Oh, Canada Cupcakes

Those who know me know I'm a bit of a Canadaphile. I choose to express my love in various ways, this time via the medium of cupcakes.


YOU WILL NEED
(makes 12 cupcakes)
200g butter
100g sugar
1 egg
100g self-raising flour
maple syrup
milk
icing sugar
bacon


THE METHOD

# On with the oven! Gas 4, 177c, 350f.

# Soften 100g of butter and beat in sugar until it is creamed. Add egg and mix thoroughly.

# Sift in flour and blend.

# Pour in about 30ml of maple syrup and mix well.

# Add milk or flour to make your mixture a thick batter. When you scoop it with a spoon it should neither run off or stick completely, but rather leisurely drift back to the bowl in a particularly louche manner.



# Grab a cupcake tray and line with cases. Drop about a tablespoon of mixture in each cupcake case.

# Bake! 15-20 minutes should do it. When cakes are risen and are a lovely golden colour, jab one with a skewer. If it comes out clean, cakes are done! If it has a bit of mix on, give them another few minutes.



# Set cakes out to cool while you make icing.

# Chop up 100g of butter and blend with 10ml of maple syrup.

# Add icing sugar until you have a thick paste. Ice the cakes! Eat as much icing as you want, it's incredibly delicious.

# Fry or grill bacon, about three rashers. Then chop up. Decorate lovely cupcakes with bacon.

# If you're special like me, you may wish to cut your bacon into the shape of a moose head. This is labour intensive. If you are a vegetarian, probably don't add the bacon, the maple cupcakes are delicious just as they are.





# Enjoy delicious Canadian cupcakes. Be prepared for people to look at you like you might have gone insane, but then propose marriage when they actually try one.