Choc cherry popcorn cakes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 100g popping corn
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 65g dried cherries, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan oven 160C, gas mark 4). Put 14 paper bun cases into bun trays.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the popping corn, put the lid on and shake the pan to coat the kernels in the oil. Put the pan over a medium-high heat. The kernels will begin to pop, and when they do, carefully shake the pan occasionally.
3. When the popping stops, remove the pan from the heat. Cool for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the egg whites and cocoa powder together in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled popcorn and dried cherries, and then share the mixture between the bun cases.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set, and leave to cool.

A few popcorn kernels probably won’t pop – just remove them.

You could use sultanas or dried apricots instead of cherries.