Today was another day of staying indoors. It was just too damned cold for little Max. So Charlie and I donned our baking caps again, rolled up our jumper sleeves and made some Moonut cakes. Hands up – this is the kind of ‘cake’ Mums pretend is cake but just isn’t. A bit like pretending there’s pudding throughout dinner when really there’s just some bruised fruit and a wedge of cheese. These are ‘Mum Lies’ that are officially allowed in order to maintain healthy teeth, gums and body weight.
Moonuts are muffins (which are of course generally lower in sugar than most cakes, unless littered with chocolate and other delights) with sugar laden, jammy, hidden centres. They’re very easy to make, use stuff most of us have knocking about in the fridge/cupboards and should be treated with caution when warm as the jam stays hot, hot, hot for some time. This recipe makes 6 muffins. Enough for eating a couple warm and saving some for Daddy’s lunch box.
Ingredients:
- 155g self raising flour
- 30g castor sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 180ml whole fat or semi skimmed milk
- 80g butter
- 6 tsp raspberry jam (Or any jam you fancy, lemon curd is very good too.)
Preheat the oven to Gas 7. Instruct your toddler to put paper cases into your muffin tin. Take all the dry ingredients and place into a bowl. Ask toddler to stir carefully, without spilling any of the ‘magic rising dust’ on the floor.
Meanwhile take the butter and microwave on high for about a minute or until melted. Tip the butter, milk and the egg into the mixed dry ingredients and ask toddler to stir until he/she has a gloopy mix. This should take about 2 mins. Don’t over stir!
Pop a tablespoon of Moonut mixture into each muffin case, then carefully place a teaspoon of jam in the middle of the half filled cases. Might be best for Mummy/Daddy/Granny/Grandpa to do this bit. Then put another tablespoon of Moonut mixture on the top. The muffin case will be almost full to the brim – about 1cm left of room.
Bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 20 mins until peaked and golden and muffiny. Cool on a wire rack for about 20 mins before little mouths are allowed near the hot jam. Mr B says these are very good with a cup of tea after a snowy drive home.
After thought: for a slightly more authentic doughnut experience the tops could be laced with granulated sugar pre cooking.
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