Magdalenas

Ingredients

• 8¾ ozwheat flourplain or pastry flour
• 4¼ ozsugarfor the batter
• ⅔ cupsunflower oil
• 2eggs
• 3 tspbaking powder
• 2 tbspsugarfor sprinkling before baking, white or brown
• lemonzest grated (optional)
• ⅓ cupcreamliquid, stirred in with the oil (optional)

Method

1. Prepare oven and paper casesPreheat the oven to 390 °F (conventional, top and bottom heat) and set paper cases in the cups of a muffin tin.
2. Whisk eggs and sugarBeat the eggs with the sugar for the batter until the mixture is pale and airy. If you like, grate in the zest of an organic lemon at this point.
3. Stir in the oilGradually stir in the sunflower oil. If you're using liquid whipping cream, add it now along with the oil.
4. Fold in the flourMix the wheat flour with the baking powder and fold it into the liquid mixture only briefly, just until no dry flour is visible.
5. Fill cases and rest batterFill the paper cases about three-quarters full with batter and let the batter rest in them for around 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with sugarSprinkle the top of each magdalena with sugar, white or brown, whichever you prefer.
7. Bake until goldenBake the magdalenas for 18 to 20 minutes, until they've risen nicely and turned golden. Test with a wooden skewer: if it comes out clean, they're done.
8. Cool on a rackLeave them in the tin for a moment, then lift them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack.

Tips and variations

For a fruity, sweeter version, stir mashed banana and chocolate chips into the batter. To make them without eggs, use almond milk, coarsely chopped Marcona almonds, vanilla and a pinch of salt, and bake this version at 175 °C. If you have a Thermomix, you can whip the batter in it using the butterfly whisk. Magdalenas are at their best once they've just cooled and the sugar crust still crackles softly at the first bite.