Peanut Butter & Jam Cupcakes

Peanut butter and jam go together like duvets and books. Total soul-satisfying perfection. I eat a lot of nut butter as I adore the creaminess and flavour and am always happy to boost up my daily protein with it too, so getting my fave ingredient into a bake was a must for this book. The jam is a little hidden secret inside that will be delightfully discovered when bitten in to, and the creamy topping just makes these little dream boats even more decadent. Serve up when your mates or family drop over for tea, or give to your little ones as a cheeky treat.

MAKES 10 CUPCAKES

• 60g unsalted butter or coconut oil
• 120g coconut palm sugar
• 60g smooth peanut butter
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 120g white spelt flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk (almond, rice or dairy)
• For the raspberry chia jam:
• 200g raspberries, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2½ tbsp chia seeds

For the icing:

• 250g cream cheese, or dairy-free alternative
• 80g smooth peanut butter
• 40g honey

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas mark 4 and line a cupcake tin with 10 paper cases.
2. To make the jam, add the raspberries and honey to a pan and set over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, mashing the raspberries to release their liquid. Stir in the chia seeds and continue to simmer for 15 minutes until thick and viscous. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl cream together the butter or coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter and eggs, then fold in the flour, baking powder and milk. Divide the mixture between the paper cases and bake for 16–20 minutes until risen and golden.
4. A skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake should come out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely (otherwise the icing will melt).
5. To make the icing, combine the cream cheese, peanut butter and honey until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
6. Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out a small thumb-size hole from the centre of each one. (The excess bits of cake can be eaten as a snack while you assemble your cupcakes!)
7. Fill each hole with a teaspoon of the raspberry chia jam. Keep any remaining jam in a jar in the fridge. Top each cupcake with a tablespoonful of the icing, then position a raspberry on top of each one.