Trick or Treat Muffins
A healthy treat for Halloween that adds plenty of fruit and veg to a muffin mix for a ghoulish green colour and turns our purple sweet potatoes into a vivid icing. Whether you see it as a trick or a treat it is definitely a spooky way to get your 5 a day. Tried and tested on Riverford co-owners.
Cook's notes
Inspired by a recipe given to us by our friends at Chefs for Schools who make a bright green Hulk cake by blitzing peas into the mix. We’ve gone for a supervillain rather than a superhero as we think the green and purple are reminiscent of the Joker.
Ingredients
main
- 100g unsalted butter
- 180g caster sugar
- 100g mashed banana
- 60g coarsely grated apple
- 120g baby spinach
- 1 egg
- 50ml milk
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
- 125g blueberries
for the icing:
- 2 large purple sweet potatoes (you’ll need 300g of cooked flesh)
- 80g maple syrup
- 120g cream cheese
Method
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Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180⁰C/Gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin/cupcake tray with paper cases.
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Step 2
Pop the sweet potatoes in the oven to roast, they’ll take about 45 minutes or so until completely soft and fudgy in the middle. It is okay for them to share the oven space with the muffins, so if they go in while you weigh and make the mixture, they might be ready at the same time. When they are ready, leave them to cool alongside the muffins.
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Step 3
For the muffins, melt the butter in a small pan over a gentle heat. Tip it into a food processor and add the sugar, banana, apple and spinach. Whizz for a minute or two, until the spinach is very finely chopped, and the mixture is a vivid green. Add the egg and milk and blend quickly to incorporate.
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Step 4
Sift the flour and bicarb into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Stir them together so that they are evenly mixed.
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Step 5
Pour the mixture from the processor into the flour and fold it together a couple of times until half-mixed. Avoid using an electric mixer for this part; use a spatula or wooden spoon instead. Now add the blueberries and fold it together a few more times, until it has just come together into a batter. Take care to not overmix it; stop as soon as you stop seeing any dry parts in the mix.
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Step 6
Now divide the mix evenly into the muffin tray. Transfer gently to the oven and bake for 25-30 mins, until golden and risen. A knife tip or skewer should come out clean when they are ready. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins before cooling completely on a rack alongside the sweet potatoes.
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Step 7
When the sweet potatoes are completely cool, remove the skins and weigh out 300g of the flesh. Pop it into a small processor along with the maple syrup and blend until completely smooth. Add the cream cheese and blend it all together. Use this to ice the top of the muffins – you can use a piping bag if you are feeling fancy.