Pistachio Muffins

Alter quantities (metric only) 12 muffins

250 g Plain (all-purpose) flour (1 Cup + 13 level tablespoons)
100 g Golden caster sugar (7 level tablespoons)
3 teaspoon Baking powder level
¼ teaspoon Fine salt
Large egg
200 ml Full-fat milk (13 tablespoons)
100 ml Sunflower oil (7 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
50 g Pistachio nuts (a 150 gram medium sized bag is enough) shelled weight - chopped into small pieces (½ Cup when chopped)

Heat your oven to 170°C Fan/190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.
Place your muffin cases into your muffin tin.
Sift your flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into your large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat together your egg, milk, oil and vanilla bean paste and then tip into your flour mixture.
Gently fold the wet mixture into the flour, using a large metal spoon or fork, stop as soon as the flour has disappeared as overmixing is a common failure of muffins. 10-15 folds should be enough.
Fold in your chopped pistachio nuts just long enough to ensure they are equally mixed in.
Fill your 12 muffin cases equally, mine took about 57 grams each, but you can just guess the weight, as long as they look roughly the same that's fine.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until well risen and golden. The muffins should bounce back up when pressed. Whilst they are baking make your sugar syrup topping.

Add your water and sugar to your small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Turn up the heat and simmer for a 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and then mix in your vanilla bean paste set aside to cool and thicken.
As soon as your muffins come out of the oven paint over your sugar syrup using your pastry brush and then immediately sprinkle over your finely chopped pistachios, they will stick to the top of the muffin as it cools.
Place the muffins on your cooling rack to continue to cool.