To make great muffins, I recommend the use of soured cream instead of yogurt (the calories are worth it) and bake them in a high oven for 5 minutes to get an initial lift before lowering the temperature. These are their best eaten on the day of making.
Prepare: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Makes 12
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
100g unsalted butter softened
140g caster sugar
2 large eggs
140g soured cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
140g blueberries
For the topping
100g brown sugar
50g almonds, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Heat the oven to 220°C, gas 7 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with squares of baking parchment or paper cases. Stir together the flour, baking powder and bicarb and 1/2 tsp fine salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the sugar, almonds and cinnamon for the topping.
2 Beat the butter and caster sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one then the soured cream, vanilla extract and milk.
3 Stir in the flour mixture and then the blueberries. Divide between the cases and scatter over the topping.
4 Bake for 5 mins, then reduce the oven to 180C, gas 4 and bake for 15-18 mins more until risen and golden. Cool for a few minutes in the tin then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.