Scottish cook Sue Lawrence was already a brilliant baker when she won Masterchef 1991, but it launched her as a food writer.
She went on to write books about Scottish food, won a Glenfiddich Award and was for a time, President of the Guild of Food Writers, which is when I got to know her.
A couple of years ago, she came down from Edinburgh to cook at the York Food Festival. It wasn’t a great day. She was on stage first thing and the backroom staff had forgotten to prep her ingredients. Then to make matters worse, Raymond Blanc who was on next, mistook her for a kitchen assistant and brusquely instructed her to clean the stove.
Only tea and a Betty’s fat rascal could placate her. She wasn’t happy and who could blame her.
That’s all in the past, but the Blueberry Muffins with a Crumble Topping that she made in York from her book Sue Lawrence’s Book of Baking, remain terrific.
Kid yourself the blueberries make them healthy, love the subtle hint of cinnamon but best of all, relish the sugary, crumbly, buttery topping that make them sensational. Cheers Sue.
Ingredients
Makes 15 mini muffins
100g soft butter
100g light muscovado sugar
1 large egg
70g plain flour
70g wholemeal flour
1 heaped tsp baking powder
half teaspoon cinnamon
50 ml milk
150g blueberries
Crumble Topping
70g plain flour
40g demerara sugar
40g softened butter
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5 and put 15 mini-muffin cases in a mini muffin tin.
Cream the butter and sugar together, then beat in the egg. Sift in the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt, then stir in the milk. Now very gently fold in the blueberries taking care that they don’t burst. Fill the muffin cases.
Make the crumble topping. Place the flour in a bowl, stir in the sugar. Rub in the butter until in resembles breakcrumbs. Top each muffin with some of the crumble mixture, pressing down gently.
Bake for 20-25 mins. Until golden brown and risen. Remove to a wire rack and eat, warm or at room temperature.