Halloween carrot muffins

These scary-looking muffins are perfect for a kids Halloween party, but they're also great fun to make, so why not get the kids in the kitchen and get them to help you make them!

Preparation: 20 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
Makes: 12

What you need:

• 200g/7oz soft light brown sugar
• 200ml/7floz sunflower oil
• 2 medium eggs
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2.5ml/1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of salt
• 5ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 200g/7oz carrots, peeled and grated
• 50g/2oz walnut pieces, chopped
• 5ml/1 tsp vanilla essence

For the icing:

• 225g/ icing sugar, sifted
• 25g/1oz unsalted butter
• 75g/3oz chilled full fat cream cheese
• food colouring and writing icing

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/Fan 150C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Line a deep 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Place the sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl, then beat together with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Sift over the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon then fold in until well mixed. Fold in the carrots, walnuts and vanilla essence.
3. Divide the mixture between the paper cake cases. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25mins or until golden, risen and the middle bounces back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tin for 5mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the icing: Use an electric whisk to beat the icing sugar and butter together in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the cream cheese and briefly beat together again until just combined. Don't overbeat or it will become runny. Spread the icing over the muffins, then let the kids go mad icing the cakes with spooky characters.

Freezing instructions:

Un-iced these muffins freeze well. Once cold pack them into a freezer proof container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour, then ice as instructed.

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