Easter hot cross muffins

Name: Easter hot cross muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 1/2 cup raisins; 2 tbsp orange juice; 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp allspice; 3/4 tsp mace; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cloves, optional; 1/2 cup candied mixed peel; 1/2 up chopped dried apricots; 1 egg; 1 cup milk; 1/4 cup canola oil; 2 tbsp butter, melted; 1 tsp vanilla

Prep Time15 min
Total Time35 min
Makes12 muffins

Here's how to get all the spices you've grown to love in hot cross buns without messing around with yeast dough. Bake as muffins or a loaf.

Ingredients

1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp orange juice
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp mace
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves, optional
1/2 cup candied mixed peel
1/2 up chopped dried apricots
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Place raisins in a small bowl. Pour juice overtop. Microwave, covered, until hot, 1 minute. Set aside. Lightly coat or spray a 12-cup muffin tin or 9x5-inch (2-L) loaf pan with oil. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, mace, salt and cloves. Stir in raisin mixture, candied peel and apricots.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk egg. Whisk in milk, oil, butter and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture. Stir just until mixed. Batter will be lumpy. Divide between muffin cups or scrape into loaf pan and smooth top.
Bake in centre of preheated oven until a cake tester inserted into centre of muffins or loaf comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes for muffins, 1 hour for loaf. Remove pan to a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Store muffins or loaf in an airtight container and store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Stir 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) sifted icing sugar with 4 tsp (20 mL) orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins in a criss-cross pattern to mimic hot cross buns or spoon over loaf, if you wish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories 246, Protein 3.6g, Carbohydrates 42.3g, Fat 7.6g, Fibre 1.7g, Sodium 197mg.

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spring muffins bake Easter

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