Rudolph cupcakes

Great way to decorate your favourite cupcakes (or you can use the recipe below), great for kids or adults to make you feel that Christmas is really around the corner!

Ingredients (makes 8):

For the cupcakes:

• 120g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 20g cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40g soft unsalted butter
• 120ml milk

For decoration:

• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 150ml double cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 glace cherries (for noses)
• 16 white currants (or white chocolate coated candies for the eyes)
• 8 chocolate coated pretzels (for the horns)

To make the cupcakes place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth, do not over-beat.  Pour the mixture into a muffin tray lined with cupcake cases, bake at 170C for about 20 minutes, until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Take the cupcakes out the oven and leave to cool completely.  To make the cream beat mascarpone, double cream, vanilla extract and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth.  Scoop the mixture on top of the cupcakes, it is easies to use an ice-cream scoop.  Decorate with cherries (nose), currants or candies for the eyes and cut pretzels in half to make the horns.

Enjoy!