Most of the ingredients you need to make my muffins can be found at your local supermarket. There are just a few items you may need to go to your local health food shop to buy: for example, raw red-skinned peanuts, big bags of cashew nuts, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, molasses and jumbo oats. You may also find that they are more readily available in bulk. Having bought your ingredients, it's important that you use them in the right way.
Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): Always use a measuring spoon and scrape the excess off the top of the spoon with a knife to get an accurate level spoonful, or weigh carefully where possible. You must measure accurately or you will get strange results and a poor taste.
Black pepper: I always use this freshly ground from the pepper mill and it should be measured once it is ground. So, if a recipe calls for a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, grind a teaspoonful of black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, then use the teaspoon again to measure out the correct quantity for the recipe - quite often there is more than you need. Or you can just grind the black pepper out of the pepper mill into a small bowl and then measure it; it takes a while and your arm will ache, but it works!
Butter: I always use real butter, which gives a far better flavour than margarine. Use unsalted (sweet) only if it is stated in the recipe.
Chocolate: You will need milk (sweet), white and plain (semi-sweet) chocolate. I have found that supermarket own-brands from the baking section give perfectly good results so there is no need to buy expensive brands. Do check the percentage of cocoa solids in the plain chocolate as this affects the texture and flavour. For my recipes you will need two types - 50 per cent and 70 per cent - and I have specified which type is required in every case. You'll also use packets of plain, milk and white chocolate chips.
Coconut: I use the sweetened desiccated (shredded) variety. When it is called for as a topping, don't toast it first. If you do, it will continue to toast in the oven and come out burnt. I also use canned coconut milk - full-fat, not the low-fat variety.
Dairy products: I use semi-skimmed milk, double (heavy) cream, full-fat crème fraîche, yoghurt (either plain or Greek but not the low-fat variety of either) and buttermilk.
Dried fruit: I use the pre-soaked, ready-to-eat variety.
Fresh fruit and vegetables: Check the instructions carefully for preparing and weighing fruit and vegetables. Remember to do any chopping, dicing, peeling, etc. before you start mixing the batter.
Eggs: Always use medium size. I've based the recipes on eggs weighing 50 g/1¾ oz without their shells. For muffin recipes, you can use eggs straight from the refrigerator.
Flour: I have used both branded and store-brand plain (all-purpose) white flour and wholemeal bread flour. Cornmeal (also known as maize meal or polenta) and buckwheat flour may need to be bought at your health food shop.
Herbs: I use both fresh and dried herbs in the recipes. Check the instructions for weighing and preparation carefully.
Nuts: I buy nuts from the baking section at the supermarket or in health food shops. The nuts are shelled, either whole or in pieces (often blanched to remove skins) but still in their natural, raw state, with no salt or sugary coating. This means that you can use them whole, chopped or ground as suits the recipe. I do buy ready-ground almonds. If a recipe calls for toasted nuts, it is simple to do this yourself. Place the raw nuts on a baking (cookie) sheet and cook in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4/fan oven 160ºC for 6-7 minutes until golden brown. Some savoury recipes are brilliant served with a handful of seaweed peanuts, which I also buy in health food shops.
Oils: Generally I use vegetable or sunflower oil - any variety that doesn't have a strong flavour. Use extra-virgin olive oil only when stated in the recipe.
Salt: I prefer to use finely ground sea salt.
Spices: I use mainly ready-ground spices, like cinnamon or paprika, but also some whole spices, such as aniseed and nutmeg, which will need to be ground or grated as stated in the recipe.
Sugar: Most of my muffin recipes use muscovado sugars. You will find both light and dark varieties widely available in supermarkets. I also use caster and granulated sugar, preferably golden varieties, and molasses sugar, a natural, unrefined cane sugar with a lovely deep flavour. I use white icing (confectioners') sugar, but you can use golden if you prefer.
Syrups: You will need golden (light corn) syrup, maple syrup, molasses (you could substitute black treacle) and clear honey.
Vanilla essence (extract): I pay the money and buy the best I can find. I also use fresh vanilla pods and, after I've split them and used the seeds, I put the empty pod in an airtight container with golden caster sugar, to make vanilla sugar. Just keep topping up both pods and sugar and you will have a continuous supply.