A WEST Devon woman has proved her cupcakes are the cream of the crop, after winning a national recipe competition.

Homes expert and broadcaster Aggie MacKenzie has chosen 'Chocolate and salty peanut cupcakes' as the winning recipe in the 2012 National Nut Day recipe competition — a delicious combination dreamed up by Janine Bailey, of Bere Alston.

The TV presenter, who has just published Aggie's Family Cookbook (Pavilion), judged the winning recipe from sweet and savoury entries from all over the country.

Janine received a personally signed cookbook from Aggie, plus a delicious nutty hamper from Fairtrade nut company Liberation Foods, Divine Chocolate and Olives Et Al.

Aggie looked for flavour, texture, appearance and general 'more-ishness' from the recipes sent in.

She says: 'Nuts add so much to so many dishes. They can add crunch to dinners and vitamins and minerals to puddings and biscuits.

'Janine's cakes were absolutely yummy and a really interesting recipe.'

Janine lives with fiancé Greg and will shortly be the cook at a pub in Launceston which is being refurbished by her future son-in-law.

She said: 'I am not a trained chef but I love cooking and experimenting and pass my end results to my neighbours to try and they usually get the seal of approval.

'My fiancé loves nuts so I try to incorporate them into a lot of recipes – especially as they are so good for you.'

Managing director of Liberation Foods, Kate Gaskell, says: 'Huge congratulations to Janine for creating an extra-specially delicious nutty recipe — a great example of one of the many ways that nuts can enhance our cooking.'

And here it is: Chocolate and salty peanut cupcakes – Janine Bailey.  

You will need:

r 50g cocoa powder                         

r 200ml boiling hot water                              

r 125g butter, softened                           

r 150g caster sugar                               

r 50g dark brown sugar                              

r 1tsp vanilla extract

r 2 large eggs, room temperature                     

r 200g self-raising flour                               

r 1tsp baking powder                             

r ¼ tsp baking soda                               

r ¼ tsp salt                        

r 75g roasted salted peanuts

For the chocolate buttercream:                  

r 120g butter, softened                           

r 200g icing sugar, sifted                                

r 50g dark chocolate, melted.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.

2. Stir the hot water in with the cocoa until smooth and leave to cool.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

4. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour in one go. Then the cooled cocoa powder. Fold in the peanuts.

5. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 18 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Place on wire racks to cool completely.

For the chocolate buttercream:

1. Cream the butter, gradually add the sugar until smooth and creamy.

2. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and continue creaming until fully combined.

3.  Pipe onto the cupcakes using a piping bag and then, garnish with roasted peanuts.