The perfect addition to your Christmas spread.
Ingredients
Makes 12 muffins
- 12 muffin cases
- 300g self-raising flour
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 120g mixed dried fruits (raisins, chopped dried apricots and cranberries)
- 80g chopped walnuts
- 120g light brown sugar
- 2 beaten eggs
- 220ml milk
- 100g melted butter
For the buttercream and topping
- 120g very soft butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250g sifted icing sugar
- 4 to 5 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 24 frosted fresh cranberries
- 12 small sprigs of rosemary
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Line a muffin tin with cases.
- Place the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, baking powder, dried fruit, walnuts and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the centre.
- Add beaten eggs, milk and melted butter into the well. Mix into a batter with a wooden spoon.
- Spoon the mixture into each muffin case.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, insert a skewer to check that they are ready.
- Leave in the tin for 3 minutes before placing on a rack to cool.
To make the topping:
- Place the softened butter, vanilla extract and sifted icing sugar into a bowl and
- whisk until soft and fluffy.
- Spoon into an icing bag fitted with a star nozzle.
- When the muffins are cold, pipe buttercream over the top and sprinkle over the coconut.
- Arrange two cranberries and sprig of rosemary on top of each.
- Place on a cake stand and serve.
To make frosted cranberries:
- Whisk an egg white with a fork.
- Place caster sugar on a plate. Dip the cranberries in egg white.
- Roll them in the sugar and leave to set.
