German Stollen Christmas Cupcakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 oz ground almonds
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 lb marzipan, roughly chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 lb butter
4 None eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 tbsp skim milk
3 oz chopped almonds
1/4 lb candied orange peel, finely chopped in a food processor
3 oz raisins
1 cup powdered sugar
12 None candied or maraschino cherries

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350\u00b0F. Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with paper liners. Heat a frying pan and dry fry the ground almonds until golden. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Beat the sugar, marzipan, vanilla extract, 1/3 pound butter and a pinch of salt with the whisk of a mixer until thick and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Beat gradually into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk, until all are incorporated. Fold in the chopped almonds, candied peel and raisins. Spoon into the paper liners. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.
In a small saucepan, melt 1/4 lb butter. Brush one-third over the hot cakes and sift over one-third of the powdered sugar. Repeat twice. Allow to cool. Decorate with the ground almonds and cherries.