Blueberry muffin cake

There have been changes in the world of Well Worn Whisk. I mean, it’s nothing that will shatter the world, but it’s stuff that’s important to little old me. I have decided to stop doing mum related blogs and vlogs. I am no longer a member of the Channel Mum blogging collective (completely amicable – you will not find a nicer bunch of women on Earth). I have decided to go back to what I do best and basically cook a lot of food, take pictures, then share with you lot! Oh, and I am going to continue to do countryside blogs and vlogs too – just stuff that feel I want to capture about life on our farm: renovations, countryside style, that type of shtick. I dipped my toe into the mummy thing and, as my kids are getting out of the baby stage, I feel like it’s not somewhere I ‘belong’ any more, as lovely a place as it is…

So in this period of reflection and taking stock I have found I am baking – and eating – a lot. It may have to do with the fact that I have given up alcohol and caffeine for a while (doctor’s advice, to see if it helps stabilise my moods! I know, it’s going to be, erm, testing…). Yeah, so as I am currently living a life without the ability to blur or sharpen an edge you won’t be surprised that my cake intake (and crisps and pizza) has taken a marked upturn…

It’s fine. I feel like I need to step back, sleep a lot and enjoy food. It’s been a weird time so I’m letting myself get a little chubby. I can deal with chubby if I’m happy.

So this recipe was something to do when we were snowed in (I exaggerate, but I couldn’t drive to Sheffield to take Bea to her ballet class) yesterday. We were going to make Blueberry Muffins, but I couldn’t find my muffin tin. So I tipped it into a square brownie tin and it was really effective. It gave the cake a sugary crust and the inside was really moist. A lot of the blueberries dropped down, but I don’t mind that.

This is a slightly adapted version of Gwyneth Paltrow’s recipe “Blythe’s Blueberry Muffins’ from Notes from My Kitchen Table. I was going to do a version with gluten free four, coconut oil, maple syrup and all that jazz. But then I was like, I’m not smoking, drinking caffeine or alcohol; I need a hefty sugar hit! FYI – she does include a ‘healthier version’ of this recipe in the book which is worth a go.

Makes: 18 slices
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 35 mins
Ingredients: 45 mins

125g butter, melted
2 eggs
125ml milk
225g self-raising flour
150g granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
200g blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 190C.
2. Whisk eggs, vanilla, milk, melted butter in a jug.
3. Add this mixture to a bowl with flour and sugar and salt in. Mix until just combined.
4. Fold blueberries in.
5. Grease and line (just a square of baking paper in the bottom) the tin. Pour in batter and bake for 35-40 mins.
6. Stick in a skewer to see if it’s cooked. When it comes out clean it’s done. Leave to cool in tin then turn out and slice into ‘bars’.
7. Dust with icing sugar.