*Tinker’s Muffins

I’m sneaking in a blog post a day early this week to celebrate St David’s Day! Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus pawb! Here in Wales everyone has their special own way of celebrating the patron saint of Wales on March the 1st. Kid celebrate in school with a full-on Eisteddfod, some pin a fresh daff to their suit before heading in to work, or pick up a pack of Welsh Cakes on the way home. I’ve heard that there are even a few pop-up celebrations in London this year, with both Borough Market and Paddington Station serving up Welsh nibbles to commuters (definitely not to be missed if you’re in and around the big smoke today!).

Me? Surprise, surprise, I like to celebrate with my stomach, and why not? Some of my favourite recipes are Welsh ones because they’re easy to make and taste good, and that’s probably down to the fact that food and drink produced here in Wales is tip top. So, today I’ve partnered up with Food and Drink Wales to celebrate Welsh Food and Drink by serving up this easy recipe for Tinker’s Muffins as well as a competition to win a hamper full of fantastic Welsh produce. If you fancy seeing what everyone else is cooking today, or want to share a recipe of your own, you can follow along by using the hashtags #ThisIsWales and #GwaldGwald.

Tinker’s Cake or “Dinca Fala” is an old Welsh recipe for an apple threaded version of the more popular Welsh Cake, and was a favourite of iron workers travelling around the South Wales Valleys. This version has a little added spice with some stem ginger and a sweet apple cider glaze. Yum! 🙂

Tinker’s Muffins (Makes 12)

Ingredients

200g self raising flour
1stp baking powder
1stp ground ginger
50g wholemeal spelt flour
100g demerara sugar
2 eggs
125 ml milk
4 tbsp melted butter (I used Dragon Menyn Hallt Cymraeig)
250g cooking apples (grated)
50g chopped stem ginger

For the glaze:

50g melted butter
175g icing sugar
2tbsp welsh cider (I used Taffy Apple Cider)
1tbsp pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 180°.
In a large bowl, mix together your dry ingredients – that’s the flours, ground ginger, baking powder and sugar.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter before stirring the mixture into the dry ingredients. Once combined, fold in your grated apple and chopped stem ginger.
Share the batter between twelve muffin cases, then bake for 25 minutes.
Once baked, leave the muffins to cool while you make up the glaze. Mix together the butter, icing sugar and cider until smooth then drizzle over the muffins. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds over the top, then serve. 🙂

Competition

Food and Drink Wales are offering up one hamper filled with Welsh Food and Drink goodies, including; Radnor Brecon’s Smoky Campfire Marmalade and Pin Gin Marmalade, Nom Nom Halen Mon Sea Salt Chocolate Bar and their Earl Grey Chocolate Bar, Tregroes Toffee Waffles, Tan Y Castell Welsh Cakes, Welsh Brew Tea Bag Sample Packs, a Welsh apron, as well as some Welsh Gin.

To be in with a chance of winning click here to enter. Entries close at midnight on Thursday 15th of March and the competition is open to UK residents over 18 only. I’ll announce the winner on Friday 16th of March. Good luck!

Now Closed!

Happy St David’s Day everyone! (And happy March 1st!) ♡