Blueberry Crumble Muffins

baking, brunch

So it’s the weekend, finally! It might not be morning, it might not be lunchtime, but it’s definitely time for these muffins. Bursting with fresh blueberries, wrapped with a cinnamon batter and topped with a spiced brown sugar crumble. These are where it’s at. Your loved ones will thank you big time. And your tastebuds!

Ingredients

For the crumble

  • 100g butter
  • 100g plain flour
  • 100g dark brown sugar
  • a pinch of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt

For the muffin mix

  • 350g self raising flour
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 15g baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 175ml milk
  • 115g melted butter
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • 300g fresh blueberries

First things first, preheat your oven to 180C for a fan oven and 190C for a gas. Get all of your crumble ingredients into a bowl and rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs. When you’re done, tip the lot onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and make sure it’s all spread out evenly. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, stirring it with a fork after 10. When the crumble mix is done make a start on your muffins. Whisk all your wet ingredients in a large bowl, just give it a good mix to combine everything. Then sift in all of your dry ingredients, give it all a good stir, making sure you don’t over mix it. Throw in your blueberries, give it another stir for luck and you’re ready to spoon it into a muffin tray. Make sure you’ve lined it with paper cases, spoon in a dessert-spoonful of the muffin mixture, top with a teaspoon of the crumble mixture and bake for about 20 minutes. When they’re ready, get your mug of black coffee, glass of orange juice and your newspaper and your weekend is about to begin.

French toast à la Milla

Breakfast, brunch

French toast can be a very versatile dish; have it savoury with poached eggs and bacon, with a fried egg, smoked paprika and chopped spring onions or like this, sweet with cinnamon and ice-cream! I used a fruit loaf for this but it’ll work just as well with a normal sliced white loaf.

Ingredients

  • 2 slices of sliced bread
  • 2 eggs
  • 50ml milk
  • 1tbsp golden caster sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • a knob of butter for the pan
  • vanilla ice-cream

Mix together your eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until they’re well incorporated. Place your bread flat in the egg mix, wait a minute of two for the egg mix to soak in, then turn oven and soak the other side. Have a frying pan heating on the hob, on a medium heat, and when it’s hot, chuck the butter in. When the butter has melted, carefully place your eggy bread in the pan and wait til it’s a golden brown. When it’s ready, turn over and cook the other side. Remove your toast from the pan, get it onto a plate and get your ice-cream on top pronto. If you want to be extra fancy, slice some strawberries on top. The perfect breakfast in bed.