By Keighley’s Mike Armstrong, an award-winning master baker with a big passion for baking...

THERE was a time when you could pop into any bakers shop and buy a Victoria sandwich, maybe a carrot or lemon drizzle cake or something smothered in chocolate.

Today is a very different story.

The Americans have always been known for being ahead of the crowd, aiming to do things bigger and better than anyone else, and sadly what we have seen in recent years is the amalgamation of the two.

The word hybrid also comes to mind, being the 'in' thing nowadays. There are hybrid cars, hybrid breeds of dogs and cats, and now hybrid baking, which I'm sure the public isn't complaining about.

A duffin is a mash-up of a doughnut and muffin – a clever idea bringing a fusion of flavours together, which probably started from the cronut, an unholy mongrel of a croissant and doughnut that was followed by a whole new galaxy of treats gracing our teatime tables. There's also macanut, that marries macaroon and brownie; a townie, tartlet-brownie; dogel, doughnut and bagel – it seems there is money to be made out of these seemingly ungainly inter-mixtures!

Some people will no doubt regard them as an insult to gastronomy, if not to the English language, but this has a long history – there was the word brunch, to extend our elevenses after Pop Master.

The proof is always in the pudding for me.

Trying to over-complicate any cake, biscuit or pastry can be a disaster in my book, but to execute multiple techniques in one handy morsel is something to be respected, and to be eaten. I do wonder what the next portmanteau will be, as the baking world seems complicated enough these days. I must invent one – fruit scones and Eccles cakes, the marriage of 'frekle', comes to mind. Regrettably that exists thus far only in my imagination – but watch this space, could the frekle be a new kid on the block?

RECIPE

DUFFINS

Ingredients:

140g/5oz caster sugar

200g/7oz plain flour, sift

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate soda

140g/5oz butter, just melted, flashed in the microwave oven

2 large eggs

100ml/3.5fl oz Greek style natural yoghurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence

12 teaspoons of raspberry jam, lemon curd, or chocolate spread for the kids

Sugar coating:

100g/3.5oz caster sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

1. Lightly grease a 12-hole muffin tray with butter and preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4.

2. Sift over the flour, bicarbonate soda and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl and combine well.

3. Gently melt the butter in a microwave oven in small bowl and then whisk in the eggs, yoghurt and vanilla.

4. Pour the batter ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold in with a metal tablespoon and divide between the 12 holes.

5 Bake for around 18 minutes or until firm to touch and well risen.

6. Allow to stand for five minutes before rolling the duffins in the cinnamon sugar, poke a small hole with a skewer into the top centre of each duffin and pipe in your preferred jams or spreads.