Lemon curd marble muffins recipe

By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from River Cottage Every Day

Hugh gives teatime some lemon aid, with this quick and easy muffin mix on River Cottage Every Day

Hugh: "These are indulgent and delicious, but also very quick and easy to make. I sometimes replace 100g of the flour with 125g ground almonds, and add a few drops of almond extract to the mix, to create lemony frangipane muffins - these are lovely served warm, with cream, as a pudding. If lemon curd isn't your thing, try one of the variations below - the chocolate muffins are always popular with kids."

Ingredients

225g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
A good pinch of sea salt
100g caster sugar
1 medium egg
125g plain yoghurt
125ml whole milk
75g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
150g lemon curd

METHOD

How to make lemon curd marble muffins

1. Put 12 large paper cases into a muffin tray. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a large bowl and whisk lightly to aerate and combine.

2. Mix the egg, yoghurt, milk and melted butter together in a jug. Pour them into the dry ingredients and mix lightly, stopping as soon as everything is combined - it's essential not to over-mix or you'll get dense, cakey muffins.

3. Spoon a some mixture into each muffin case and top with a generous ½ teaspoonful of lemon curd. Add a final spoonful of muffin mixture to encase the lemon curd and three-quarters fill the cases.

4. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C/gas mark 4 for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Eat on the day you bake them, ideally while still slightly warm.

Variation: jammy muffins

Replace the lemon curd with your favourite jam, first beating it lightly to soften slightly. Thick, fruity jams work best - a strawberry jam containing whole strawberries is perfect.

Variation: chocolate marble muffins

Replace the lemon curd with 150g chocolate hazelnut spread (warm it gently first, so it's easier to marble).

Variation: fruity muffins

Replace the lemon curd with 1 large, or 2 small ripe bananas, thoroughly mashed; or 75g blueberries; or 75g stoned and halved cherries; or 75g raisins or other dried fruit, such as chopped dried apricots. Stir the fruit into the mixture lightly and quickly, just before piling into the cases.