Makes 12 large muffins

For the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 our street, like so many residential streets in the UK,  had a party. I don’t remember an awful lot about it (I was 6 at the time) but I do recall dressing up as the Queen of Hearts complete with a plate of jam tarts. I guess I had a love of baking even back then. Like the knave in the original nursery rhyme I’m sure my little brother would have snaffled the tarts at some point during the day.

My son’s teacher asked me to do some baking with the Reception children to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Knowing how much children like to bake anything sweet I whipped up this recipe for these patriotic muffins with raspberries, blueberries and white chocolate. The children decorated their muffins with lemon icing, red, white and blue sprinkles and jelly diamonds but I think they are delicious just as they are.

Ingredients

• 100g fresh raspberries, washed
• 100g fresh blueberries, washed
• 100g white chocolate chips, chunks or bar
• 100g unsalted butter
• 300g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 80g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 220ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

You will need a 12 hole muffin tin lined with paper muffin cases.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cut the raspberries and any large blueberries in half. Chop the chocolate into smallish chunks (if using a bar). Set aside until needed.
3. Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan.
4. Weigh the flour into a small bowl then add the baking powder and salt.
5. Put the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter into a large mixing bowl.
6. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
7. Add the fruit and chocolate then mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients are reasonably well mixed. Don’t beat the mixture as you will crush the fruit. It doesn’t matter if the mixture looks a little lumpy or unevenly mixed. Muffins benefit from a slap-dash approach!
8. Fill the cases more or less to the top then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.

The Queen of Hearts, Silver Jubilee 1977