Sometimes everyday baking beats indulgence.

Sometimes it’s the the little bakes that take you by surprise. Those moments when you weren’t expecting to be in the kitchen and the item that someone has asked you to bake doesn’t initially fill you with much excitement. That’s what happened to me last week when my partner asked me to make some carrot and winter spiced breakfast muffins. I never say no to a chance of baking but have to say that this wasn’t a recipe that that I would have put on the ‘to bake’ list. 

Left to my own devices I know that I’m prone to always looking for the slightly indulgent bakes when I’m hunting through recipes. Those bakes that have a hint of special occasion about them.  These muffins were a welcome reminder that everyday baking can be just as rewarding and in it’s own way produce just as delicious results. The mix of the spices with the flavours of carrot, sultanas and orange is delicious. They’re filling without being remotely stodgy and work just as well with a cup of coffee in the evening as they do in lunch boxes or at breakfast.

Don’t be put off by the lengthy list of ingredients as the method is very straight forward. As with most muffin recipes virtually all ingredients could be swapped with alternatives that you might have in your pantry. The recipe makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 75g sultanas
• 100g white spelt flour
• 100g wholegrain spelt flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50g porridge oats
• 150g light soft brown sugar
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 1tsp ground ginger
• A grating of nutmeg
• 90ml vegetable oil
• 50g plain yoghurt
• 2 eggs
• 200g carrots, peeled and grated
• Grated zest of an orange

Method

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 6
• Line a muffin tin with muffin cases
• Soak the sultanas in boiling water for 5 minutes to plump them up. Drain and leave on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Add the flours, baking powder, bicarb and oats to a large bowl. Fold in the sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
• In another bowl whisk the oil and yoghurt together. Add the eggs and whisk again. 
• Fold the wet mixture into the flour mix. Then fold in the carrot, orange zest and sultanas.
• Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases. 
• Sprinkle a few more oats on top and bake for 20 minutes.