Recipe by Nessa Robins
Ingredients
125g plain flour
100g wholemeal flour
25g wheatgerm
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps ground mixed spice
250g light muscovado sugar
200g grated carrot
175g prunes, finely chopped
4 free range eggs, lightly beaten
200ml sunflower or rapeseed oil
For the icing:
150g cream cheese
50g butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g icing sugar (sieved)
To decorate:
50g hazelnuts, finely chopped
Edible flowers (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
Sieve the flours, wheatgerm, baking powder, mixed spice and sugar in a bowl.
Add the carrots and prunes. Stir well with a wooden spoon until they are thoroughly combined with the dry ingredients. If the chopped prunes are in clumps, disperse through the dry ingredients using your hands.
Add the lightly-beaten eggs to a jug with the oil. Pour the eggs and oil into the bowl and stir well until all the ingredients are combined together.
Divide the mixture between 15 cases.
Bake the muffins for 25 minutes in a preheated oven until risen and golden.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire tray.
Meanwhile, make the creamy topping. Put the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar into a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Place the icing in the fridge for 15 minutes to harden slightly.
When the muffins have completely cooled, either pipe the icing on each using a piping bag, or spread over and smooth using a palette knife.
Decorate with a generous sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts and, if you have any, a pretty edible flower.