We cook these for friends regularly and they are always a huge success. For something different, serve them hot with cream or custard as a dessert, almost like a mini steamed pudding!

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon each ginger and mixed spice
• 1½ cups milk
• 1½ cups diced cooked apple
• 2 eggs
• few drops vanilla essence
• ½ cup sultanas, optional
• 100 grams butter, melted and cooled
• 16-18 walnut halves, optional
• sugar 'n' spice topping
• juice of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar (caster is best)
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Grease 16-18 standard muffin cups or line with paper cases.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and spices into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
3. Beat together the milk, apple, eggs and vanilla essence. Fold into the dry ingredients, adding the sultanas, if using and the butter towards the end of mixing.
4. Three-quarters fill the prepared muffin cups and decorate each muffin with a walnut half, if using.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until well risen, golden and cooked.
6. Remove muffins from the oven and brush with the lemon juice or melted butter. Mix the sugar and mixed spice together and sprinkle over the top. Serve warm.

Cooks Tips

- Use pears in place of apples

- Use diced canned apple - it makes thesemuffins in no time. Alternatively, use 1 cup finely diced raw apple.