Mincemeat Cupcakes.
For this delicious, soft, sweet and tangy twist on an old Christmas favourite you will need:
Ingredients:
120g (4oz) Unsalted Butter.
120g (4oz) Demerara Sugar.
120g (4oz) Self Raising Flour.
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Essence.
3 tablespoons of Mincemeat.
2 Eggs.
For the Icing:
75g (2.5oz) Icing Sugar.
1-2 tablespoons of Pure Orange Juice.
Method:
Before you start, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
Cube the butter, which should preferably be at room temperature before you start, add the demerara sugar and cream together, add the Vanilla Essence and mix well.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition, Sieve the flour and combine with the wet mixture, (don't beat to vigorously).
Finally stir in the mincemeat and spoon the mixture into Christmas style cupcake cases, fill them about 2/3 full.
Place in the centre of the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and are golden. To check if they are done, take a cocktail stick and put it in the centre of one of your cupcakes, if it comes out clean then they're done!
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
While they are cooling prepare the icing as follows; sieve the icing sugar into a bowl, and add the orange juice, stir together until the mixture is smooth and drizzly (but not runny). To ice the cupcakes you can put the icing into a piping bag and using a narrow nozzle, ice festive designs on your cakes like me. Or if you prefer, you can just drizzle the icing onto your cakes in any random pattern of your choice with a spoon.
Let the icing set and your done! So....
Enjoy!