Christmas Pud Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 140g butter
• 50g dark chocolate, in chunks
• 100ml soured cream
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 140g self raising flour
• 140g castor sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g dried soured cherries plus a few extra to decorate

To decorate:

• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tbsp custard powder, sifted
• 12 small bay leaves

Method:

Heat oven to 190C or fan 170C. Place 12 silicone muffin tray on a baking sheet.

Melt the chocolate and butter over a low heat. Cool a little, then stir in the soured cream and eggs. Mix in the flour, sugar, almonds, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl. Pour in the chocolate and stir until smooth, then stir in the cherries.

Spoon into the muffin holes so that they are 3/4 full, then bake for 20 minutes. Cool in the silicon moulds.

To decorate, mix the icing sugar and custard powder with 3 tablespoon water to make a thick icing. Remove the muffins from the mould and cool on a rack. Cut off any rounded tops, stand upside-down on the rack, then spoon the icing over. Leave to set, then top with bay leaves and cherries.