This recipe courtesy of Easy Living Magazine

The streusel gives these muffins a delicious, baked-on, crunchy topping.  Pecans are used here, but it works just as well with walnuts or slivered almonds.  Make sure you use demerara sugar, as this gives you the right crunch. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes : 12    Prep time :  25 mins   Cook time : 25 mins

For the streusel topping:  40g (1 ¼ oz) unsalted butter, chilled and chopped; 50g (1 ¾ oz) plain flour; 2 tbsp demerara sugar; 2 tbsp coarsely chopped pecan nuts

For the Muffins:  310g (10oz) plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda; pinch of salt; 150g (5oz) caster sugar; 1 tsp finely grated orange zest; 300ml (9 ½ fl oz) buttermilk; 2 free-range eggs; 100g (3 ½ oz) unsalted butter, melted; 150g (5oz) fresh or frozen raspberries

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190^oC (gas mark 5).  Grease a 12-hole muffin tin or line with paper muffin cases.
2. To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.  Mix in the sugar and pecans.
3. To make the muffins, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Add the orange zest and make a well in the centre.
4. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter.  Pour into the well in the flour mixture and stir until the ingredients are just combined.  Do not over mix – the batter should not be smooth.  Quickly fold in the raspberries.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tin.  Sprinkle over the topping and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden.  A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.