fresh from the oven

The same base mixture could be flavoured with pretty much anything, and will reliably come up with decent muffins or a lovely moist large cake. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, dried fruit, chocolate chunks…it’s never failed me yet.

Fruity muffins

Basic muffin mixture:

110g self raising flour

150g plain flour

2tsp baking powder

175g caster sugar

50g light brown sugar

110g butter

225ml milk

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 180c and line your tins. This mixture will make either 12 muffins, one 7-inch round cake, one 2lb loaf cake or four mini loaves.

Put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together briefly to combine (get rid of any sugary lumps with your fingers). Melt the butter into the milk (I use the microwave) and when it is hand-hot, add to the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon or electric mixer to bring it together into a smooth, quite liquid batter. Beat the eggs with a fork and add to the mix, beating until just combined. Add your chosen fillings at this point. Pour into the waiting muffin cases or tins and bake. Muffins will take about 25 minutes, mini-loaves about 30 minutes, large loaf or round tin up to 1 hour.

For apple crumble muffins: Peel, core and dice two Cox apples, shake over a little cinnamon to flavour. Make a crumble by rubbing 50g butter into 100g plain flour then stir in 50g caster sugar. Stir apple into the basic muffin mix, pour into the cases or tins. Top with a sprinkling of crumble, bake.

For fruity compote muffins: Make a simple compote with raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants or blackberries by heating a handful of fruit over a medium heat with a spoonful of sugar and drop of water. Cook for five minutes until syrupy, cool. Fill muffin cases half-way with basic muffin mix, top with a spoonful of compote, top with remaining mix. Sprinkle demerara sugar on each muffin, bake.

 

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