Sticky ginger & beetroot muffins ( A delicious way to eat beetroot! )

Makes: 12 large muffins
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (For the muffins) :

• 200g golden syrup
• 200g black treacle
• 150g unsalted butter
• 125g dark brown sugar
• 100g stem ginger, cut into fine dice
• 4tsp ground ginger
• 2tsp ground cinnamon
• 250g pack cooked beetroot
• 250ml milk
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300g plain flour

For the icing:

• Zest 1 lemon, plus 1tbs juice
• 150g icing sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4, line a 12 hole muffin tray with cases.  

In a saucepan , add the golden syrup, black treacle, butter, dark brown sugar, stem ginger and both ground spices. Warm gently until butter and sugar have melted.  

Purée the beetroot in a food processor, and blend with the eggs, milk and bicarbonate of soda. Once the butter and sugar have melted, take the saucepan off the heat and add the milk, eggs & beetroot.  

Sieve the flour into a large mixing bowl and beat in the wet ingredients until they are smooth – batter will be quite runny.

Fill the muffin cases with the batter – this is easier if you use a jug – and bake in the preheated oven until firm but springy to the touch. Be careful not to overcook the muffins, they are nice a little sticky. Remove from the tin and allow to cool on a rack.  

Whilst the muffins are cooling make the icing by beating all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Drizzle over the muffins when they are completely cold.

These muffins keep really well for a few days in an airtight tin.