I turned to this great recipe from Nigella Lawson for my contribution to my aunt's 93rd birthday party. However, she called for cherry preserves, which I didn't have, but I did have some excellent organic blueberry jam, as well as some dried blues to garnish the tops. So here's my Chocolate Blueberry Cupcakes, with cheers to Nigella.


125g soft unsalted butter

100g Ghirardelli double chocolate chips

300g blueberry jam

150g caster sugar

pinch of salt

2 large eggs, beaten

150g self-raising flour



for the icing:

100g Ghirardelli double chocolate chips

100ml whipping cream

36 plump dried blueberries



Preheat the oven to 350.

Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the blueberry jam, sugar, salt and eggs. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated stir in the flour.

Scrape and pour into silicon muffin liners in a tin and bake for 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before turning out.

When the cupcakes are cool, put the chocolate chips and the cream in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and then whisk by hand till thick and smooth. Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon, and place 3 dried blueberries in the center of each.

Makes 12. Garnish with birthday candles and Bluebell ice cream, if desired!