Mini Mincemeat Muffins

As there are always lots of mince pies absolutely everywhere at Christmas, it's nice to have something a little different around as well, like these pretty little muffins, with their jewelled topping.

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Method

Start off by sifting both flours, the baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Then, in another bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, milk, melted butter and mincemeat. Now return the dry ingredients to the sieve and sift them straight into the egg mixture (this double sifting is important because there won't be much mixing going on). Now take a large spoon and quickly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones, in about 15 seconds. Don't be tempted to beat or stir, and don't be alarmed by the rather unattractive, uneven appearance of the mixture: this is, in fact, what will ensure that the muffins stay light.

Then spoon in just enough mixture to fill each muffin cup and carefully sprinkle the chopped cherries over the surface of each one, followed by the crushed sugar and the spices. Bake on a high shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until well risen and brown. Remove the muffins from the oven and cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The muffins should be served very fresh.