Jo Wheatley's lemon and white chocolate muffins

Serves: 12

Muffins are great to make with children. All you need to do is measure the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and the wet into a jug and then give them a little stir together.

Ingredients

• 250g self-raising flour
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 150g caster sugar
• 75g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 large (or 2 small) lemons - you need about 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 250ml milk
• 150g white chocolate, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, fan 160°C, gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and caster sugar in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
3. In a jug, whisk together the melted butter, egg, lemon juice and zest and add the milk.
4. Pour the wet ingredients and chopped chocolate into the well in the dry ingredients, and fold together using a large metal spoon until just combined. It's important not to overwork the batter.
5. Divide the batter between the muffin cases and sprinkle the top of each with the demerara sugar.
6. Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until well risen, golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
7. Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving warm or at room temperature.

Tip

It's important not to overmix the batter, a few lumps are OK. An overworked batter will produce a heavy muffin.