These are adapted from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe (from his book Light & Easy).

The original calls for 75g coconut oil, which I just find too much, but have since subbed very successfully with extra virgin olive oil and 75g runny honey, which I originally eased back on just ever so slightly but now (as I update this in Feb 2026 and after 18 months of eating very little sugar) make with just 10g of honey. I would start with closer to the original to see how you like them. But just 10g of honey is plenty sweet enough for me.

His recipe also says cook for 25 mins, but mine are plenty done after 20 mins, sometimes sooner.

It calls for chestnut flour – which isn’t cheap, nor madly readily available. But is delicious and so filling. Don’t be tempted to buy it in bulk, it doesn’t keep for very long.

And you really need an electric whisker unless your arms are super strong. If they are, all respect to you.

These are just so delicious though, and gluten-free if that’s important to you. I love anything to do with chestnuts as it reminds me of my Pa.

Note these make ten. I’ve been making these for a few years now and every time, with my 12-bun tray, it catches me out.

I think of my friend Marcus, who died in 2017, when I think of these. I made them for the first time when I visited him in the hospice. I think I was possibly stupid, or in denial, that I didn’t realise he was dying. “La Speranza’, my parents used to say, ‘è l’ultima d’andare’. Hope is the last thing to go.

Anyway he was very jolly that day and these muffins are forever, in my mind, associated with him.

125g chestnut flour

A pinch of salt

2 teaspoons of baking powder

125g marmalade (I use the St Dalfour Thick Orange Spread which has no added sugar just the fruit sugars)

2 large eggs

70g runny honey – I now use 10g.

half a teaspoon of vanilla extract

50g coconut oil, melted and cooled. I use extra virgin olive oil now.

Pumpkin seeds to sprinkle.

Preheat the oven to 170. Line a muffin tin with…muffin cases

Combine the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.

In a food mixer with whisk attachment, put the eggs, honey and vanilla and whisk for, frankly, ages. But about eight minutes. Until the mixture is like a thick mousse and the beaters leave trails when you lift them out.

Now gently and slowly, with the mixer running, spoon in the flour mixture and when all is incorporated whisk again for a few minutes. The mixture will go down to a batter-type one. When done, trickle in the melted coconut oil/extra virgin olive oil,  with a tablespoon of water, and whisk for half a minute more. Take off from the mixer and just with a spoon fold in the marmalade.

Spoon the batter into the TEN muffin cases (with less honey I actually only get nine out of them). They won’t come up all the way, that’s how it should be, about 2/3 full. Sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds and bake for  about 20 mins – check after 15. They should be golden and bounce back when you touch them. Depends on your oven of course.