You can’t fail to get into the Christmas spirit with these little cuties!

Makes: 18 cupcakes

Preparation time: 45 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 100g dark chocolate
• 250ml water
• 125g butter, softened
• 255g brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 75g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• Large bag of pretzels
• Mini white chocolate buttons
• 18 red M&M’s
• 36 green or blue M&M’s
• Chocolate piping gel 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Line an 18-capacity muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water, gradually stirring in water until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a food processor until pale and creamy, then add eggs one at a time. Gradually mix in the self-raising flour, plain flour, cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the paper cases, filling to about ¾ full.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centres comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Now for the best bit – make your reindeer faces! Use a pretzel for antlers – attach with piping gel. Attach a red M&M to a white chocolate button using a little blob of piping gel for a nose, then arrange two green or two blue M&Ms for eyes. Create pupils on the eyes with chocolate piping gel.