Choc Nut Cardamom Streusel Muffins
Serves: Makes 12
Takes: 30 mins to 1 hour
Muffins are really easy to make and taste best when eaten on the day, warm and straight from the oven. I love to add sweet spices to the everyday favourite recipes, but you can leave it out if you wish. And like with all muffins, the less mixing, the better! So don’t be tempted to keep stirring even if you see lumps of flour – this will make it lighter.
Ingredients
For the Streusel Top:
55g plain flour
pinch of salt
30g butter, chilled and cut into 1cm cubes
25g caster sugar
30g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
For the Choc Nut Muffins:
250g self-raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon green cardamom seeds, finely crushed
115g butter, melted and cooled
115g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
150ml milk
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
75g chocolate chips
50g toasted hazelnuts, chopped
50g raisins (optional)
Method
First, make the streusel topping. Sift the flour and salt into a large shallow bowl.
Toss in the butter and rub in with your fingertips until it resembles large breadcrumbs. A few lumps are ok.
Stir in the sugar and toasted hazelnuts and pop in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper muffin cases or grease the mould well with butter.
In a bowl sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, ginger and green cardamom seeds.
In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla essence.
Fold the flour into the wet mixture.
Stir in the chocolate chips, toasted hazelnuts and raisins (if using), being careful not to over-mix or your muffins will be dense.
Quickly fill the muffin cases to the top.
Sprinkle over the streusel topping and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are well-risen and golden brown. Test by inserting a skewer down the centre, it should come out clean.
Leave to cool on a wire rack.
