Christmas Tree Muffins

Two and half weeks til Christmas and it's time for some festive baking! These Christmas Tree Muffins are really tasty with a lovely spongy texture. Just what you need to brighten up your table at a Christmas party.

Ingredients:

Bottom part - Tree trunk

125g flour

15g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

88g sugar

90ml milk

1 egg

50ml sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

Top part - Branches

125g flour

1 tsp baking powder

88g sugar

90ml milk

1 egg

50ml sunflower oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

green food colouring

Instructions:

1.Heat the oven to 170C

2.Prepare the muffin tin with paper cases.

3.Bottom part:

a. Beat the egg and leave it to one side.

b. Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa and baking powder.

c. Add in everything else, including the egg, mix well and leave to one side.

4. Top part:

a. Beat the egg and leave it to one side.

b. Mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

c. Add in the milk, egg, oil and vanilla essence. Mix well.

d. Add in the green food colouring and mix well. Amount of colouring depends on what kind of colouring you are using. Make it as green as you can!

5. Pour one big spoonful of the 'bottom part' mixture into each paper case. 

6. Pour one big spoonful of the 'top part' mixture over the top of the 'bottom part' mixture in each paper case.

7. Bake for approximately 20 mins.

8. Leave to cool.

9. Enjoy :) - they taste even better when they've stood for 24 hours, if you can be patient and wait that long!

Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

This is another great recipe I found on Pinterest. You can read all about it here on joyofthebaker.com. I have converted the recipe into European measures, so if you're American and reading this then make sure you click the link above to find the recipe in your language!
The texture of the muffins is amazing - firm and moist all at the same time. I decided, rather than make a glaze for these muffins as is suggested in the original recipe, that I would make lemon cream cheese frosting. It worked very well! So here is the recipe...


Muffins:
150g sugar

zest and juice of 1 lemon
250g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
170g sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
113g butter, melted until browned and cooled
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping the batter before baking)

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Line a 12 holed muffin tray with paper muffin cases.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is slightly yellow and sented with lemon.  Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, melted butter and lemon juice.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. Add the poppy seeds and mix well.  Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the top of each one.

Place the muffin tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops are golden. Put a cocktail stick into the middle of a few of the muffins. If it comes out clean they are done. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

100g cream cheese

60g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of half a lemon
375g icing sugar

In a bowl mix the butter and cream cheese until they are fully combined. Add the vanilla and lemon and mix well. Add in the icing sugar little by little, mixing constantly, until you have a stiff and creamy texture. Frost the muffins, and then take a bite!

Enjoy :)