Muffins galore!

Fig and cardamom, pear and almond and pumpkin seed butter muffins!

For the Fig and Cardamom and the pumpkin seed butter muffins make a base with 225g unsalted butter and 225g caster sugar, 225g self raising flour and 4 eggs. Then mix in either 150g chopped ready to eat dried figs with 3 crushed cardamom seeds (the big green ones but without the green papery bit) or 115g pumpkin seed butter. Put in little cases. Bake at 200°C for 20min.

For the pear and almond muffins Soak 225g chopped dried pears in 4tbsp whisky for 1h. Blitz together 450g self raising flour, 115g usalted butter, 115g caster sugar, 2 eggs, 75ml plain yoghurt, 50g chopped almonds and the pears and their juice. Put in little cases. Bake at 175°C for 20min.

Some jolly sheep from a walk at Christmas - their bells made lovely tinkling noises!

A little New Year's Eve video - stills were taken every 30s from about 6 until about 10 in the evening. The music is Johann Strauss's Champagne Polka (appropriate I thought!).

Nyttarsmeny

Our fabulous New Years eve meal at Sorensons on the harbour front in Stavanger:

Kamchatka carb with avacado spring roll, wasabi cream and ginger foam

Trout, pumpkin soup, fennel and pumpkin seed oil

Deer filet and sausage, mashed potato, mixed vegetables and cranberry jus

Choclate cake with orange salad and panettone ice cream!