Easter Muffins Food

EASTER MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C and line a large muffin tray with 9 muffin cases. Tip the butter and sugar into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until paler in colour, light and fluffy. Pour in the eggs and beat until the mixture is light and creamy. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the flour, milk, vanilla and coconut until you have a soft dropping consistency. Stir in the cherries.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Lift the muffins out of the tray and sit them on a wire rack to cool slightly.
• To decorate, tip the jam into a small saucepan and gently warm, stirring, until melted and smooth. Generously brush the tops of the warm cakes with the jam, stick the quartered cherries on top and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Serve on the day of making.

EASTER HOT CROSS MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Place raisins in a small bowl. Pour juice overtop. Microwave, covered, until hot, 1 minute Set aside. Lightly coat or spray a 12-cup muffin tin or 9x5 inch loaf pan with oil. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt and cloves. Stir in raisin mixture, candied peel and apricots.
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk egg. Whisk in milk, oil, butter and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture. Stir just until mixed. Batter will be lumpy. Divide between muffin cups or scrape into loaf pan and smooth top.
• Bake in centre of preheated oven until a cake tester inserted into centre of muffins or loaf comes out clean, 20 to 25 minute for muffins, 1 hour for loaf. Remove pan to a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Store muffins or loaf in an airtight container and store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
• Glaze:.
• Stir sifted icing sugar with orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins in a criss-cross pattern to mimic hot cross buns or spoon over loaf, if you wish.