Hot Cross Muffins

These delicious Easter muffins are simple to make and use store cupboard ingredients- they are great for getting kids involved with stirring and decorating!

Makes about 8 good sized muffins

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

3 tsps baking powder

Pinch of salt

A handful of fairly finely diced eating apple

A handful of currants

Zest of 1 orange

1tsp mixed spice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 large egg, lightly beaten

200g milk

100g sunflower oil

100g golden caster sugar

1 tsp orange blossom water

For the crosses

Approx 100g icing sugar, sifted

Juice of 1/2 an orange

Preheat your oven to 190C (170C fan), and line a muffin tin with 8 muffin papers.

Mix all your dry ingredients except the sugar thoroughly in a bowl. Make sure the apple pieces and sultanas are well coated as this will help stop them sinking to the bottom. In another bowl place all the wet ingredients and the sugar, and stir well. Add your dry ingredients to your wet and mix gently until fairly evenly combined- the key here is not to over mix, so don't worry if its still lumpy and there is the odd trace of flour. Divide the mixture evenly between your muffin cases and place in the over. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen and a nice golden colour. The tops should spring back when gently pressed with a finger. Remove the muffins from the tin and cool on a rack.

When your muffins are cool, make the icing for the crosses by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl and adding enough orange juice to make a thickish paste. Place this in a piping bag, or sandwich bag with the corner snipped off, and pipe crosses on to your muffin tops.

Tear apart and enjoy while fresh! Muffins are best eaten on the day they are made, so this is the perfect excuse for a little Easter over-indulgence...