The fruit can be varied to suit the season. Try adding raspberries, blackcurrants or grated apple instead of the fresh figs. You can change the flavour of the jam you use too, to suit.

Makes 12 large muffins or 16 regular muffins

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cooking: 35 minutes

Ingredients

butter, for greasing
120g wheat bran
120g plain yoghurt
1⁄2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons fig jam
120g soft light brown sugar
120ml sunflower oil
1 egg, plus
1 egg white
65g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
65g wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
50g pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped
6 figs, de-stemmed and each cut across into 6 slices
demerara sugar, for sprinkling

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Butter and flour the holes of a jumbo muffin pan, or 16 holes of 2 non-stick 12-hole muffin pans.

Spread out the wheat bran on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven, turn the bran over once or twice and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the toasted wheat bran, yoghurt, lemon zest, honey, fig jam and soft brown sugar. Add 250 ml/ 8 fl oz (1 cup) water, the oil, egg and egg white and mix until well combined.

Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a large bowl. Stir into the wet ingredients, add the pumpkin seeds and mix until just combined, being sure to not over-mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling each hole almost to the top. Top each one with 2 fig slices. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan(s) for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle a little demerara sugar over the muffins before serving.

From Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots by Aaron Bertelsen (£24.95, Phaidon), out now

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