Jam Muffins

Over the New Year I had a fun-packed baking session with my great-niece (proud owner of the MP3 cosy).  She is 10, and a star baker, so I have passed on this quick and easy recipe to her.  Her younger sister and two baby brothers helped too, so it was bit of a riot in the kitchen.

The basic sponge recipe is much easier than the classic Victoria sponge, and the cakes keep better because the oil in them prevents them from drying out.  A lovely lady called Marina gave me this recipe a few years ago when we were in Northern Spain.

The great advantage of this recipe is that you don't have to weigh anything.  Marina used a little yoghurt pot as a measure, whereas I use this glass, which holds a quarter of a pint.  It would be just as easy to use a measuring jug.  The reason I have shown the ingredients in the order shown on the photos is that this way you don't need to wash the glass before you have finished.

The quantities I have given will make 12 muffins.

First, measure out three glasses of self raising flour.

Put the flower aside in a separate bowl.

Next, you need two glasses of sugar.  Ordinary white granulated sugar is fine.

Put the sugar into a large mixing bowl.

Then add 1 measure of sunflower oil to the sugar...

... and 1 measure of full fat natural yoghurt - Greek yoghurt is ideal.  If the yoghurt has slightly separated, drain off the excess liquid.

Lastly, add three eggs.

Mix the sugar, yoghurt and eggs together.  I use a rotary hand whisk.

The mixture will end up a pale creamy colour.

The flour is then sieved and folded in with a broad knife a bit at a time...

... giving a pale thick mixture once it is all added.

Because it is a runny mixture it is impossible to spoon into the muffin cases without making an almighty mess, so I spoon it into a gravy boat first...

... and then pour it into the muffin cases.

Each case needs to be approximately two thirds full...

... then it is time to put a blob of jam, about half a teaspoonful, in the middle of each.  I have used three different colours for the muffin cases because I am using three different types of jam.  Just one more jam to go, some home-made apple and blackberry.

Once every cake has its blob of jam, cover the jam with a bit of cake mixture, and put them in a preheated oven.

Here they are, freshly baked.  My oven is a pretty fierce fan oven.  It took about 15 minutes, starting on 150, and turning the tray round halfway through cooking and turning the heat down a bit.

Another reason I love this recipe - I have never had a cake collapse in the middle, even though I open the oven door halfway through cooking.

Delicious with tea.  

Linking up with Connie's blog Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday