6 great cupcakes in a jiffy

I have been trying  many cupcake recipies of late.  All have been found wanting, until this one.  I wanted a cupcake that was versatile, not too sweet, had a good, light cake, but not crumbly, and that was delicious.  Not much to ask?  So many of the recipies just did not stack up, too sweet, cakes that did not rise well, etc. even Nigella did not come up to the mark.

Well here is a recipie that I adapted from one that Matt Preston's friend Carol, put up on Taste (click here for the link).

This makes 6 large cupcakes or 10ish small ones.  That's perfect for our family. The cakes turn out with a rounded top, they are not the flat type of cupcake I have often seen.  I have not included Icing recipie, as I'm sure you have your favourite one.  You can easily double the recipe, or more if you want!  Vary the flavours once you have mastered the cakes, the next one I am going to make is coconut and lime.  Just remember to remove a little of the flour (no more than a tablespoon) if you are going to add a dry ingredient like coconut or cocoa for chocolate cakes.

The icing will ice 6 cupcakes, and is based on Magnolia Bakery's Buttercream - which in turn is an old fashioned buttercream recipe.  I have also included the measurements for a large cake, as once you use this icing you will want to use it again. I use vanilla extract in the icing, not a vanilla bean - it seems to work better, taste to see if it strong enough for you.  You can use any flavouring you like, try zest of lemon or almond extract.  You can also add food colouring to the icing.

Two things to remember about the icing 1) the butter MUST be very soft.   2) when you think it is mixed enough, mix it for another couple of minutes.

EASY APPLE SLICE

The original recipie comes from one of the 4 ingredients books.  It is so easy, and versitile it will become a staple.  You can have everything in the cupboard, and just buy some sour cream and away you go.  It's a great one to have up your sleeve.

You can use any type of stewed fruit - in fact, this is a good recipie for using up fruit near the end of its shelf life.  Try peaches, apples of course, apricots, berries  - the list goes on.  You can also vary the cake mix if vanilla sounds a bit boring.  Go gluten free with a gluten free cake mix.

Flat bread

This is a flat bread that comes out very soft and chewy.  Most important to roll it out as thin as you can, and also to have the pan very hot when you cook it.  You can vary the flour by using all SR flour if you don't have any of the other kinds.   In fact, you can play around with the flour, using wholemeal, or adding some spelt, changing the mix etc.  See what suites you.

Atta flour is a south Indian flour, used for flatbreads and available in most Australian supermarkets.

 

Mayonnaise in 10 seconds flat

When I saw Matt Preston do this on Masterchef I did not believe it actually worked, in fact I made the mayo an hour earlier than I needed to because I did not believe it.   But it does!  It's the same basic mayonnaise recipie I have tried to make lots of time, but using a different method. Believe me I have tried dribbling in the oil, I have tried using the blender - but mayonnaise has never worked for me at home.

Well, here is the link online: http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/masterchef/recipes/slow-roasted-lamb-with-flatbread-and-mayo.  I have just put the method into this recipie, as it seems to make more sense that way.  To make it you need a stick blender and its cup.  
A couple of things to remember:

• be gentle with the ingredients
• the yolk needs to be whole
• put the basket of the stick blender over the yolk, so that the blades immediately blend the yolk
• then gently bring it up the blender cup to make the mayonnaise.

Fragarant orange semolina cake

Thanks to the wonderful Neil Perry for this cake!  I make it in a loaf tin, which makes 10 large slices, but you can double the ingrediants easily and make it in a 20x30cm tin. The cake does not rise a lot, being a semolina cake it is quite dense.

Its easy, and quick to make, but be sure to not over mix the batter, and do not overcook the cake. 
I think you could spice the cake up with a little cinnamon and nutmeg if you like. 

 

Pangritata

Pangritata means 'poor mans parmesan' and is used to top off a dish that needs some freshness and zest.  Cook it with variations that suit the main dish.  This recipie came from Australian masterchef and was used to top off a apricot chicken, hence the use of the orange.

Variations to the recipie include the following ingredients (but you can vary it according to what you like):
garlic
lemon instead of orange
herbs, rosemary or thyme are usual.
pine nuts or walnuts
chili
anchovies
parsley
butter

Ingredients

2 slices bread, cut into 1 cm cubes - use sourdough if you have any
4 slices prosciutto - cut into small pieces
¼ cup capers
zest of ½ orange
salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Method

Add olive oil, bread and prosciutto to the frypan and cook until crisp.
Add capers and orange zest and season.
Remove from heat

Choc Meringues (like the Burough Markets)

I first saw meringues like these at the Borough Markets, decadent and huge, with chocolate in the cracks, and 2 pounds 50 each!

This is a great way to use up left over egg whites if you have made a spaghetti carbonara.  Just put the egg whites in a glass and cover them with cling film pressed down to make sure there is no air on the egg whites.  You can also use egg whites that are available now in most supermarkets.  Remember the ratio of 1gram egg white to 2 gram caster sugar, and adjust the cornflour and cocoa powder accordingly (its not critical!). 

What is important in this recipie is to follow the whipping and sugar instructions.  If you don't have a microwave, you can heat the sugar in the oven.  Don't hurry these steps!  Oh, and don't forget to turn the oven down.

The meringues don't have to be chocolate, you could use berries.  Serve them with whipped cream and whatever fruit or sauce takes your fancy.  Raspberry Coulis would be nice, but my husband loves fresh passionfruit.