Red-nose reindeer cupcakes

With pretzel antlers, sugar eyes and Smarties for noses, these cute reindeer cupcakes are great fun and will be very popular with the grandchildren!

Makes: 12 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 15-20mins

■ 125g (4oz) butter, softened

■ 115g (4oz) caster sugar

■ 2 eggs

■ 115g (4oz) self-raising flour, sifted

■ 2 tbsp buttermilk

■ 1 tsp vanilla extract For the topping:

■ 250g (9oz) dark chocolate, melted

■ 12 red Smarties

■ 24 sugar eyes

■ 24 salted pretzels

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4.

2. Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together using a whisk or hand-held mixer until light and creamy. Add the eggs and beat again. Fold in the flour, buttermilk and vanilla using a spatula or a large spoon.

3. Spoon the cake mixture into 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tin and bake for 15-20 mins until the cakes spring back to your touch. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

4. Spread the melted chocolate over the top of each cake using a round-bladed knife. Before the chocolate has set, put a red Smartie in the middle of each cake for the reindeer’s nose and fix 2 sugar eyes above the nose.

5. Cut away one of the curves of each pretzel to make them look like antlers and put 2 at the top of each cake. Leave to set before serving.