Christmas cupcakes

This recipe is from the book of "muffins & bakes" . They taste delicious .... n I kept wondering should I decorate it as the book shows..... so decided later in the day to do so just one for the blog.  

The weather is perfect to have a warm cupcake with almond in it.... wish weather always remains the same......:)

Ingredients:

• 9 tbsp butter, softened
• 200 grams castor sugar
• 4-6 drops almond essence
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 150 grams self-raising flour
• 175 gras ground almonds

Topping

•  white  ready-to -roll fondant icing
• Diffrent colours of wilton( I used pink n red)

Method

1. Put 16 paper  muffin cases in a muffin pan.
2. Put the butter, sugar and almond essence in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  
3. Gradually  add the eggs, beating well after each addition. (Was lazy so added at one shot) .
4. Add the flour and using a large metal spoon, fold it into the mixture, then fold in the ground almonds.
5. Spoon the mixture  into the paper cases to half-fill them.
6. Bake the cakes in a preheated oven, 180C/37F, for 20 minutes or until well  risen, golden brown and firm to the touch.
7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. When the cakes are cold, knead the white icing  until pliable, then roll out on a work surface  lightly dusted with icing sugar. 
9. Using round cutter , cut out n place on top of the cupcake.
10. Then divide the fondant icing into 2 and I used one for pink and the other for red.
11. Decorate the way u want. ( I wanted to give the effect of red berries...).

Hope u enjoy making them. I did not wanted to decorate n then I did just for the blog ....:)