I have always wanted to know what gingerbread tastes like,I wasnt in the mood to make cookies, and I found this great recipe for gingerbread CUPCAKES. You can have it with or without the frosting. Tastes great either way.
Ingredients:
225 gm golden brown sugar
3 eggs, room temp.
225 gm flour
1 1/2 tbsp bak.powd.
2 1/2 tsp grated cinnamon or ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresly grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup cream/milk
Optional: 1/4 cup brandy, whisky or rum.
Frosting:
12 oz(340gm) cream cheese Room temp
6 tsp unsaled butter, R.T
2/3 cup maple syrup/golden syrup
1 1/4 cup icicng sugar
Sprinkle od ground cinnamon
Method:
- Line muffin tins. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C.
- Whip sugar and eggs until foamy. Add the dry ingredients and gently sir.
- Comine butter and cream and add slowly to the batter.
- Bake for 20 -25 mins. Cool.
- Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl. Add the syrup and powdered sugar and mix.
- Frost the cupcakes.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Have a merry Xmas!!
I have already put up the recipe for Devil's food cake. Its the same recipe, I have only changed the frosting. This cake is THE most decadent of all. I had some leftover Swiss Chocolate with Hazelnuts in the fridge and I thought of using it instead of dark chocolate to make the frosting for this cake. I must say, this frosting can be extremely tempting and you may not be able to hold off to frost the cake with it.
You see those yellow bud- like things?? They are Hazelnuts in the chocolate.
This was just YUMMM....
I dont know how many of you know about Nigella Lawson. I got this recipie from her site. Its a simple enough recipe and very tasty. You just need a few ramekins. I used metallic jelly moulds and a few glass bowls.
Ingredients:
100 gm dark chocolate
100 gm soft butter
200 gm sugar
4 eggs
50 gm flour
1/4 tsp bak.powd
salt
Glaze:
150 gm dark chocolate
45 gm butter
2x40 gm Crunchie Bars, broken into shards
Method:
- Break up the chocolate and melt it with butter over a double boiler. Cool.
- Beat eggs and sugar until thick, and pale and moussy, then gently fold in the flour, bak.powd and salt.
- Fold in the cooled chocolate moxture and then pour into 8 ramekins and bake for 25 mins at 180 degree C.
- For the glaze: Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler then whisk to form a smooth glossy mixture and spoon onto the cooked puddings.
- Decorate with crunchie rubble.
Can also decorate with pistachios or any other chocolate bar.
Enjoy!!
Chiffon cakes, I have heard are qiute tricky to make. They have a tendency to fall flat if the egg whites are not beaten and incorporated properly. So far I have made them thrice and haven't faced that problem. Not boasting here... just an observation. :)
Anyway's I am not fond of lemons in my cakes but I must say this is a fantastic cake!! And the glaze... is to die for!! So soft and light... Just melts in my mouth.
I know that chiffon cakes are asked to be made in tube pans, but i hate the removal of the cake from these pans. So I have just gone ahead and used a square baking tin. A round tin also can be used.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup veg oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp grated lemon peel
7 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar/ 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 160 degree C.
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat in cold water, oil, vanilla, lemon peel and 7 egg yolks until smooth.
- Beat egg whites and lemon juice till stiff peaks form. Gradually pour the batter over beaten egg whites folding with rubber spatula until just blended.
- Pour in to ungreases pan. Bake about 1 hour, or until the top springsback when touched lightly.
- If using a tube pan, turn it upside down on heat proof bottle. Cool.
- Spread creamy lemon glaze over the top of cake allowing some to drizzle down the sides.
Creamy Lemon Glaze
1/3 cup butter
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tsp lemon juice
Melt butter over low heat, add the lemon peel and podered sugar. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice 1 tbsp at a time until smooth and consistency of thick syrup.
Enjoy!!
Lemon Meringue Pie has always been a very traditional pie served in American households, and it has been especially popular with African-American home baker's.
I had the idea of making it from the TV show Desperate Housewives. There is an episode in which all the women absolutely drool over the Lemon meringue Pie that Bree makes and it turns out that its not hers!!! So I wanted to find out if it really is delicious, and voila!! It turned out good. But lemon curd is not my favourite.
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
6 tbsp. (3/4 stick/3 oz/84 gm) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup shortening
2 to 3 tbsp. ice water, or as needed
For the Lemon Curd:
3 eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp. milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
8 tbsp. (1 stick/4 oz/113 gm) softened unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions:
To Make the Pastry:
In the bowl of food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar and pulse once to mix. Add the butter and shortening and process short pulses to form pea-size crumbs, 20 to 25 seconds. While pulsing, gradually add the ice water to form larger, moist crumbs, 10 seconds more. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, with floured hands, shape the mixture into a flat disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.
To Make the Lemon Curd:
In the top pan of a double boiler or in a nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, milk and salt until blended. Then whisk in the lemon juice. Set the top pan over the bottom pan of simmering water but not touching the water, or set the saucepan ove medium-low heat. (If using a saucepan, take care not to heat the mixture too quickly.) Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until the mixture is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Begin adding the butter a little at a time, stirring each addition until blended before adding more. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until a finger drawn across the back of the spatula leaves a path, 8 to 10 minutes more. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Pass the curd through a chinois set over a nonreactive bowl and cool to room temperature.
Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish, fit the dough into the dish and trim the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold under the excess dough and, using your thumb, decoratively flute the edges.
To Make the Meringue:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp. at a time, beating on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes more.
Spread the meringue over the hot pie filling to the edges of the pastry to seal and prevent shrinkage. Bake until the top is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Dip a knife in warm water to cut slices.
These pretty little cupcakes make a perfect treat for a children's birthday party. They are colourful and pretty and is sure to be a hit with the kids!!
Ingredients:
Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla ext
1 cup milk
Frosting
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla ext.
Pink, blue, green, yellow food colouring
Pastel coloures sprinkles.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. LIne the muffin pan cups with paper liners.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Beat butter and sugar ina large mixer bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour alternately with milk. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 18 to 20 mins or until a wooden pick inserted in the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Spread cupcakes with warm frosting. Sprinkle lightly with sprinkles.
For Frosting:
Combine egg whits, sugar, corn syrup and water in a double boiler. Beat on high speed for 1 minute with a hand held mixer. Place over boiling water, beat on high speed for 7 minutes. Remove pan from boiling water add vanilla and beat on high for 2 minutes more until stiff enough to spread.
Makes 2 3/4 cups frosting.
Divide frosting into 3 or 4 medium bowls. Place a couple of drops of food colouring into each bowl and stir well.
Have Fun!
Hi. Its been a few dry months. Been kinda busy with shifting and school and such. I can only hope that I get the time to blog...
And like I wrote at the beginning, words have just deserted me. I dont have a thing in my mind except the housework and kids and food.... I'm guessing it'll take sometime to get into the flow...
I have started my baking but not really taken the time to snap pictures and load the recipes. I've been procrastinating.
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