Chocolate cupcakes for Easter - four ways

I wanted to make cupcakes to take when we went to our friends place for dinner. Being Easter, we have A LOT of Easter eggs at home at the moment, so I thought I would incorporate some of them to use them up. I love chocolate, so the less temptation around me, the better!


Makes 24
Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rice bran oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Method:

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C. Spray and line pans with 24 cupcake liners.

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil.  Beat ingredients with a mixer for approx two minutes. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.  Add the boiling water, and beat until just blended. Don't over-mix.  

I must admit I was really worried after adding the boiling water - the batter looked more like watery hot chocolate than anything else. 

If you are using silicon cupcake pans like me, make sure you put them on oven trays that they are going to sit on when you put them in the oven to bake. This is important because the pans are very flexible and the batter is so liquidy - if you filled the pans and then tried to move them without being on a stable surface, the pans won't be able to support the contents and the batter will just spill everywhere.

Because the batter is so thin, the easiest way to fill the cupcake pans is by pouring the batter in (e.g using a jug).

Easter cupcake filling - four ways

1. "Top deck" chocolate cupcakes
Crush up Cadbury top deck mini easter eggs and sprinkle 1/2 an egg to each cupcake batter


2. "Crunchy" chocolate cupcakes
Crush up Cadbury crunchy hollow "hunting eggs" and sprinkle 1/4 to 1/3 of an egg to each cupcake batter


3. "Caramello" chocolate cupcakes
Add one Cadbury caramello mini easter egg to each cupcake batter 


4. Chocolate cupcakes
Just add batter to pan

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the center of the cupcakes springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack.

Icing
Nutella icing (for the "top deck" cupcakes)
Click here for the recipe


Chocolate buttercream icing
I used buttercream icing for the other cupcake types.



125g butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbs milk

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the icing sugar and cocoa gradually, and beat until the mixture is fluffy.  Add the milk one tablespoon at a time and beat until you are happy with the consistency.

To decorate
1. "Top deck" chocolate cupcakes
Pipe nutella icing onto them, starting at the edge and ending up in the centre in a continuous motion.

2. "Crunchy" chocolate cupcakes

Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.

Using a small tip, pipe buttercream icing around the edge of the cupcake so it resembles a birds nest. Place crushed up crunchy egg pieces in the centre.

3. "Caramello" chocolate cupcakes

Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.
Using a small tip, pipe buttercream icing around the edge of the cupcake so it resembles a birds nest.
Cut a caremello mini egg in half and place in the centre of the nest.

4. Chocolate cupcakes
Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.
Add part of a crushed up hollow easter add on top, using the icing to help stick it down. Add a little icing to the centre of the broken egg and add a mini easter egg to the centre.

By the way, we had a great pumpkin risotto for dinner (and too much to drink!) - thanks Katie and Colin for a great night!

Saag Lamb

Saag Lamb is one of my favourite Indian dishes, however, it varies in ingredients between Indian restaurants. Some restaurants add cream, which I hate.  This version doesn't have it.


I have made several variations, including Saag Chicken and a vegetarian version with eggplant and cauliflower which were good too.


Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 green chillis, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cardamon
• 750g lamb, diced
• 4 large tomatoes finely chopped, or 1 tin of tomatoes
• 100 mls stock (lamb or chicken)
• 200 g spinach, finely chopped

Method:
Heat a small amount of oil in a casserole dish and add meat. Brown meat all over, then remove. Add spices to dish, and fry until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Then return lamb to dish, and add tomatoes and stock.
Stir, cover and cook for 50 minutes. Add spinach and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until lamb is nice and tender.


Serve with rice and naan bread.

ANZAC biscuits

With ANZAC day coming up, I thought I'd make my first ever batch of ANZAC biscuits. They do not look pretty, but when they were in the oven baking they smelt fabulous!


Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
125g butter
3 tbs golden syrup
1/2 tsp bicarb soda


Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C, and line baking trays with baking paper.


Put the flour, rolled oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl, stir to combine.


Put the butter, golden syrup and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to stir until butter is melted and ingredients combined. Stir in bicarb soda.


Add butter/golden syrup mixture to the flour mixture, and mix to combine.


Roll tablespoons of of the mixture into balls and place on prepared baking tray approximately 5 cms apart. Flatten slightly with a fork.


Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. When you remove the biscuits from the oven they will still be soft - they will firm up as they cool. 


Shoeboxgirl

Speedy, gooey chocolate pudding

When I started this blog we made the decision to not include our names, so I decided to be shoeboxgirl and I thought I'd just refer to my husband as my husband. However, that doesn't appear to be working as my Mum keeps teasing me about it. So I'm going to refer to him as Mr X from now on - I call him this as in his opinion, he is an expert on every subject - including my cooking :)

On Friday night, Mr X went to the football. I had an absolutely terrible day at work, got home late, missed the gym, and really had the urge for something chocolatey. But just a piece/row/block of chocolate wasn't going to cut it - I needed something like cake... and fast.

There are a few "five minute" pudding recipes floating round on the internet, so I thought I would try one for myself. Here is my recipe below. I was pretty happy with it - it was chocolatey, moist, and gooey. 

