Categories: December

Ingredients

• 100g raisins
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 150g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 150g self-raising flour
• 1.5 tsp ground mixed spice
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 4 tbsp apricot jam, warmed
• 200g royal icing sugar
• 125g ready-to-roll white icing
• holly green food paste colour
• 54 edible silver balls

Directions

1. Put the raisins in a small pan, add the brandy and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Cool. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/gas 6.

2. Put the butter and 150g sugar in a bowl and, with an electric hand whisk, cream until pale and fluffy. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. While whisking, slowly add the butter and sugar. If it curdles, add a little flour. Once combined, mix in the flour and mixed spice. Stir in the brandy-soaked raisins.

3. Put 18 foil muffin cases in a muffin tray. Divide the mix between them. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Cool on a rack.

4. Meanwhile, make the cinnamon sugar syrup. Put the remaining 50g sugar, 75ml water and the cinnamon stick halves in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, until reduced and syrupy. Cool, then use a pastry brush to soak the cupcakes with the syrup.

5. Brush each cake with jam. Make up the royal icing according to pack instructions, it should be just runny enough to spread. Spread a little icing over each cake (reserving a little). Top each cake with 3 holly leaves, made from ready-to-roll icing stained holly green, and 3 silver balls. Leave to set.

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