Arteries Are For Hardening
Late last night, I was thinking about the body’s capacity for healing. It might sound obvious, but it totally blows my mind how a relatively simple surgical intervention can completely remedy a problem. That said, relatively old school technology such as fax machines amaze me, so maybe my amazement threshold is pretty low to begin with?? That said, having relatively full function back in both my hands means that I’ve been able to start experimenting in the kitchen again.
I have to admit that the cupcake recipes in The Crabapple Bakery Cookbook (thanks Flygirl and M's!) scare me silly. I’m not a particularly girly girl, so the photos of the invariably pastel-coloured and very pretty creations leave me petrified. After flicking through to find the easiest-looking recipe with the least complicated icing, I decided to have a stab at the recipe below. I’m a big fan of Nutella – the kind of freak who is happy to devour it straight out of the jar. And even I have to admit that the richness of this icing is not for the faint-hearted.
CAKE
Makes 12
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
100 g very softened unsalted butter
1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 170 oC/350 oF and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake papers.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the castor sugar about one third at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition.
After the last addition, beat until the mixture is fluffy-looking. The sugar should have just about dissolved.
Add each egg one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
Add vanilla and beat until it’s combined.
Add one third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and combine while beating on low speed.
Add half of the yoghurt and beat until it’s mixed in. Repeat the process.
Add the last third of the flour and beat until it’s mixed in. Don’t overdo it, or the mixture will become too tough.
Add the hazelnuts and beat until mixed in.
Spoon the mixture into each cupcake paper, about 3/4 full. An ice-cream scooper seems to give a good quantity.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from the baking tray and allow to cool.
Wait about half an hour before icing.
EVIL ICING
400 g jar Nutella
1/3 cup whipped cream
Empty the contents of the Nutella jar into a large bowl.
Put the whipped cream into a separate bowl.
Add one quarter of the Nutella to the cream, and gently fold it in.
Add this folded mixture to the as yet unmixed Nutella.
Once combined thoroughly, take up large dollops of the Nutella-cream with a knife and spread over the top of each cupcake.
I have to admit that the cupcake recipes in The Crabapple Bakery Cookbook (thanks Flygirl and M's!) scare me silly. I’m not a particularly girly girl, so the photos of the invariably pastel-coloured and very pretty creations leave me petrified. After flicking through to find the easiest-looking recipe with the least complicated icing, I decided to have a stab at the recipe below. I’m a big fan of Nutella – the kind of freak who is happy to devour it straight out of the jar. And even I have to admit that the richness of this icing is not for the faint-hearted.
CAKE
Makes 12
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
100 g very softened unsalted butter
1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
1/4 cup ground hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 170 oC/350 oF and line a 12-hole muffin tray with cupcake papers.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the castor sugar about one third at a time, beating for about 2 minutes after each addition.
After the last addition, beat until the mixture is fluffy-looking. The sugar should have just about dissolved.
Add each egg one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
Add vanilla and beat until it’s combined.
Add one third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and combine while beating on low speed.
Add half of the yoghurt and beat until it’s mixed in. Repeat the process.
Add the last third of the flour and beat until it’s mixed in. Don’t overdo it, or the mixture will become too tough.
Add the hazelnuts and beat until mixed in.
Spoon the mixture into each cupcake paper, about 3/4 full. An ice-cream scooper seems to give a good quantity.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from the baking tray and allow to cool.
Wait about half an hour before icing.
EVIL ICING
400 g jar Nutella
1/3 cup whipped cream
Empty the contents of the Nutella jar into a large bowl.
Put the whipped cream into a separate bowl.
Add one quarter of the Nutella to the cream, and gently fold it in.
Add this folded mixture to the as yet unmixed Nutella.
Once combined thoroughly, take up large dollops of the Nutella-cream with a knife and spread over the top of each cupcake.
posted by yossarian | 7:04 PM
3 Comments:
yummo! i am definitl going to write this one down and make them in the holidays!
It was years before i realised there were other ways of eating nutella then straight from the jar... I think break ruins it!
Mmmmm! How were they?
bek - the same thing happened to me! it was ages before i realised that nutella was supposed to go on bread ... although it does go well on crepes ;p
leon - is that who i think it is?! the cupcakes were delish, although i think i went a bit heavy on the nutella so it overpowered the taste of the actual cake. maybe next time i should try the interim un-iced version, or just eat the cupcake upside-down?
Post a Comment
<< Home