MUFFINS

OVEN TEMPERATURE 200c/425f Gas 7

COOKING TIME 15 minutes

Not the cakey sort (although they’re gorgeous too), but the old sort that feature in nursery rhymes. These are something of a cheat because you don’t fry them. You bake them instead, and they started life as a Women’s Institute recipe, so I would not dare to argue about that being the right way to do it, and I wouldn’t advise you to do it either.

I can strongly recommend ‘The Women’s Institute Big Book Of Baking’, but it’s only fair to warn you it doesn’t have an index. It reminds me of how in World War Two they took down all the road signs, but I’ve never had a recipe go wrong.

I can imagine them making them in the cafe at Druett Manor and Ruth making them in her own kitchen at Swansmere.

So here goes

INGREDIENTS


450g (1lb) Flour

50g (2oz) butter

2 teaspoons caster sugar

1 tsp salt

1/12 tsp fast action dried yeast. (They use 1 tsp but I prefer this.)

300ml milk

TO SIFT ON TOP

3 tbsp fine semolina

If using a bread machine, it works really well on the pizza programme, so I can use a timer and then left for an extra hour, then I always put the yeast in first, then the flour and sugar, then the salt and then the liquid. You know your machine best. Anyway, run the dough programme and then rejoin for the second set of instructions.

Otherwise

Rub the fat into the flour

Stir in the sugar, salt and yeast

Make a well in the centre, pour in the milk and mix to a soft dough

Turn out onto an unfloured surface, knead well for 8-10 minutes.

Put it in an oiled bowl, cover it and leave it in a warm place until doubled in size, which usually takes about 2 hours.

ONCE RISEN, preheat oven as above

Line 2 baking sheet with silicone reusable sheets (Or baking parchment.)

Sprinkle one with semolina.

Roll out the dough and cut it into circles with a 3” (9cm) cutter, rerolling as necessary.

Put them on one baking sheet, sprinkle with more semolina and leave to rise for a second time, which is usually around an hour for them to double in size.

Then, and this is the sneaky bit, put a silicone sheet and another baking tray on top. Cool on a wire rack and either eat warm or let cool and toast. Lovely with jam or cheese and one of the recipes that people don’t make much now, but always seem to love when they do.