Ice-Cream Cone Cupcakes

My daughter wanted to learn how to make cupcakes and muffins.  I like new ideas for baking, but although this idea is not new, it is very effective, so she had a choice between making traditional cupcakes or having a go at making ice-cream cone ones. They really are very simple.












Ingredients

Your normal cupcake or muffin recipe mixture
Flat bottomed ice-cream cones
Buttercream in your favourite colour and flavour
Extra decorations

There really is no point putting quantities.   bought a standard box of ice-cream cones. Make sure they are flat bottomed otherwise you won't be able to stand them up. Any leftover mix can be made into standard cakes and if there is buttercream left it can either ice the other cakes or stay in the fridge for a few days.

Spoon the muffin mix straight into the cones until about 3/4 full, place each one in a muffin pan to stop them toppling over, then bake them on the middle shelf for 20 minutes at Gas 6.

When they come out, the mix should have risen just above the cone.  Lift them onto a cooling rack, leave until completely cool then either pipe or spread on the icing and decorate.

They are best eaten within 24 hours as the cones go soft.  Miraculously the cones don't burn in the oven, so there is no need to foil them or cover them at all.  I think my daughter made a fantastic job of these and considering this was also her first time piping buttercream, she can be really proud of how they turned out.

Maple Syrup Muffins

I've always got a bottle of maple syrup in the larder and usually it's only poured over pancakes as I've often been wary of baking cakes with it as it has such a strong flavour.  But today my mouth has been watering at the thought of eating something cakey with it, so instead of heading for the chocolate muffin recipes I have, I decided to do a basic mix and then add in a bit of maple syrup.  I was still a bit hesitant about quantities, so I used half golden and half maple and I think the balance is just right.

4oz butter, softened
4oz caster sugar
4 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra for drizzling
4 tbsp golden syrup
2 eggs
8oz self raising flour
4 tbsp milk
cinnamon and icing sugar to dust

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add all other ingredients and mix well.  Put into muffin cases and bake at Gas 5 / 190C / 375F for 25 minutes.

 

When the muffins are just out of the oven put two skewer holes in, drizzle over extra maple syrup, sprinkle with a tiny dusting of cinnamon and then a layer of dusted icing sugar.






These are so delicious warm.  My youngest son had just gone to bed by the time they were cool enough to eat, but he heard the Mmmmmms coming from downstairs and was allowed to come down to enjoy the first batch with us. Next time I bake them I'm tempted to top them with  a maple flavoured icing .