Plum and Almond Muffins
It’s such a treat when the soft summer fruits come into season and can be enjoyed in all kinds of delicious baking. My daughter and I did some experimenting with plums this week and we enjoyed this combination of plum and almond with a hint of lemon.
For this recipe I’ve used a mixture of white and wholemeal flour which you can adjust according to preference. I know that some will prefer to use all white flour while others will want to increase the proportion of wholemeal. For those who have never used wholemeal flour in baking, this is a good starting point: a small amount of wholemeal will boost the nutritional benefit of your baking without altering the flavour. When sifting wholemeal flour, remember to tip the healthy bran bits into the bowl so they aren’t wasted.
Makes 12 standard-size 
9 oz (255 g) plain white flour
2 oz (60 g) plain wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon (1.2 ml) salt
1 egg
4 oz (100 g) fine white granulated (caster) sugar
¼ teaspoon (1.2 ml) finely grated lemon rind
5 fl oz (150 ml) milk
3 fl oz (90 ml) water
3 fl oz (90 ml) vegetable oil
8 oz (225 g) ripe plums (should yield about 8 fl oz/240 ml when chopped)
2 Tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 oz (60 g) flaked almonds for topping
Method
1. Prepare muffin tins with paper cases or grease. Preheat oven to 375-400°F (190-200°C) for a conventional oven, Gas Mark 5-6.
2. Prepare plums – wash, slice/chop and remove stones.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt (or mix with a fork).
4. In a separate bowl, beat egg with a fork. Add sugar, lemon rind, milk, water, oil and chopped plums. Add lemon juice last, just before the next step of combining wet and dry.
5. Pour all of wet mixture into dry. Stir lightly with a spoon just until evenly combined and no dry flour is visible. Batter should have a fairly thick dropping consistency.
6. Spoon into muffin cups and sprinkle tops generously with flaked almonds. Bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are lightly browned and spring back when pressed gently.
Note for North American users: Replace the total 11 oz plain flour with just under 2 cups “all purpose” flour. 4 oz sugar = ½ cup sugar. Adjust the liquid if necessary.
