Simnel muffins

Bake these easy miniature cakes for an Easter-themed afternoon tea, or simply savour with a cuppa.

MAKES 12 PREP 10 mins plus 1 hr soaking COOK 20 mins EASY V

175g mixed dried fruit

1 orange, zested, ½ juiced (you’ll need about 2 tbsp juice)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

275g marzipan

2 eggs

100ml vegetable or sunlower oil

120ml milk

120g golden caster sugar

235g self-raising lour

¾ tsp mixed spice or ground cinnamon

3‚4 tbsp icing sugar, sifted

1 Put the mixed dried fruit, orange juice and both citrus zests in a bowl. Leave to soak for 1 hr.

2 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 12-hole mun tin with paper cases. Chop 155g of the marzipan into small chunks and set aside. Beat the eggs, oil and milk together in a large bowl, then add the sugar and marzipan chunks. Sift in the flour and mixed spice or cinnamon, then fold everything together. Divide the mixture between the mun cases until they’re each about three-quarters full, then bake for 25-30 mins until risen and golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 mins, then remove to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

3 Heat the grill to high. Roll the remaining 120g marzipan into 12 balls (about 10g each) using your hands. Put the marzipan balls on a baking tray, then slide under the hot grill for 30 seconds-1 min until just golden on top.

4 Combine the icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a runny icing, then spoon this over the cooled muns and decorate with the marzipan balls. Leave to set for

1 hr before serving. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

PER SERVING 354 kcals • fat 13g • saturates 1g • carbs 54g • sugars 39g • ibre 2g • protein 5g • salt 0.3g

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