Damson Muffins with Almond and Cinnamon Topping

Damsons are utterly exquisite. Their concentrated dark plum flavour is very special and unique. Because they are sharp and sour they can take on the amount of sugar needed for preserving and still hold their own in a thick, dark luscious jam.

Sadly they are not easy to find – the real thing, that is: small, oval, almost almond-like in shape with a dark midnight bluish-purple colour with a soft white bloom.

What we often get are the larger, rounder damson plums, but luckily a lady who lives in Norfolk (appropriately named Nina Plumbe) grows several varieties of plums and damsons including the really traditional English ones described above.

So this week we are serving Damson Muffins in Yellows with coffee, and in the Gunn Club on match day, which is why I have chosen to share the recipe with you. I'm also passionate about Damson Chutney and Damson Ketchup, so if you want to have something very special tucked away for Christmas cold cuts, the recipes are in the Complete Cookery Course.

These are American-style muffins, so I need to give you a bit of a warning – try very hard not to over-mix. The mixture just needs quick, gentle folding. So do your best to ignore how uneven and lumpy the mixture might look, because over-mixing makes heavier muffins.

Damson Muffins with Almond and

Cinnamon Topping

150g plain flour

1 dessertspoon baking powder

� teaspoon salt

1 medium egg

40g caster sugar

110ml milk

50g butter, melted

� teaspoon ground cinnamon

110g stoned damsons (see recipe)

25g flaked almonds

For the topping

� teaspoon ground cinnamon

25g flaked almonds

25g demerara sugar

You will need a muffin tin and 6 large muffin cases.

Pre-heat the oven to 200�C, gas mark 6.

Begin by removing the stones from the damsons. To do this, cut each one all round with a small sharp knife, then twist to divide it in half and use the tip of the knife to ease out the stone.

It's a good idea to have all the ingredients weighed out and ready before you start – the damsons should be in halves and the demerara sugar mixed with � teaspoon of cinnamon. Now sift the flour, baking powder, salt and � teaspoon of cinnamon into a large bowl, and in another bowl combine the egg, caster sugar, milk and melted butter.

Return the dry ingredients to the sieve and sift them straight into the egg mixture, then take a large spoon and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones – do this as quickly as you can and don't be tempted to beat or stir the mixture (do not be alarmed if it looks somewhat uneven – this is what will ensure the muffins stay light).

Next fold the damson halves and 25g of flaked almonds into the mixture, again with a minimum of stirring, then divide the muffin mixture equally between the six muffin cups in the muffin tin.

Scatter the remaining flaked almonds equally over the muffins and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over them. Bake on a high shelf for 30 minutes or until they're well-risen and brown.

Take them out of the oven, remove the muffins still in their cases to a cooling tray, and eat them as fresh as possible.

Note: if you can't get damsons, small dark plums, stoned and cut into smallish chunks will work just as well. � deliaonline.com

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