Black & blue muffins

Drink and dial. Do you remember the days? Or drink and text? I recall deleting some numbers from my phone, save I call them at an inopportune gin related moment.

And in later years drink and eBay became my vice. I once successfully bid on 3 vintage picnic hampers in one evening. All pick up only. Oops.

Now? Well last night, I may have had a couple of glasses of wine as a celebration (more on that at another time) and well, I may have bought the kids a playhouse for the garden. We’re talking a wooden house on stilts complete with ladder and exit slide. Yes, I drank and lived out my own childhood fantasies. I always wanted a wooden wendy house.

I hope they let me in.

Now onto the recipe. These are bursting with berries, ever so slightly tart, vegan cupcakes. They are not overly sweet, in fact I think they could happily handle a tooth-ache inducing frosting of some sort if you were so inclined to whip one up. They would also be good bed-fellows with a few dark and white chocolate chips thrown in. Beware the batter is psychedelic purple pre baking and then calms to a respectable brown crust with delicate purple hued filling.

And if blackberries are a little tart then do think about replacing with a higher proportion of blueberries or even strawberries.

Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets. (Pssst! Did you know I have a new book coming out in September? Keep tuned for more info!)

One year ago: Salmon and asparagus quiche, Rosemary chicken Dijon stew, Lemon, blueberry and white chocolate cupcakes, Apple, ginger and maple syrup cake and my Grandma’s Cornish ginger fairings from my book.

Two years ago: Oaty peanut butter cookies, Stuffed picnic loaf and Melting meringue kisses

Three years ago: Halloumi, bean and asparagus salad, Lemon & coriander turkey burgers and Birthday cake for a princess of prince

Four years ago: Honeyed apples in sweet almond pastry, Lemon cupcakes and Rye bread

Five years ago: Salmon and sweet potato fishcakes, Victoria sponge cake and Carrot fritters

Blackberry & blueberry muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 170g blackberries
• 170g blueberries
• 80mls vegetable oil
• 190g plain flour
• 140g caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 6 and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Use a food processor with the blade attachment fitted (or a handheld blender) to blitz the blackberries, blueberries and oil to a smooth consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse lightly a few times until just combined. (You can also stir the dry ingredients in with a metal spoon).

Divide equally between the 12 cases and bake for 25 minutes until the muffins are brown on the top and a toothpick comes out of the middle of the central cupcakes clean. Cool out of the tin, on a wire rack. These keep in an airtight tin for 2 days or can be frozen in freezer bags. Defrost at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating.

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