I blame Paul Duggan for this.
It was he who arrived to us in France at Halloween with muffin cases and told me he wanted me to teach him how to make muffins.
Now muffins were something, after a few attempts to eat the things in “healthy” cafes, which I avoided and would, up to that moment, have happily lived out my life without ever attempting to cook one.
They were, in my experience, dry uninteresting, teeth drying, stodgy examples of the modern bakers lack of finesse.
Sometimes blessed with a rare sprinkle of dried blueberries which like the bicycle cake* (see note) of old, were scattered thinly throughout, without in the least relieving their similarity to impacted cotton wool.

But, Paul had handed down a gauntlet so I decided to give it a lash.

Unfortunately we didn’t have any of the ingredients for modern american muffins in the house in France so my first attempt was made using yeast as a riser in place of bicarbonate of soda and bread flour instead of soft cake flour.
The results (we also put in some diced apple and walnut) were fairly grim but, strange to say, were infinitely better than any commercial ones I had ever tasted.

When I got back to my own kitchen in Ireland I started to do a bit of research into the muffin.
The original crumpet type, which were sold in Thompsons of Cork in my youth, still exist in America and are known as English Muffins.
That these are origins of the modern cakes are demonstrated in their leavening of bicarbonate and buttermilk, much like we make soda bread here.

They are, I quickly discovered, at their best within a few hours of being made.
Commercial muffins are packed with preservatives which is the reason why they taste so disgusting.

I found Nigella’s “Domestic Goddess” to be the best source of all, and her addition of butter makes a huge difference.
From her I adapted and pinched my first effort which I will give below as Christmas Walnut Muffins.
They were superb, light, flavoursome and moist.
That in turn sent me off on a quest to discover a definitive Dwyer twist on the muffin and,using Nigellas basic mix, I came up with my Apple, Orange and Ginger Muffin.
These are wonderful.

I purchased for myself some little silicone muffin cases which make the job very easy.

Now the time of year is upon us when the carol singers come out and I traditionally do something Christmassy in Ardkeen Stores to justify my position as store Food Consultant.
Fired with my new muffin skills I decided to spend yesterday afternoon there making muffins.

They went like hot cakes.
I hadn’t a batch out of the oven but people hovered over me like hungry vultures- in fact I am missing one of my little silicon cases, eaten I suspect by a savage housewife.
I was thinking I would make up four or five batches, in fact I made up seventeen! And they were still looking for more.
Here are the recipes for both, which I dedicate to Paul Duggan, who started me on my muffin quest.

Orange Ginger and Apple Muffins
For 12

225g (8 oz.) plain Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
½ Teaspoon Bread Soda
1 large orange (or 2 medium)
3 Pieces of preserved Stem Ginger (in syrup)
2 Cooking Apples (peeled cored and diced)
75g (2 ½ oz.) Caster Sugar
1 Egg
60g. (2 oz.) Butter-melted
200ml (7 oz.) (approx) Buttermilk
2 Tablespoons slivered Almonds

Heat oven to 200C 400F gas 6

Take the zest from the orange and squeeze the juice.
Make this up to 250ml (9 oz.). with the Buttermilk
Chop the ginger into little dice
Whip together the egg, melted butter, and buttermilk and Orange .
Stir in the chopped ginger.
Mix the flour, baking powder, bread soda ground ginger and sugar in a bowl.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid ingredients and the diced apple.
Incorporate them together gently.
(Do not beat to keep the mixture light.)
Spoon the mixture into each muffin case.
Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top
Bake at the set temperature for 15 minutes.

Let them cool before taking them from their cases.

Christmas Walnut Muffins
For 12

Filling;
(100g) 4 oz. Chopped Walnuts
60g (2 oz.) Brown Sugar
1 ½ Teaspoons Cinnamon
60g (2 oz.) Butter Melted

Muffins
225g (8 oz.) plain Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Bread Soda
75g (2 ½ oz.) Caster Sugar
1 Egg
60g. (2 oz.) Butter-melted
250ml (9 oz.) Buttermilk

Heat oven to 200C 400F gas 6

First mix together all the filling ingredients.

Whip together the egg, melted butter and buttermilk.
Mix the flour, baking powder and bread soda in a bowl.

Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid ingredients.
Incorporate them together gently.
(Do not beat to keep the mixture light.)
Put a scant tablespoon of the mixture into each muffin case.
Then put in a teaspoon of the filling .
Then top up with the rest of the muffin mixture.
(If you have any nut mixture left over ypou can sprinkle it on top.)

Bake at the set temperature for 15 minutes.
Let them cool before taking them from their cases.

note *Our name for the currant cake found in some households where the currants were so rare that if you found one you would have to cycle a mile till you hit on another.