Toffee Apple Muffins

When I took on my allotment last year it already had two lovely little apples trees in blossom on it, I think that's what swayed me to choose it over the others I was offered. In hindsight the ones that already had raised flower beds and no weeds may have been a wiser choice... I have definitely been on the loosing end of my battle with the weeds this year. To add to that I have hardly been in the past few months and am suffering from a severe case of allotment guilt... But I have grown more than ever this year and have produced a small crop of lovely juicy cooking apples. It just looks a state...

So to welcome Halloween I thought I'd show you these muffins. I'm much more one for a celebration through food than a fancy dress outfit... This makes about 6 to 8 muffins...

Pre heat your oven to 190°C before you begin with the muffin mix, and line your muffin tin with paper cases or squares of greaseproof paper tucked into each. Then peel and dice a large cooking apple into small cubes.

In a large bowl mix together a beaten egg, 50g caster sugar, 120ml of milk and 50g of melted butter, when everything is mixed together add in 150g of plain flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix everything together, but be careful not to over mix it, muffins don't like too much fuss...

Finally stir in the apple, a handful of chopped toffee and a handful of chopped fudge pieces. Now simply fill your muffin cases about three quarters full and place them in the oven. They will need to bake for about 30 minutes, keep an eye on them towards the end. They are ready when they are a lovely golden colour, you can check the centre with a knife or a skewer, if it comes out clean they are cooked through, if it has cake mix still attached they will need a little longer.

They are delicious warm, full of sweet cooked apple and melted toffee, but they are also just as good cold when all the flavours have mingled together, with a dollop of crème fraiche or cream.