Apple Crumble and Custard Muffins

My friend Emma sent me a challenge for an apple and custard muffin, as a custard lover this grabbed my interest immediately. I gave it some thought, I’ve made apple muffins in the past so I just needed to give them a heart of custard, I didn’t stop there though. How’s about a crunchy, crumble topping? This crust takes them from ordinary to something a bit special. I made a few batches to get them just how I wanted them. What I did discover was that these need eating the same day for best crunch from the topping, next day that crumble has softened a bit. Not that I need an excuse to polish off a plate of muffins though!

The custard can be added to the muffins in two ways. For the photos for this post I simply made little wells into the top of each uncooked muffin, filled it with custard then covered it with a generous pile of crumble mix. When they cooked the custard bubbled up and oozed out of the crumble top, which made them nice and photogenic. This did however mean that there wasn’t much custard left in the muffin. The solution to this is to cover the custard with muffin batter, then with a layer of crumble, this should keep the custard inside the muffin for ultimate custardyness.

It’s taken me ages to get this post out, I made them last week while we were still up north. We’ve since taken the train down to London where we’ve been busy catching up with friends, visiting exhibitions and seeing the sights. The time has just flown by, we’re back on the train tomorrow, heading for Switzerland. I’ve not had time to bake anything here in London!

While we were still up in the North, we spent an afternoon photographing Red Squirrels. These cute little animals have become rather rare in the UK, they have been displaced by the movement of the bigger Grey Squirrels, which were introduced from America in the 19th Century. I personally have nothing against the Greys but the Reds are just darling.They were such fun and very cheeky! I took these muffins along for a sweet treat to have with our much-needed flask of hot coffee.

This little chap couldn’t resist a peek into the lens!

Apple Crumble and Custard Muffins

oven 180 C / gas 4

12 hole muffin pan lined with 10 paper muffin cases, makes 10

Crumble Topping

• 75 g golden caster sugar
• 40 g plain flour
• 25 g unsalted butter

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and rub them together with your fingertips into a crumbly, sandy mixture. Set aside for now.

Apple Muffins

• 1-2 apples, chopped into 5mm cubes
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 free range eggs
• 85 g light muscovado sugar, or light brown sugar
• 90 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• scant 1/8 tsp salt
• 150 g pot of custard, any ready-made custard will do. I like to add a splash of vanilla extract to it to give it a stronger vanilla flavour.

Coat the chopped apple in the ground cinnamon, this will prevent it going brown, set to one side for now.

In a large bowl beat the melted butter, eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl then sift over the liquid. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and gently mix. While there are still some lumps of flour, add the cinnamon coated chopped apple. Stir until the mixture just about comes together but don’t over mix, it needs to be lumpy rather than smooth.

If you want the custard to remain inside the muffin half fill 10 muffin cases with the mixture. Make a little well in each and fill with a generous teaspoon of custard. Cover with the remaining mix to about 3/4 s full.

If you would rather have the custard gloriously oozing through the crumple {but without much inside the muffin} fill the 10 cases to about 3/4 s full, make a well then fill with a generous teaspoon of custard.

Whichever method you choose, you can now cover the muffins with a heap of crumble, as much as you like. I’m quite generous.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and the crumble is crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Eat as soon as humanly possible!