I'm about to make these for the first time so haven't a clue how they'll turn out.   

50g almond paste

225g/8oz/ One and a half cups plain flour

1tablespoon baking powder

Half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

75g/2.5 oz/between a third and a quarter cup sugar

1teaspoon mixed spice

200g/7oz/one and a half cups dried fruit, raisins, sultanas etc

150ml/5fl.oz/two thirds cup milk

1 egg

50g/2oz/one quarter cup butter, melted, not hot.

Preheat oven to 375-400F, 190-200C, Gas 6

Prepare muffin tins, this should make 9 large muffins

Roll out the almost paste into very thin strips.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a bowl with the sugar, spice and dried fruit,. Mix the milk, egg and butter well together then pour into the dried ingredients and mix lightly until just blended, it should look lumpy but with no dry flour visible.

Spoon into the paper cases and top with a cross of almond paste.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. These will keep for three days in a tin. No chance in this house unless I burn them to a crisp.

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Wow, Nina, those sound yummy! Let us know how they turn out. If I had the ingredients here, I'd make them to take to my mom's tomorrow!

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Trace, the muffins were pretty good and tasted of hot cross buns but they lacked the Wow! factor.  They were quick to make, though, and I got twelve out of the recipe.  No way was I going to roll out strips of marzipan, it's not something I keep a stock of anyway, so I just scattered some flaked almonds on top before baking.

Our family favourites are lemon cheesecake, or raspberry and cream cheese muffins.  I want to try using caramel chips but they aren't on sale over here. Does anyone know if I could just smash up a slab of toffee with a hammer and use the small pieces?

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I would say you could. Over here, Nestle puts out Skor pieces in bags like they have chocolate chips in. I'd say it's pretty much the same thing as toffee, just a bit more brittle (somewhere between peanut brittle and toffee.) So yeah, toffee would probably work out fine. Give it a try! 

The raspberry and cream cheese muffins sound delicious...don't give me the recipe tho, because I'm trying to lose some weight and I'd most likely be the one here to eat the most of them!!

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.