The muffins in Eating Well for Menopause are a favourite recipe. I love muffins as they are so easy to make. I think the recipe in the book was inspired by one of my most popular recipe posts on the blog which came from Alison Holst’s Marvellous Muffins, a book I bought in New Zealand where muffins, both sweet and savoury, were really popular when I travelled there in the 1990s.

The cafe culture was big then and muffins were often on offer, both sweet and savoury – I couldn’t leave without a muffin recipe book. So many independent cafes that had real character especially in Wellington, even the cafe in the library was fab.  I wonder if Cuba Cuba us still thriving?

As it is a antipodean recipe, you need measuring cups (recipes with cups are fantastic for cooking with younger kids).

Sift 1 cup of self raising flour into a large bowl.  Mix in 1 cup of fine rolled oats, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, 2tsp  each of cinnamon and mixed spice, 1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional), and 1/2 tsp of baking soda.

In another bowl melt 75g butter (reduced fat spread will work – one with 60g/100g fat content) until just liquid in the microwave. Add 1 egg and 3/4 cup of milk and beat with a fork to mix.

Peel and grate an apple.  You need a cup of grated apple, make sure you press the grated apple into the cup to get the right amount.  Add this to your bowl of liquids.

Add the liquids to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix  lightly until the dry ingredients are just wet – don’t over mix.  You may need a little more milk depending on how juicy the apple is but no more than 1/4 of a cup.

Put the mix into muffin cases or a greased muffin tin.  Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 12-15 minutes – if you are making large muffins you may need a little longer.  They will spring back when pressed once they are ready and be nicely golden.  Of course they are at their best warm from the oven, pop them in the microwave for a few seconds to rewarm them later on but they are nice cold too.

Enjoy the smell as they bake in the oven!