Carrot and pineapple muffins

Makes 12 large muffins

The best carrot cakes if ever made and tasted have an undercurrent of pineapple in there. This adaptation of the cake is a great way to get more fruit and fibre into your children’s diet, particularly if you add wholemeal flour into the muffin mix as I have here. Most kids tend to love sultanas and walnuts, but you can omit the latter if your child has a nut allergy. These also make a fantastic teatime treat, glazed with a mascarpone or cream-cheese frosting that has been sweetened with a few tablespoons of icing sugar

150g carrots

100g plain flour

100g wholemeal flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

100ml vegetable oil

50g salted butter, melted

150g light muscovado sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

225g can of pineapple in natural juice, drained and finely chopped

50g golden sultanas (optional)

50g walnut pieces (optional)

2 tblsp demerara sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with papercases.

Peel and coarsely grate the carrots, then pat dry with kitchen paper.
Mix together the plain and wholemeal flours, the baking powder and the ground spices in a bowl. In another large bowl, beat together the oil, melted butter, sugar and eggs.

Add the grated carrots to the wet mixture, then stir in the pineapple,sultanas and walnuts. Gradually fold in the flour mixture until justcombined. To keep the muffins light and fluffy, do not overwork the batter.

Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tray and sprinkle with demerara sugar, if using. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into themiddle of the muffins comes out clean. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.