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Fastelavns muffins - Opskrift på pinata muffins / vaniljemuffins
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Fastelavn muffins - Vanilla muffins with Smarties

Recipe for vanilla muffins filled with Smarties – the perfect Fastelavn treat, especially for the little ones.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Danish
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12 people

Ingredients

Vanilla muffins

  • 200 g plain flour
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 150 g butter
  • 100 ml milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/2 lemon, finely grated zest and juice

Frosting

  • 150 g cream cheese
  • 100 g butter, at room temperature
  • 200 g icing sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 1/2 lemon, finely grated zest

For the filling and topping

  • 150 g mini Smarties
  • Sprinkles

Instructions

Vanilla muffins

  • Warm the milk in a small saucepan, melt the butter in it and leave the mixture to cool slightly.
  • Split the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds and mash them with a little of the sugar.
  • Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale, thick and fluffy, then stir in the lemon zest and juice.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients together and whisk half of them into the egg mixture. Ideally sift them in so you avoid lumps.
  • Then stir in the cooled butter mixture, and finish with the remaining dry ingredients.
  • Line a metal muffin tin with 12 paper cases and divide the batter between the cases. I like to pour the batter into a piping bag, as I find that the easiest way to control it – but do whatever you prefer.
  • Bake your muffins in a preheated oven on the middle shelf for approx. 20 min. at 180°C, conventional oven (top and bottom heat).
  • Take your muffins out of the metal tin fairly soon after baking so they don't go soggy from the steam. Mind you don't burn yourself. Leave them to cool before topping them with frosting and Smarties.

Frosting

  • Beat the butter and icing sugar together until creamy. At first it will look split and crumbly, as if there isn't enough butter – but keep beating, it will come together.
  • Stir the cream cheese into the buttercream along with the vanilla sugar and finely grated lemon zest.
  • Once your muffins have cooled, "dig" a small hollow in each muffin with a teaspoon. This is where your Smarties will go.
    Take care not to make the hole too deep or too close to the edges.
  • Fill the hollows with Smarties right up to the top, then top your muffins with frosting.
  • Scatter over sprinkles and extra Smarties, if you like.
    Serve them straight away, or keep them in the fridge. Your Smarties will naturally "melt" a little as they take on moisture inside the cakes, but they still taste lovely. Ideally take them out of the fridge about half an hour before serving, as cakes “firm up” when chilled.