200g plain flour, sifted

100g brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 pear, peeled, cored, cut into cubes, and tossed in lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

25g sultanas

100g just melted margarine, or butter

1 egg, well beaten

1 cup milk

1

Do all this by hand, in a large bowl. It comes together very quickly, works very well, and there is absolutely no need for a whizzer. Mix flour, sugar and baking powder together, making sure the sugar and flour are well mixed. Mix through the chopped pear, lemon zest and sultanas (or anything else you like).

2

Make a well in the flour, and mix in the butter and egg with a fork. There will be plenty of flour still unincorporated.

3

Add the milk, slowly, turning the mix into a homogenous, thick batter. You will need just short of a cup of milk. The mixture should not be pourable, but will need a pair of spoons to drop it into the muffin tray.

4

Grease the moulds or muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes at 200°C. Serve warm, as is, with coffee, or as a dessert.