Mornings are hard, muffins are easy

BROCCOLI + POLENTA

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 cup plain flour

• 1 cup instant polenta
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• salt and pepper, to season
• 1 small broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350˚F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the broccoli and Parmesan and mix through thoroughly.
5. In a separate bowl mix eggs and milk, then gently fold into the dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Spoon mixture into muffin tray and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden.

DARK CHOC + BANANA BUCKWHEAT

WHAT YOU NEED

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 apple, grated
• dark chocolate, for garnish

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C / 350˚F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
3. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In separate bowl whisk together eggs, banana, and honey.
5. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry, then fold through apple.
6. Pour batter into the tops of paper cases.
7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until deep golden brown
8. Cool on a wire rack.
9. While cooling, melt dark chocolate in a double boiler (or you can do this while the cake is baking in a bowl on top of the oven).
10. Drizzle over muffins and allow chocolate to set before eating.

CARROT CAKE + ICING

WHAT YOU NEED

For the muffin

180g wholemeal flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 ½ tsp mixed spice

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

60g Greek yogurt

120ml maple syrup

60ml milk

210g carrots, grated

pecans, for garnish

For the icing

• 55g / 2oz cream cheese
• 4 tsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• a pinch salt
• additional milk for thinning, if desired

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
3. For the muffins, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, mixed spice, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla.
5. Mix in the yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain.
6. Add the maple syrup and mix through.
7. Alternate between adding flour mixture and milk. Try and start and end with flour.
8. Fold in the carrots.
9. Spoon your batter into your muffin tin.
10. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until golden.
11. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
12. While the muffins are in the oven, make the icing.
13. For the icing, mix everything together until thoroughly combined.
14. If it’s too thick, add a teaspoon of milk until your happy with the consistency.
15. Once, the muffins have totally cooled, spread a layer over the top of each and pop a pecan on the top.

APPLE + RHUBARB CRUMBLE

WHAT YOU NEED

For the rhubarb topping

• 175g rhubarb, cut into chunks
• 1 tps vanilla
• 50g caster sugar
• zest and juice of 1 orange

For the muffin

• 200g self-raising flour
• 170g caster sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125ml buttermilk

For the crumble top

• 50g brown sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 25g porridge oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g butter

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
3. Pop the rhubarb, vanilla, sugar, orange zest and juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Leave to cool.
5. For the crumble top, mix together the sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.
6. Add butter and, with your fingers, rub through until clumpy. Set aside.
7. For the muffin, in a medium mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, and cinnamon and stir well.
8. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk.
9. Fold the egg mixture through the flour until just combined.
10. Spoon muffin mix into paper cases, top with rhubarb, then top with crumble.
11. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and the rhubarb is bubbling.
12. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is from Issue 4. Want more? Like how to talk to kids about climate change? Or how to zero waste your home? Order back issues from our Shop here