If I were to decide to become a part-time
psychic when I grow up, I know one day I would look into a snow globe and seethis time of the season, and a very
pretty house in a part of town that, I’m sure, was well pretty fifty years ago;
and there would be a white fluffy carpet and wooden things and bottles as
candle holders (there’s got to be candles), and the inhabitants wouldn’t worry
too much about leaving the heating on for a while, nor about anything that
happens in the outside world for that matter; and they would be sipping hot
drinks from big mugs and eating muffins, or mince pies, or both (it’s
Christmas).
I don’t know all that much about warm cosy living
rooms in Victorian houses or carpets or nice décor, but if I were them, I
really wouldn’t complain about such a great selection of Christmas treats; and
until I take the leap and become Head of Extrasensory Perception or that
season comes and so the snow, I’ll stick to mince muffins and I know I’ll be
gold.
MINCE MUFFINS
with whisky icing
350g (3 cups + 2 tablespoons) self-raising
flour
175g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
135ml (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon) sunflower oil or other flavourless oil
375ml (1 ½ cups + 1 tablespoon) soya milk or other non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g (7oz) mincemeat (use this stuff or make your own)
Icing:
150g (2 ½ cups) icing sugar
75g (3/4 cup) margarine
2 tablespoons whisky
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F and line
two muffin trays with cases.
Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and
baking powder in a bowl. Add the oil, milk and vanilla extract and mix
until just combined. Fold in the mincemeat and spoon into the prepared muffin
cases. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of
the muffins comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool.
While the muffins are cooling, make the
icing. Whisk together all the ingredients and spread a couple of spoonfuls on
top of each of the muffins. Decorate with holly leaf sprinkles if you secretly
love Christmas.
