http://www.localsecrets.com/ezine.cfm?ezineid=4689~chocolate-christmas-cake+food-and-wine
If you crave marzipan and icing, as I often do, simply layer star or snowflake cutouts on top and use a traditional cake tin – much easier than a full covering and looks stunning.
A muffin to bring joy to the world, even the steadfast anti Christmas fruitcake/mince pie/pudding brigade. Waste not want not with your christmas baking leftovers and make muffins.
You will need:
200g self-raising flour
80g golden caster sugar
20g light muscovado
100ml light olive oil, carrot oil or vegetable oil
100 ml milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200g sweet mincemeat
How to:
Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and line a muffin tin with twelve cases.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and sugar together, then make a well in the centre. Pour into the well the oil, milk, egg and vanilla and beat together in the well before incorporating the dry ingredients.
Add the mincemeat and beat in until thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture between the twelve cases and bake for 20 minutes. They should be golden brown on top and a skewer when inserted should come away clean when cooked.
To ice or not to ice?
This is a moist muffin, it doesn’t need icing but if you want to give as a gift or spoil someone with some cakey cheer I would top with ginger or cinnamon glacé icing and some Christmas sparkle that coordinates with your chosen cases.
Tips:
A jar of stem ginger in syrup is perfect for this, just add a little of the syrup to icing sugar and finely dice a bulb of ginger to add to the icing too.
If you like more heat or want more nutmeg, add more dried spice at the flour and sugar stage.
thecookingcuddle 