Gingerbread and Apple Muffins

Nigella Lawson has a book, Feast, which has a number of lovely recipes of which these are one. Her recipe leaves out the apple and chopped crystalised ginger, but I wanted something to make the muffins a little moister, and having tried both with and without I prefer them with the addition.

Adapted from Gingerbread Muffins in Feast, by Nigella Lawson

250g self raising flour
1 tsp of baking powder
2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cloves
6 tbsp of vegetable oil
4 tbsp of black treacle
4 tbsp of golden syrup
75g of muscavado sugar
25g of caster sugar
150ml of milk
1/4 tsp of balsamic vinegar
1 egg
2 balls of crystalised ginger in syrup, very finely chopped
1/2 a cooking apple, very finely chopped

Heat the oven to 200oc
Sift the dry ingrediants together. Beat the egg in a separate bowl with the sugar until all the lumps are dissolved. Add the milk, oil, vinegar, treacle and golden syrup and mix to combine. Fold in the dry ingredients, being careful not to overwork the mixture; some small lumps may remain. Fold in the ginger and apple, then spoon into muffin cakes and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are risen, and slightly firm on top.

These keep well for a few days in an airtight container.