Ingredients
- 200g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 125g light brown soft sugar
- 1 parsnip (around 200g), peeled and grated
- 100g pecans, chopped, plus 10-12 whole pecans to serve (optional)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 eggs
- 125ml vegetable oil
For the frosting
- 50g icing sugar
- 50g softened butter
- 100g soft cheese
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra for drizzling (optional)
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Tip in the sugar and rub any lumps between your fingers to break them up.
- Mix in the grated parsnip and chopped pecans, ensuring that everything is fully combined. Pour the maple syrup into a jug and mix in the eggs and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix with a wooden spoon until nearly combined with a few specks of flour remaining. Spoon about 2 tbsp of the batter into each case, so they’re about three-quarters full. Bake for 22-24 mins until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Sift the sugar into a bowl and beat in the butter using an electric whisk. Fold in the soft cheese and maple syrup. If the frosting is too loose, whisk for a few minutes more or chill until it has stiffened up again.
- Spoon or pipe the frosting over the cooled muffins, then drizzle over some maple syrup, dust with cinnamon and decorate each one with a whole pecan, if you like.