Crunchy-Topped Raspberry Muffins

(pic: dairygoodness)

Ingredients :

225 gr plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

quarter tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 and half tsp finely chopped orange zest

110 gr caster sugar

1 egg

125 gr unsalted butter, melted and cooled

60 ml milk

60 ml sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

200 gr fresh or frozen raspberries

icing sugar (optional), for dusting

Crunchy Topping

110 gr caster sugar

90 gr pecans or walnuts

1 and half ground cinnamon

How To Make :

1. Preheat your oven to 190 Celsius degrees. Lightly butter a 12-hole muffin tin and set it aside.

2. For the crunchy topping, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse them together until the nuts are chopped into medium-sized chunky pieces. Tip this mixture into a bowl and set it aside.

3. Put all but 1 tablespoon of the flour into the food processor. Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange zest and whiz them together for 20 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

4. Put the sugar and egg into the processor and whiz them for 20 seconds. Pour in the butter, milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract and process for about 15 seconds or until they're well mixed.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture and stir the two gently together (don't overdo the mixing at this stage, or the muffins will be tough).

6. Carefully toss the raspberries with the reserved tablespoon of flour so they're coated in fine floury film. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently mix them through the batter with a few strokes. The batter may get a bit stiff if you're using frozen raspberries, but it will be fine.

7. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin holes; they should each be about three-quarters full (there is usually enough mixture to make 11 muffins). Sprinkle the topping thickly over each one and press it down gently if you have an empty muffin hole, pour about 1 cm of water into it, as this helps stop the hole overheating, which can cause the muffins around it to burn.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are puffed and golden and a fine skewer inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. Cool the muffins in the tin on a wire rack for 3 minutes. Gently ease them out of the tin onto the rack to cool completely. If you like, you can dust them with icing sugar just before serving.

Source : Belinda Jeffery - Mix & Bake