Recipes for Sleepovers

Children's sleepovers can be a lot of fun. Annabel Karmel shares her recipes for some tasty treats which children will enjoy making and eating.

Funny Face Cupcakes
Makes 10 - Prep time: 45 mins   -  Cooking time: 20 mins

For the cakes: 125g/4½oz butter or margarine
125g/5oz caster sugar
½ tsp lemon zest
2 eggs
125g/5oz self-raising flour
¼ tsp baking powder

For the icing: 150ml/5fl oz water
450g/1lb royal icing sugar
Pink and yellow food colouring

For the decoration: Black writing icing
Assorted sweets
sugar flowers
White chocolate buttons
Tub of readymade buttercream

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Line a muffin tin with ten paper cases. Cream the butter in an electric food mixer until soft. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, then mix in the lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time and add a tablespoon of the flour with the second egg, beat continuously, then sift in the remaining flour and
baking powder. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for about 20 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool in the muffin tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are baking, you can prepare the icing. Put the water and royal icing sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk slowly at first, then gradually increase to a high speed and beat for approximately three minutes. Divide the icing into three small bowls, leave one plain and colour the other two with a few drops of food colouring. Spread the icing over the surface of the cupcakes. Design your own funny faces using a selection of sweets and pipe on buttercream to make the hair.

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