I love making bread. I love kneading, and letting it rise, and smelling the lovely yeast. But it’s not often that I can convince myself that I’ve got half a day to spare on a single loaf of bread, when I could be, say, watching the grass grow.

Muffins, on the other hand, are so quick and easy that baking them has become a bit of an addiction for me. I get just as much satisfaction from making pretend-bread as I do with the real stuff, with a quarter of the effort.

My basic recipe is self rising flour, plain wholemeal flour, buttermilk, oil and salt to taste.

My favourite flavour combination for savouries always starts with a cup of grated tasty cheese. Sometimes I add fried onions, or fried bacon, but usually I like to stick with some homegrown thyme, or – as I chose today – a bit of mustard powder and a few dollops of seed mustard. Sesame seeds on top and voila!

I make a breakfast muffin too, which uses rolled oats in a 3:1 cup ratio to wholemeal flour. Grated apple, mashed banana, buckets of cinnamon and a bit of proper vanilla extract combine into a dense, moist muffin that’s practically a meal in itself.

Usually I make double batches to freeze, and reheat in the microwave. I love the scent of warm cinnamon on a cold morning.

After years of battling with paper cups that had to be peeled off with a knife, I’ve finally invested in a couple of silicone trays. It’s a revelation! Muffins just slip out! My inner housewife rejoices!

So what flavour combinations do you like in your muffins? Are you a savoury or a sweet muffin-maker?