Leaves of russet fall,
Rustle and crackle underfoot.
Frost shimmers on cars,
Yes, it's autumn once more!
Excuse my feeble attempts at poetry, I don't know what came over me. The fact remains, however, that it is autumn. The days are short, the air is crisp and it's definitely time to be in the kitchen baking.
In an attempt to keep fat levels down and moisture levels up, I've replaced half of the vegetable oil of a normal muffin recipe with prune puree. All you need to do is simmer 50g of prunes in a little water until soft, drain (reserving liquor) and puree. You should end up with a soft, sticky puree of a slightly thicker consistency than treacle. Thin if necessary with the reserved liquor.
Don't worry if you're not a prune lover. I promise that you can't taste the prunes! They just give the muffins some extra help in the dark and sticky department. And boy, do they end up dark and sticky! Even a couple of days later the muffins are still moist all the way through, deliciously sticky on top and the flavour just keeps improving. Frankly, I'm amazed.
I reckon that these muffins would be even more special with a little drizzle of lemon glace icing on top. And of course, you could serve them warm as dessert with some apple of pear compote and a scoop of gently melting vanilla ice-cream....
Gingerbread Muffins
Makes 12
WW UK points: 2.5 per muffin
210g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
50g prune puree (see notes above)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp treacle
100g dark brown sugar
125ml boiling water (1/2 cup)
Preheat oven to 180C or equivalent. Line a muffin tin with papers or butter/flour each hole.
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well.
Beat together egg, sugar, treacle, prune puree and oil together in a bowl.
Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. It will look as though the flour will never combine--persevere! Add the boiling water and beat until well combined.
Fill the muffin papers (cups) and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool in tin on a wire rack.
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