Serves: 12

These cupcakes are as cute as can be and full of flavour. Whip up a batch for your Halloween or Bonfire Night celebrations

Ingredients

• 150g soft unsalted butter
• 150g dark muscovado sugar
• 3 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 150g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 100g ready-to-eat dried apple, finely chopped
• 40g mini butterscotch chips
• For the topping: 3 medium egg whites
• 150g vanilla sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder with a pinch of salt; mix to combine.
4. Gently stir in the chopped dried apple and butterscotch chips.
5. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Preheat the grill to high.
8. Put the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk on a slow speed for 3-4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Remove from the heat and continue to whisk on a higher speed for 5 minutes until the mixture is glossy and forms very stiff peaks.
10. Put the cooled cupcakes on a baking sheet. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1cm plain nozzle with the meringue mixture.
11. Pipe the meringue on to the cupcakes in a swirl shape.
12. Place the cupcakes under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the meringue is browned.

Tip

For a variation, try adding chopped chocolate instead of the dried apple pieces