Passionfruit muffins, given an extra zing with raspberries

Whenever passionfruit are plentiful and cheap, don’t miss any opportunity to try them any way you can or like, or think you like or think you can. Their flavour is so powerful they can even make a pavlova work, and that is saying something.

I was going through this stage of trying passionfruit with all my favourites, and it was natural to try them in muffins. In the end I felt like a passionfruit and looked like a hippopotamus. My boy had three for breakfast and then ‘blued’ when his sister nicked the fourth. They have that effect on you.

200g plain flour

100g white sugar — You can use brown, but you will get brown muffins.

2 teaspoons baking powder

3–4 passionfruit, including seeds and every last touch of juice and flesh

20 raspberries — Of course you don’t need raspberries in this dish, but to deny them is to be happy with the same nine-to-five job all your life.

zest of 1 lemon

1 egg, beaten

100g melted butter, or margarine

1 cup milk

1

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, passionfruit, raspberries and lemon zest gently with a fork until they are well mixed. Make sure you do not overwork the mixture at any stage. If you can keep all the flesh adhering to the pips of the passionfruit, and the raspberries pretty much intact, you’ll enjoy the end result even more.

2

Whisk the egg lightly and add it to the mixture, working it through gently. Add the butter, again working it through gently. You should have something of a batter, although it will still be quite firm.

3

Now the milk. The amount of milk you need depends a little on the moisture in the air, but if you add a cup you’ll never go wrong. Add it by halves, and you’ll feel the mix lighten and easily leave the end of a spoon. It’s ready to go.

4

Ease, rather than pour, into well-oiled muffin tins. For added security, I use roughly cut out grease-proof paper at the bottom of the moulds. Bake in a 200°C oven for about 30 minutes, until the muffins are well risen, the air is filled with lovely baking aromas, and the kids are lining up at the oven door.