As much as I adore Hot Cross Buns, they do take a bit longer to make than other Easter treats. So these tasty Hot Cross Muffins are a quicker way to get your Hot Cross Bun fix! They are packed with dried fruit and juicy apple, flavoured with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and topped with a sweet almond icing. If you're a fruit cake fan you'll also love these yummy treats to snack on. They're perfect for Easter time, or you could drizzle the icing on in a different way for another time of the year!
Step by step...
I started by creaming together the sugar and butter. Then I added eggs and almond extract and whisked well.
I gently mixed in a chopped apple, I used a gala apple as I think they are the sweetest. And the self raising flour along with mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then I folded in the dried fruit.
I spooned the mixture info 12 muffin cases. I baked the muffins on 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 for 25 minutes until golden brown.
To decorate I made an almond flavoured icing and piped it onto the Hot Cross Muffins in the classic cross shape.
These Hot Cross Muffins went down a treat with my colleagues and despite being less sweet than my usual offerings they disappeared just as fast as anything else I've made because they were so tasty!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
| Cupcake tin | Electric hand mixer | Piping bags |
| Brown cupcake cases | Almond extract | Kitchen scales |
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Hot Cross Muffins
Ingredients
For the muffins
- 185 g Light brown sugar
- 185 g Butter
- 3 Eggs large
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 1 Apple peeled, cored and grated or chopped
- 250 g Mixed dried fruit
- 250 g Self raising flour
- 1 tsp Mixed spice
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
For decoration
- 100 g Icing sugar
- ½ tsp Almond extract
- 1 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4, line a cupcake tin with paper cases
- Cream together the light brown sugar and the butter. Add the eggs and almond extract and whisk well
- Gently mix in the apple, then whisk in the self raising flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg
- Fold in the mixed dried fruit
- Divide the mixture between the cases
- Bake the muffins for 25 minutes until golden brown, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, place on a cooling rack to cool completely
- To make the icing mix the ingredients together, add the water slowly as you may not need it all. You need a thick, pipable paste
- Put the icing into a piping bag and pipe crosses onto each muffin
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days
Notes
If you like this, check out more of my Muffin recipes!
Or you might like my Easter recipes!
Pin for later!
Alice Brierley
These are so tasty! Loved by my 2 year old and my hubby! We like them so much we’ve baked them several times.
thebakingexplorer
Yay I'm so pleased to hear this!