Christmas Wreath Cupcakes

• 125g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 175g Caster Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 175g Self-raising Flour, sieved
• 150g Luxury Mincemeat

To decorate

• Icing Sugar, for dusting
• 250g ready-to-roll White Fondant Icing
• 50g Apricot Jam, melted
• 300g Royal Icing Sugar
• 2 tbsp cold Water
• Green Food Colouring
• Red Sugar Balls

Equipment

• 55 cm round cutter
• disposable piping bag
• small leaf nozzle

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5.
2. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.
3. Whisk the butter and sugar together with an electric hand whisk or beat with a wooden spoon until pale and creamy.
4. Gradually whisk in the eggs until just combined.
5. Add the flour and mincemeat and whisk again until combined and fluffy.
6. Divide between the paper cases and bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until golden and risen.
7. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to go cold.
8. Lightly dust a clean work surface with a little icing sugar. Roll out the fondant icing until about 3-4 mm thick. Then, using a 5.5 cm round cookie cutter, stamp out 12 circles. You may need to re-roll the icing.
9. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the apricot jam then put a white circle on each, lightly pressing down.
10. Whisk the royal icing sugar and water together for 5 minutes until stiff peaks form.
11. Add a little green food colouring and continue to whisk until you have the right colour.
12. Put the icing into a piping bag with a leaf nozzle.
13. Working all the way around the outside edge of each cupcake, pipe in a zigzag motion, slightly overlapping the fondant icing.
14. Decorate with red sugar balls and leave to set for 1 hour.