Name: Sour cherry muffins
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 150 g plain wheat flour; 170 g spelt flour, (wholemeal works too); 75 g brown sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1/2 tsp cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground cloves; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 2 tsp aniseed, (crushed in a mortar); 1 tbsp flaxseeds; 1 pinch of salt; 315 ml soya drink; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 12-24 frozen sour cherries, (12 for 1 cherry in each muffin, 24 for 2 each); 12 pieces of dark chocolate, (any size you like); 1 handful of almonds; 10 g vegan butter, (melted); 2 tsp brown sugar; 1 tsp plain wheat flour

Top-notch muffins with a delicate aroma of aniseed. In the middle of each muffin hides a delicious surprise: juicy sour cherries and dark chocolate. The tops are scattered with caramelised almonds, which add a lovely crunch too. The muffin recipe is oil-free as it stands, while the caramelised almonds are made with margarine - if you want to avoid oil entirely, there is a solution waiting for you in the tips at the bottom of the recipe. These vegan muffins will win you over with their combination of wonderful aromas and a juicy crumb.

At the end of the recipe for these aniseed vegan muffins, you will also find a short summary of why it is good to enjoy aniseed, what healing compounds it contains and a few more ideas for how to use it.

For some interesting facts and even more ideas for baking with sour cherries, read here.