Black Tea Cupcakes

Another one of my experiments in the cupcake area, it came to me while thinking of a way to use different flavors in my baking. Ever since a friend of mine introduced me to black tea, I've been drinking it as a substitute to cola and I thought I could use it as a cupcake flavor, since Cupcake Creations has a nice Chai tea recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp + 1 tsp of black tea mixture

1 egg

1/3 cup of sugar, plus extra for topping

1/3 cup of butter, softened

1/3 cups of Self-rising flour, sifted

1/12 cup of milk (about one-third of 1/4 cup)

1 tsp of cinnamon sugar, plus extra for topping

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 320° F. Line the cupcake tray with non-stick spray. Boil 1/4 cup of water and add the tea mixture

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, add the butter and sugar, then mix until light and fluffy. Add the milk, flour and tea. Whisk until the consistency is light and creamy.

Divide the mixture evenly between each hole (about 3/4 of the way up, to leave space for their expansion). Bake for 15-18 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Allow the cupcakes to cool down and rest until they're cool enough to eat. Sprinkle the extra cinnamon and sugar to top and enjoy!


Makes 4.

Chocolate cupcakes with lemon filling

There's something about Sundays that just motivate me to cook a nice full meal. This week I made some mini pepper and cheese burgers with fried julienne-sliced red potatoes. My boyfriend (and sous chef I might add) and I like to make these together when the upcoming week is pretty mellow.

For dessert, I made chocolate cupcakes, since I've ended up being drawn to making cupcakes now (late for the bandwagon I'm sure).

Ingredients

1 egg

1/3 cup of self rising flour

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 tsp of almond extract

1/3 cup of caster sugar

1/3 cup of butter, softened

1/8 cup of milk

4 tbsp of chocolate powder

1 tbsp of vegetable oil

Lemon buttercream filling

1/3 cup of butter

Zest of 1 lemon and half its juice.

Preheat the oven to 320° F. Line the cupcake tray with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, add the butter and sugar, then mix until light and fluffy. Add the milk, flour, both extract and chocolate powder, and stir to combine. Whisk until the consistency is light and creamy.

Divide the mixture evenly between each hole (about 3/4 of the way up, to leave space for their expansion). Bake for 15-18 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Allow the cupcakes to cool down and rest on a wire rack until they are ready for the filling.

The naked cupcakes with little Eggsworth

While the mini cakes are cooling down, combine the sugar, butter and lemon juice and zest with a spoon (wooden recommended) until well mixed, then whisk until light and fluffy. Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a medium star nozzle (I used a simple Ziplock bag with a corner cut) and set aside until said cakes are cool enough to avoid melting.

When done cooling, make a small whole and squeeze the filling into the cupcakes and pipe as cover. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

Ta da!

Frutezia cupcakes

Because I "don't" have enough things to do when I'm bored (says the girl who has two perspective drawings to do).

After shopping around with a friend of mine, I found this delightful gift set:

Instant love for this!

and bought it immediately. It's a fully equipped set for the beginning cupcake cook (like me) with: a silicon 4-cup tray, a piping bag, four different nozzles and a small 48 page cookbook. Curiosity begged me to try it out ASAP as the beautiful pictures captivated my imagination. Since my boyfriend's roommate has an overstock of a particular light wine that no one likes, I decided to use it in the culinary pursuit of alcoholic cupcakes.

Vineyard Blend Frutezia(c) Cupcakes

(referenced here is "Cupcake Creations" by Hinkler Books)

Ingredients:

-1 egg

-1/3 cup sugar

-1/3 cup of butter, softened

-1/6 cup of milk (fill half a 1/3 cup)

-1/2 cup of self rising flour, sifted

-2/3 tbsp of Vineyard Blend Frutezia Wine*

Topping

-1/3 cup of icing sugar (note: since I had none, I used regular sugar, it will be grainy, but just as delicious)

-1/3 cup of butter, softened.

-1/2 tbsp of Vineyard Blend Frutezia Wine

-Cinnamon sugar (found in your local supermarket's spice aisle)

Preheat the oven to 320° F. Line the cupcake tray with non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, add the butter and sugar, then mix until light and fluffy. Add the milk, flour and Frutezia and stir to combine. Whisk until the consistency is light and creamy. If you like, add a few drops of food coloring to make a bigger visual impact.

Divide the mixture evenly between each hole (about 3/4 of the way up, to leave space for their expansion). Bake for 15-18 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.

Allow the cupcakes to cool down and rest on a wire rack until they are ready for the frosting.

They look naked don't they?

While the mini cakes are cooling down, combine the sugar, butter and wine with a spoon (wooden recommended) until well mixed, then whisk until light and fluffy. Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a medium star nozzle (I used a simple Ziplock bag with a corner cut) and set aside until said cakes are cool enough to avoid melting.

When done cooling, pipe the icing onto the cupcakes and sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar to finish. Do enjoy with a cold glass of milk or wine!

Makes 4

*NOTE: The wine used can be replaced with your favorite liquor, just be careful with its strength as it might easily overpower the sweetness in the cupcake.

DIY Malasadas//Pancake Puffs

Ever been to Denny's recently? Their pancake puppies are probably my favorite thing on the menu. I figured I could surprise my boyfriend when he came over for dinner (detailed on another post). Ever since then, I’ve been making up new ways to make these convenient snacks more delectable than the last batch.

DIY pancake pups*

Makes 10 puffs **

1/2 cup of preferred pancake mix (I used Buttermilk)

1/3 cup of milk

1/4 cup of all purpose flour

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

3/4 cup of vegetable oil

Pancake syrup

**To make more, simply double all ingredients.

To make the dough, mix the pancake mix with the milk and vanilla until creamy with a whisk. Add the flour to add texture and stability to the mix (you’ll thank me later when frying). If still liquid, add 1/4 cup more.

Note that you can add whatever you like in the dough for flavor, like caramel or fruit, as long they’re not too hard.

Once the dough’s ready (should be easy to mold and shape), dust some flour on your hands and a dessert spoon. Use the spoon to scoop out some dough and use your hands to make them into little balls.

Heat the oil in a saucepan (recipe works with a deep fryer as well!). Fry up those puffs until crisp and golden on the outside; they'll be soft and fluffy on the inside.

Enjoy and remember to share the fluffy goodness!

*Pancake Puppies ® Denny's*

Note: The puppies are actually known as malasadas, a type of Portuguese donuts

Cream Pudding covered with Meringue

Little egg-y wonders

Very egg-y and simple dessert that impressed my friend who came over way back in April. I'll update this recipe as soon as I can.

Recipe's based on two found in "The Essential Dessert Cookbook".

Custard:
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Meringue topping
4 egg whites
1 cup of sugar

To start, separate 4 eggs. Since we'll be using all of the eggs, store the whites separately for later. Boil the milk in a large saucepan on medium-high, being careful not to let it curl (it shouldn't take more than 7 minutes). Should it curl, stir it lightly until the thin film of curd is gone.

While the milk's getting ready, whisk the eggs and sugar until it's light and creamy (takes about 10 minutes by hand). Slowly pour the mixture into the milk and let it cook for 5 minutes until pale and thick, stirring it constantly. About 2 minutes before the cream's ready to bake, add the vanilla extract.

Get the hot bath ready by placing 4 ramekins into oven-safe soup bowls. Fill the bowls with boiling water up to halfway up the ramekins height. Pour the cream into each ramekin.

While they start cooking on their own, whisk the egg whites and the sugar until stiff white peaks form. Scoop the mixture onto the ramekins, being careful not to mix them. Place the plates onto a baking sheet and bake until the meringues are golden brown.

Enjoy!