Plum Muffins

Having grown up in a country where Halloween and Thanksgiving were not celebrated, apples, plums and quinces were the real heroes of Autumn. We did have pumpkins around, which my grandmother would roast in the oven for us to enjoy just on their own, but otherwise, they weren't as popular as they are nowadays.

And when you have lots of plums, you make the most of them. The things you can make with plums are endless, from our famous plum brandy, to jams, prunes, all sorts of desserts or our popular prune pilaf. And these are just a few that come to my mind when I think of my childhood on the farm.

Well ripe, plums are amazingly sweet and juicy, perfect for a homemade bake that has a fantastic flavour and texture.

These muffins are an excellent snack on the go, and they can be enjoyed by everyone, from little to big ones. Not to mention that you can have them on the table, from scratch, in less than 30 minutes.

And cinnamon is what gives these muffins the wow factor. My Cinnamon Muffins are an absolute treat, so worth using it in loads of desserts.

Ingredients needed

• self-raising flour - the muffins rise better with self-raising flour than with plain flour
• baking powder - still use it even if you use self-raising flour, as it helps with the fluffy texture
• eggs - at room temperature
• granulated sugar - caster sugar is also ok
• plums - pitted and chopped, use plums that are ripe and sweet
• cinnamon - it pairs very well with the plums
• brown sugar - makes a great combo with the cinnamon
• Greek yogurt - it helps keep the muffins moist and fluffy
• vegetable oil - makes the muffins light, rather than dense
• vanilla extract - it can be omitted, but it adds a nice flavour

Easy swaps

As mentioned, any variety of plums can be used, the darker plums will turn a dark reddish colour in the oven, but the texture of the muffins will not change.

I used yogurt for this recipe, which resulted in perfectly moist muffins, where I usually add milk. I find that the yogurt helps with the overall texture and taste, so a swap worth considering. But, of course, milk can be used too, and in the same amount as yogurt.

My preferred yogurt, for baking or just consuming on its own, is the Greek yogurt. It's creamy, it's silky, amazingly luscious, just the way I like it. Regular yogurt, however, can be used too.

If you don't have paper muffin cases, but butter and flour the muffin tray holes very well, and they should pop out easily when they are out of the oven, or perhaps, just run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen them, but that shouldn't be an issue.

Sep-by-step photos and instructions on how to make plum muffins

For these muffins I used cherry plums, which are a little bigger than a cherry, but with a delicious plum texture and aroma. But any other plum variety can be used for this recipe without any problem whatsoever.

• in a bowl, sift the flour, add the baking powder and sugar, and give it a good stir to combine
• separately, beat the eggs well, add the yogurt and oil together with the vanilla extract
• mix well to get a smooth texture
• chop up the plums, and mix them with the brown sugar and cinnamon( see photo 3)

• combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, add the plums, and mix
• divide the batter between each muffin hole lined up with muffin paper, and bake in the preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes until golden and well risen
• leave to cool before serving

Expert tips

Do not overmix the batter, as the muffins won't rise much and will have a dense texture. Use a spatula to bring all the ingredients together gently, do not use a mixer for the batter.

Other plum desserts

Plum Pie

Plum Cake

Plum Dumplings

Apple and Plum Crumble