Lemon Meringue Muffins

Since posting this picture online, I've been asked for the recipe a few times so here it is.

First, the picture. That's Lucy, my sous chef. She's a cutie.

You'll need:
12 muffins made with my ultimate muffin recipe
4 large egg whites
230gr caster sugar
Lemon curd (if you have homemade, great- I usually use a jar)

Once the muffins are out of the oven, place on a wire rack to cool.

To make the meringue, you have to ensure that the bowl of the food mixer and the balloon whisk attachment you're using are spotlessly clean. If there's even the tiniest bit of grease, the meringue won't work. I usually scald with hot water before using and dry with a fresh towel.

Place the egg whites (ensure no yolk got in) into your mixer and mix on high until they're white, fluffy, and holding a stiff peak. Very slowly start adding the sugar, one tablespoon at a time and allow to mix for a few minutes before adding the next spoonful. It should take 25-30 minutes to incorporate all of the sugar.
You'll know the meringue is ready when the mix is glossy, stiff and will remain in the bowl even if you turn it upside down.

To ensure the sugar is fully incorporated, take a fab of the mixture between your fingers and rub, you shouldn't be able to feel even the slightest amount of grittiness from the sugar.

Fill a piping bag with the meringue mixture. The nozzle you use is entirely up to your own preference but I prefer to not use a nozzle which allows me to pipe large swirls.

Once the muffins have cooled completely, cut a hole in the centre ensuring you don't cut through the bottom of the muffin case. You can buy cupcake plungers online for such an occasion but I just use a pairing knife.
Fill the hole with lemon curd (approx. 1 teaspoons).
Pipe your meringue on top.

At this stage, I use my trusty kitchen blowtorch to brown the meringue lightly but, if you don't have one, the meringues can be placed under a hot grill for a few seconds. Do not take your eyes off of them- the last thing you want is a flaming tower of meringue, or scorched paper cases.

Much Ado About Muffins

I have a secret. If you ask any of my friends or colleagues to guess how many recipes for muffins I have, they'd probably guess dozens. 

They'd be wrong. 
I have one. One amazingly foolproof and fast muffin recipe. 

There's no creaming of ingredients, no secret technique, no melting of butter, you don't even have to sift the flour (though I'd recommend you do- muffins like a light touch). Just a simple combination of ingredients that make a tasty, light muffin. The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is to adapt to create limitless taste combinations. 

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 4 or 160 degrees in a fan oven). 

Combine your ingredients. Everything can go into the bowl of your electric mixer and blitzed in one go. 

• 4oz butter (should be at room temperature) 
• 6oz caster sugar
• 6oz self-raising flour, sifted
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (not essence)
• A sup* of milk. This can be added after the first 5 ingredients are mixed once you have an idea of the texture. The batter should be glossy, pale yellow and plops off a spoon when tapped once against the side of a bowl

*For those unfamiliar with Irish Mammy Measurements, a sup = 2-4 tablespoons

Now the fun starts. You can pretty much add anything to the muffin batter at this stage. Some of my usuals are:

• 200 gr raspberries, roughly chopped with 100gr white chocolate chopped into chunks
• 200 gr chopped strawberries with 100gr dark chocolate chunks
• Rind of one large, unwaxed, lemon and 50gr sultanas
• Rind of one orange and 75gr dark chocolate chunks
• 2 green apples, very finely diced and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 2 finely diced pears with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

Once you'd added your flavours, spoon the mixture into a muffin tray lined with medium-sized muffin cases, filling each 2/3rds of the way up. You should yield approximately 12 muffins from this mix. 

Place in oven and check after 22 minutes. A pairing knife stabbed into the centre of a muffin should come out clean once they're done. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

Like the fillings, toppings can be adjusted to best match each case. For a simple raspberry and white chocolate muffin, I like to leave them untopped. Because of the high sugar content, these muffins have a crunchy top once they start to cool. 

A simple royal icing (icing sugar made up as per pack directions) works very well with the lemon or apple versions. 

Simple raspberry and white chocolate muffins