These muffins are filled with fruit, nuts and whole wheat flour so they really are good for you. I’ve been on a bit of a blackberry and apple kick recently, but it is hard not to be when you live in a somewhere that blackberries are literally falling off the hedgerows. Folks pick them by the side of the road and along the paths, although I’ve been buying mine at the farmer’s market. British apples are really scrumptious and the new season’s harvest is just beginning to appear at the market and in farm shops. I’ve been using them in both sweet and savoury cooking. It’s a great time of year to be in the kitchen!

This recipe makes about 12 large muffins.

1 cup all purpose flour, unbleached is best

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup walnut or pecan halves, roughly chopped

¾ cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon mixed spice (a blend of cloves, cinnamon, coriander, ginger and nutmeg) or you can use pumpkin pie spice if it is not available

2 eggs

⅓ cup sunflower oil or other mild light oil

1 cup buttermilk (ordinary milk works too)

1 large apple, peeled and grated at the last minute

1 cup blackberries

Blend together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Gently stir in the grated apple, blackberries and chopped nuts.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl.  Beat in the buttermilk and oil.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir together gently but thoroughly. Try to avoid breaking up too many of the blackberries.

Bake at about 350℉ (170℃ or 160℃ if you have a fan assisted oven) for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. (It may be streaked with blackberry which is fine; what you don’t want is any batter sticking to it.)

Cool on a wire rack. Once cool, these muffins are best kept in the fridge and brought to room temperature or gently warmed before eating.

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