Blackberry and almond mini-muffins

Ingredients

1 egg

85 ml sunflower oil

125 ml milk

1 tsp almond essence

4 oz self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

3 oz caster sugar

1 oz ground almonds

2 oz blackberries

1 oz flaked almonds

For the icing

75g mascarpone

Icing sugar

½ tsp almond essence

Blackberries, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Place 12 mini-muffin cases in tins.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the egg, oil, milk and almond essence and beat well.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, add the sugar and ground almonds, and use a large metal spoon to fold the ingredients together.
4. Fold in the blackberries and flaked almonds.
5. Carefully spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. 
6. To make the icing, place the mascarpone and almond essence into a mixing bowl, and sift in the icing sugar, mixing until you get a smooth, thick paste. 
7. Once the cakes are completely cool, ice and decorate each with a blackberry.