Carob cupcakes

Welcome in 2015 :) ! Happy New Year !

It's high time to catch up with some unpublished recipes. I baked those cupcakes in October last year but haven't got enough time to publish the recipe. 

This is recipe for those who have to avoid chocolate. Carob is healthier chocolate substitute you may read about it here. It has plenty of vitamins, minerals etc.. It has darker than chocolate color and slightly different flavour. 

This recipe comes form carob box. I think it's worth to try.

    Ingredients for 12 cupcakes:

• 100g margarine
• 100g brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 50g carob
• 40g wholewheat flour (I used spelt flour)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 40g ground almonds

Line muffin tin with paper cases. Preheat the oven to 180C.

Put the margarine  and sugar into electric mixer bowl and beat them. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Mix the egg yolks with vanilla and almond essence and add to the mixture in an electric mixer bowl and beat them together. 

In separate bowl mix the carob, flour, baking powder and almonds. Whip the egg whites until stiff. Add alternately the flour mixture and egg whites foam to the mixture in mixer beating continuously. 

 Spoon the batter to the muffin cases. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until well risen. 

Set aside to cool down. Prepare the frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

• 80g icing sugar
• 25g carob
• 40g butter
• 4 tsp hot water

Place all the ingredients in a bowl  and mix them until turn into thick, smooth mass.

Spread over each cupcake top and sprinkle with chopped almonds.

   Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish
 

German chocolate cupcakes

This is Ina Garten's recipe for German chocolate cupcakes . As usually cupcakes were divine. Spongy, chocolate cake with lovely rich custard frosting packed with coconut, almonds and pecans. I truly recommend it to everybody.

Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:

• 170g butter
• 150g sugar
• 120g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 125 ml sour cream
• 2 tbsp freshly brewed coffee
• 295g flour
• 41g coca powder (should be twice that much but I haven't got more in the cupboard)
• 1 1/2 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Place the flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt in a bowl and whisk them together.  In a separate bowl whisk the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.

Butter, sugar and brown sugar beat in an electric mixer until fluffy for about 5 minutes. Add one egg at a time. When egg are well incorporated add the vanilla extract. Then beating continuously add alternately the flour and buttermilk mixture in three additions. 

Spoon the batter into prepared paper cases, 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Transfer baked cupcakes into a wire rack to cool down. In a meantime prepare the frosting.

Frosting ingredients:

• 170g butter
• 410g evaporated milk
• 230 g brown sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 135g dessicated coconut
• 100g almond flakes
• 50g chopped pecans
• 1/4 tsp salt

 Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Stir in the milk, brown sugar and egg yolks. Heat this mixture up stirring continuously. Cook for 15 minutes until thickens. Set aside from the heat and add the vanilla extract and almond essence. Then stir in the coconut, almond, pecans and salt. Set aside for an hour to cool the mixture down.

Spread the mixture over each cupcake top.

 Enjoy !

Recipe in Polish

 

Almond cupcakes with mascarpone frosting

Those aromatic, rich and dense almond cupcakes are perfect for Christmas. Topped with Mascarpone frosting which should resemble Christmas trees. They are easy to make and look lovely. Perfect as a small Christmas gift or edible table decoration. 

The recipe for a cupcakes comes from this web site and the one for frosting from this one. 

Ingredients for 12-15 cupcakes:

• 140g flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 175g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 3 eggs
• 100g natural yogurt 
• 175g melted butter

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Melt the butter down and set aside to cool down. Place the flour, almonds, baking powder, sugar in a bowl and mix them together. Set aside. In separate bowl whisk the eggs, almond extract and natural yogurt.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ones add the melted butter and mix until combined. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases, about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20 -25 minutes. Bake until skewer inserted in the middle on the cake comes out clean.

Transfer baked cupcakes into a wire rack to cool them down completely before piping the frosting.

Ingredients for frosting 12 cupcakes:

• 100ml cold double cream
• 250g Mascarpone cheese
• 5 tbsp icing sugar*
• green food colouring
• almond essence
• chocolate starts
• sugar sprinkles

* if you wish you can add more sugar as those frosting is not very sweet

Place the Mascarpone cheese, sugar and food colouring in a bowl and mix them until smooth . 

With an electric whisk whisk the double cream until foamy. Then add the almond essence and Mascarpone mixture. Mix all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Put the frosting into piping bag with nozzle and decorate the cupcakes. Place the chocolate star on top and sprinkle with some sugar sprinkles. 

For recipe in Polish please click here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW 2014 YEAR !!

Enjoy !

Peach and almond muffins

Moist, dense and crunchy with almond chunks, topped with juicy peach jam and fresh peaches. That would be the best description of those muffins. Perfect with tea or coffee. 

Ingredients for 12 muffins:

• 3 big eggs (I had ones with double yolks)
• 200g sugar
• almond essence
• 50g melted butter
• 200g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 50g ground almonds (mine were very chunky)
• pinch of salt
• peaches
• peach jam
• almond flakes

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Break the eggs, add the sugar and almond essence and whisk them until smooth and creamy.

Sift the flour, baking powder and soda and fold them gently into the eggs. Then gently fold in the almonds and melted butter.

Spoon the batter into paper cases, half full. Spoon one tea spoon of peach jam on top of each muffin. Then place slices of fresh peaches and sprinkle with flakes almonds. 

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until skewer place in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy !

Plum, oat and almond muffins

Dense, moist, sweet muffins with plum and almond chunks. The recipe comes form this website.

Ingredients for 10 - 12 muffins:

• 350g stoned plums ( I had frozen and thawed them before baking)
• 1 egg
• 115g melted butter
• 150 ml milk
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 115g flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 100g cane sugar
• 85g rolled oats
• 25g almond flakes
• lemon zest

Topping:

• 2 tbsp rolled oats
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp almond flakes

Wash the plums. Remove stones. 6 plums cut into 24 wedges the rest of them cut into chunks. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down.

Whisk the egg, add the milk, butter and almond extract. Mix all ingredients well.

Into a big bowl place the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and stir them well. Then add the oats, almond flakes and mix again. At last add chopped plums and freshly grated lemon zest. Combine all the ingredients.

Then pour in the wet ingredients. Combine all ingredients until just moist. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases 3/4 full. Sprinkle with rolled oats, place 2 - 3 plum wedges on top of the each muffin, then sprinkle with sugar and almond flakes.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes until well risen and golden on the top.

Enjoy !

Marzipan cupcakes

Those moist, fluffy marzipan cupcakes are very delicious. This time I prepared them for Easter. 

This thing on top of each cupcake supposed to be a chick or duckling but for some reason it looks like something between very slim goose or dove :). Things happen :(. 

Ingredients for 8 cupcakes:

• 90g flour
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 90g soft butter or margarine
• 90g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp almond extract 
• 40g marzipan

 Preheat the oven to 190C. Line muffin tins with muffin cases.

Dice or shred the marzipan and set aside.

Sift the flours, baking powder into a electric mixer bowl. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and almond extract and beat until smooth. Fold in the marzipan chunks. 

Spoon the batter into paper cases 3/4 full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until well risen and golden. 

Transfer to the wire rack to cool down.

To decorate melt the chocolate an pour over each cupcake. Then when chocolate starts setting stick to it edible decorations made off the marzipan. 

Enjoy !

Happy Easter !!