Raspberry jam and white chocolate muffins

All good things must come to an end eventually. When I switched on my electric whisk recently nothing happened. I checked that I had switched it on at the socket but alas no power was forthcoming. I pride myself on the length of time I have had many of my kitchen appliances. The freezer is 17 years old, the oven was bought when we moved this house 14 years ago and the washer dryer is now in its 11^th year. The electric whisk though was one of the oldest as it was a wedding present 18 years ago. I tried my best to bring it back to life with a new fuse but it was not tempted to return from the dead. Sadly it has whisked its last meringue and creamed its final sponge mix.

Of course the timing of such events are always when you can't rush out get a replacement immediately. So if cake was going to baked it was needing to be cake that didn't need an electric whisk. For quick cakes this means muffins. The fat is usually in liquid form either as melted butter or oil so no creaming of fat and sugar is necessary. Also muffins don't respond well to being well mixed as they can make them quite tough – a quick stir together is all that is need.

For this recipe I've used some of our homemade raspberry jam as a filling. The combination with the white chocolate gives a richness these muffins. The addition of the fresh raspberry on top is optional but it does help to cut through some of the richness and also goes a little way to using up the glut of raspberries from our allotment.

Equipment: Large bowl, 12 cup muffin tin and cases

Ingredients

11oz (300g) Self-raising flour

1tsp (5ml) Baking powder

6oz (170g) Caster sugar

2 Large eggs

7½ fl oz (225ml) Milk

3½oz (100g) Unsalted butter, melted

2 tsp (10ml) Vanilla extract

3½ oz (100g) White chocolate, roughly chopped

12 tsp (60ml) Raspberry jam

Icing sugar for dusting

12 Fresh raspberries

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs and milk,butter and vanilla extract so the ingredients are just combined. Add the chocolate and stir in.

3. In each of the cases fill the cases half-full.

4. Put 1 tsp (5ml) of jam in each one.

5. Cover each of the muffins with the remaining mixture.

6. Bake for 25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

7. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

8. When completely cool dust with icing sugar and place a raspberry on top.