Chocolate and Marzipan Muffins

I made these as a gift for relatives  and think it's fair to say that they went down a treat! These are some really simple and beautiful cakes, using an easy muffin recipe anyone can make these muffins. By putting the marzipan into the muffins before baking the marzipan is soft and the cake sweet. You can't go wrong with chocolate butter icing, but if you want, you could change the flavour for something else! I decorated the muffins with marzipans roses, they make the muffins look really professional, and sophisticated. You might think that the roses would be hard to make but they really aren't! By they are really simple, as long as you keep your hands cold, then the marzipan should be fairly easy to work with! Make them as a gift or just as a treat for yourself!

Much love Alex-Rose xxxx

Chocolate and Marzipan muffins

Ingredients:

• 175g Marzipan
• 280g Plain flour
• 1 Tablespoon Baking powder
• 115g Caster sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 200ml Milk
• 85g Melted butter
• 1 Teaspoon Almond essence

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c. Using scales, divide the the marzipan into 18 equal pieces. Roll into balls and then flatten them to around 2cm in thickness, then set them aside. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, set aside. Separately beat the milk, melted butter and almond essence. Then make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the milk, almond and butter liquid. Fold gently until JUST combined. Next fill around the 18 cases half full with cake mix and then place on one circle of marzipan and continue to fill the cases. Finally place into the oven for around 20 mins, they should be golden and springy to touch when they are done! Ice with chocolate butter icing and decorate with a marzipan rose. To make the roses squash three small balls of marzipan and one long piece  roll the long piece into the centre of the rose, then stick on the circles as the petals, finally gently fold the petals over just slightly to make the flower look more realistic! And voila! 

Much love Alex-Rose xxx