After rising to fame as The Hebridean Baker on TikTok with more than 200K followers inspired by his baking, Coinneach MacLeod shares one of his beloved recipes which is very easy to follow.
Dundee muffins are absolutely delicious, and these ones topped with marmalade and with a drop or two of whisky in them are sure to be your go-to recipe for these special bakes from now on.
Coinneach, who is set to launch his first cookbook later this month will go on a Highlands and Islands book tour from September 17 to meet and greet some of his beloved fans across Scotland.
He will also stop in by Glasgow and Edinburgh before he heads to the Big Smoke for an event in the UK’s capital.
The Dundee muffins don’t take too long to make, so you can have them in the oven first thing and on the table in time for a late morning cuppa.
For more baking inspiration be sure to check out the rest of our Sweet Treats recipes.
Dundee muffins
Makes 12
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 175g soft butter
- 175g soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp marmalade
- 3 eggs
- 225g self-raising flour
- 25g ground almonds
- 1 heaped tsp mixed spice
- 400g mixed dried fruit
- 2 tbsp whisky
- 40g blanched almonds
For the glaze:
- 2 tbsp marmalade
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- Cream the butter and soft brown sugar until light. Add the marmalade and mix for a few seconds before slowly adding the eggs.
- Add the flour, almonds and spice to the batter. Mix slowly until well combined, then stir in the mixed dried fruit and whisky with a large metal spoon.
- Add roughly two tablespoons of the batter into each muffin case and create the distinctive Dundee Cake design by arranging the blanched almonds in a circle on top.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. They should be golden brown.
- Warm the marmalade for the glaze for 10 seconds in the microwave or gently in a small pan and then brush it over the warm muffins. Leave in the tin for five minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool.
The Hebridean Baker says: “Rumour has it Mary, Queen of Scots, did not like glacé cherries in her fruit cake – so this cake with blanched almonds was made for her instead.
“It’s one of the most famous cakes baked in the shop of Janet Keiller in Dundee!”
The Hebridean Baker, by Coinneach MacLeod, is published by Black & White Publishing on September 16 and is available from all good bookshops for £20. Photography by Euan Anderson.