Nettle and Elderflower muffins

Honey-glazed muffins topped with small white flowers on a plate, surrounded by green leaves and white flowers on a wooden surface.

Probably two of my favourite wild foods combined in cake form!
These can be made as muffins or n cake. I love the subtle earthy flavour the nettles bring, perfectly balanced with zesty lemon and sweet floral elderflower.

Makes one loaf tin or 12 muffins

Ingredients:
70-100g fresh young nettle tops, stalks trimmed away and well washed
100ml sunflower oil (or other vegetable oil of choice)
170ml water
Zest and juice of of half an unwaxed lemon (save the other half for the icing)
275g self-raising flour (I use half wholemeal, half white)
1 teaspoon baking powder
200g unrefined cane sugar (or other sugar of choice)
½-1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
A pinch of salt

For the elderflower drizzle:
150g icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons elderflower cordial
Zest and juice of remaining ½ lemon

Fresh elderflowers for decorating

Method:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees C (180 if fan assisted) or gas mark 6. Line a loaf tin or grease a 12-hole muffin tin.
2. Place the nettle tops in a food processor/blender along with the oil, water and the juice and zest of ½ lemon. Process until you have what looks like a green smoothie.
3. Now sift your flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and then add the sugar, salt and optional ground ginger.
4. Mix gently to combine into a smooth green batter. Transfer mixture to your prepared tin and then place in preheated oven. For muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes, or for a loaf tin 30-35 minutes. At this point check using a skewer. If the skewer comes out clear it is ready; if it is still sticky inside, bake for another 5-10 minutes before checking again. Times vary depending on your oven so may take up to 50-60 minutes.
5. Once cooked through, allow to cool completely before icing.
6. To make elderflower drizzle simply combine the icing sugar, elderflower cordial (start with just 1 tablespoon) and juice of ½ a lemon. Add elderflower cordial, water or more icing sugar until you reach the consistency you want for icing. Drizzle across you cake trying to cover as much of the cake as possible then top with the remaining lemon zest and fresh elderflowers. ENJOY!