How to Make Muffins

Making muffins is really easy and you'll soon find the process becomes second nature. However, to get the very best results every time, it is worth paying attention to a few basic principles. Below I've given step-by-step instructions to making a simple muffin recipe - blueberry, in this case. Run through the steps carefully the first few times you bake until you are really familiar with the process.

  1. Preheat the oven. This is very important, otherwise the muffins won't be properly cooked in the time stated in the recipe.
  2. Prepare the muffin tin. Line with paper liners or grease and flour the muffin tin sections. Prepare the exact number of muffin sections stated in each recipe.
  3. Start to make the batter: place a large bowl with a sieve (strainer) on top of your scales. Set the scales to zero.
  4. Weigh all the flour, salt and sugar into the sieve.
  5. Measure the raising agent. To do this accurately, fill the bowl of the measuring spoon.
  6. Level off the excess with a knife, then add the measured quantity to the bowl. Alternatively, you can weigh the correct amount of raising agent directly into the sieve over the bowl on the scale.
  7. Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl.
  8. Give the sifted dry ingredients a quick stir to be sure they are evenly mixed together.
  9. Grate the lemon zest into the bowl.
  10. Stir all the ingredients once again.
  11. Beat together the eggs and buttermilk with a fork.
  12. Pour the egg mixture on to the dry ingredients.
  13. Add the melted butter.
  14. Begin to fold the wet ingredients into the dry.
  15. Scoop around the outside of the bowl with the large metal spoon, right down to the bottom of the bowl, and then bring the mixture up on top.
  16. Make a couple of cutting motions across the middle of the batter, down to the bottom of the bowl.
  17. This folding and cutting helps to blend the ingredients without over-mixing.
  18. Stop when the flour is just moistened; the batter will be lumpy and you will still see a few floury bits.
  19. Add the filling to the batter.
  20. Fold the filling into the batter.
  21. Use exactly the same folding and cutting method you used to mix the batter together.
  22. Fold in the filling with as few folds and cuts as are necessary to distribute it evenly.
  23. Spoon the batter into the prepared sections of the muffin tin. Normally, the recipes will make a sufficient quantity to fill each muffin section three-quarters full with batter.
  24. If the recipe has a topping, add it now, sprinkling it evenly over the tops.
  25. Bake for the specified time. The muffins are done when they are well risen and golden and spring back when gently pressed with a finger. Remove the muffins from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.


How to prepare fresh oranges

  1. Cut a slice off the top and bottom of each orange. Place the cut bottom of the orange down on the chopping board.
  2. Starting at the top of the orange and carefully following the curve of the fruit, cut away a portion of the skin, taking off all the white pith.
  3. Continue to do this all the way around the orange.
  4. Pick it up and carefully, with your knife, cut each side of the membranes down to the centre of the orange.
  5. Work your way round the orange, removing the segments from the membranes.
  6. Chop the segments into pieces.