Summer berry breakfast muffins

Summer berry breakfast muffins. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography
Summer berry breakfast muffins. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography
Serves: 6
Course: Dessert
Cooking Time: 0 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

  • For the muffins:
  • 90g self-raising flour
  • 35g ground almonds
  • 50g caster sugar
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 1 banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg
  • 45ml milk
  • 125g mixed berries
  • For the topping:
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 25g oats
  • 25g flaked almonds
  • 50g mixed berries

For the muffins:
1
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees or 160 degrees if using a fan oven. Grease and line a six-hole cupcake or muffin tin with muffin cases. If using parchment paper, cut squares of parchment paper a few centimetres larger than the diameter of your muffin holes, crinkle and crumple the paper in your hands, then push the paper into the muffin tin.

2 In a large bowl, sift in the flour, then add the ground almonds, caster sugar, orange zest and salt. Mix well and set aside.

3 In a microwave proof bowl or small saucepan, melt the butter until just melted, and set aside to cool slightly while preparing the remaining wet ingredients.

4 In another bowl or large jug, mash the banana with a fork until soft, then add the vanilla extract, egg, milk and cooled melted butter. Whisk together until well combined.

5 Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk until smooth. Take care not to overmix the batter.

6 Finally, fold in the mixed berries, and divide the batter between the six muffin cases. Set aside while preparing the topping.

For the topping:
1
Mix the light brown sugar, oats and flaked almonds together in a small bowl.

2 Divide the 50g of mixed berries between the muffins, and sprinkle the topping on top of each muffin.

3 Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the muffins are lightly golden and the topping looks delicious and crunchy. Insert a skewer or knife into the centre of one of the muffins and if it comes out clean, it is cooked.

4 Remove the muffin tin from the oven and leave to cool for five minutes in the tin, before turning out onto a wire rack and allowing to cool completely.

5 The baked muffins will keep in an airtight container for two days, and can be frozen for up to a month.

Aoife Noonan

Aoife Noonan

Aoife Noonan is a pastry chef and culinary consultant. She writes a weekly baking column for the Irish Times Magazine