Serves - 1 large serving, or 2 small.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs almond meal
• 2 tbs flour (I used corn flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 5 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs cocoa
• 1 egg
• pinch salt
• splash vanilla extract
• 3 tbs milk
• 3 tbs oil (I used rice bran oil)
• 6 left over wedding chocolates - or a couple of squares of any chocolate

Method:

Mix almond meal, flour, baking powder, coca and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla extract and mix well. Add in chocolates.

If you are eating it all yourself, stick the bowl in the microwave on medium for 1 minute. Leave it for a few seconds, then microwave for a further 40 seconds on medium if you like it gooey (like I do!) or a little longer if you want it more cake-like.

If it is for two people (and you don't want to share the one pudding), split the mixture into two separate microwave safe mugs, and microwave as above.

Yum! And less than 5 minutes to make!

Variations I want to try:

• I used almond meal and corn flour because I wanted it gluten free, but you could just use 4 tbs of plain flour, etc.
• Make butterscotch pudding by replacing cocoa with extra sugar
• White sugar instead of brown
• White chocolate or nutella instead of chocolate
• Apple puree to replace egg
• An even more gooey version, by adapting a chocolate self saucing pudding recipe!

Shoeboxgirl

Banana cupcakes filled and iced with nutella frosting

Mr X requested these, so here they are. My Dad ate his unfilled and un-iced, and said they were nice and moist, and not too sweet. It is probably good that they are not overly sweet, to balance out the sweetness of the nutella frosting.


Makes 12
Ingredients:
Banana cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 4 ripe bananas)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Nutella frosting

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup nutella
• 5 tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Method:

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C, grease and line a cupcake pan.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt an cinnamon in a medium bowl. 

Beter together mashed banana, vanilla and eggs, then gradually mix in the flour mixture, ensuring you scape down the side of the bowl to unsure all combined. Do not over mix.

Measure out mixture into prepared pan, filling each hole about 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool. In the mean time, make the frosting.

Nutella frosting

Place all ingredients except the cream in a bowl, and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add cream and beat on high until the frosting is light and smooth.

Mr X said that this is the best frosting I have made - as I am posting this, he is eating it straight out of a bowl.

How to assemble the cupcakes:

• Cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone using a small paring knife. Cut the pointy part off to make it flat (so the top will fit back into the cupcake nicely once filled with frosting)
• Fill the hole with nutella frosting - I piped it into the hole.
• Replace cupcake top securely
• Pipe icing onto cupcake

Shoeboxgirl

Lemon curd filled vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese icing

After making lemon curd for the first time recently, I was excited to make it again. I asked my taste tester (husband) which he would prefer - a lemon tart, or lemon curd filled cupcakes. He requested cupcakes, so I made these.


Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Lemon curd

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 7 tbs strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 7 tbs unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
• 7 tbs heavy cream
• 2 tbs icing sugar

Vanilla cupcakes

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Cream cheese icing

• 150g cream cheese, room temperature
• 75g butter, softened
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbs lemon juice

Method:

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C, grease and line cupcake tins.
Beat butter on high for about 30 seconds, until soft. Add sugar and beat on medium high until mixture looks pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds in between each.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Mix the buttermilk and vanilla together in a jug.

Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix to combine. Add approximately one third of the milk, mix to combine. Repeat steps above, ensuring you end with the four mixture. Make sure you mix until just combined.


Fill prepared cupcake tins each to two thirds capacity. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until test skewer comes out clean.

Lemon curd

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice. Cook on low heat for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly (enough to coat back of spoon). Transfer to a bowl, cover with glad wrap to prevent a skin forming on the curd. Refrigerate for approximately two hours to cool.
Whip cream and icing sugar in a bowl until stiff peaks form, and mix into lemon curd.


Cream cheese icing
Beat cream cheese and butter by hand or using an electric mixer until creamy. Sift in icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add lemon juice and beat to combine.


How to assemble the cupcakes:

• Cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone using a small paring knife
• Fill the hole with approximately 1 tbs lemon curd
• Replace cupcake top securely
• Pipe icing onto cupcake

Pizza fail!

When something seems too good to be true, it generally is. When I came across an extremely easy sounding pizza base recipe (with no yeast needed) with great reviews on the best recipes website, I was sceptical. But also, curious. And since it was the weekend, I hadn't baked anything yet, and it was dinner time, I thought I'd give it a try. 

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup boiling water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees C.

Add the flour and cheese to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and water, and knead mixture until it forms a dough. Cover with glad wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

After reading the reviews and comments on the best recipes website, I rolled the pizza base out and pre baked it for about 12 minutes before adding the toppings.

I didn't have a rolling pin so I used a bottle of wine....worked pretty well.

I added all my husbands favourite pizza toppings - baby spinach, ham and salami, and popped it back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes.

This makes enough for two pizzas - I'm glad I halved the recipe! I bet my husband is glad too :)


I didn't try it, so I don't know what it tasted like. My husband said the first half tasted good, but it was hard to eat the whole thing. 


My brother makes his own pizza bases all the time (using yeast). Maybe I should try his recipe!

Shoeboxgirl

Super speedy spaghetti sauce

This recipe is really easy and really fast to make - perfect for when you really can't be bothered with anything complicated. I basically just throw everything into a pan - and it is on the table in 20 minutes. I make this for my husband and he eats the whole thing. So in the case below, the recipe serves one (it is a very large serving!)

Ingredients:

• 250g lean beef mince
• Tin of crushed tomatoes (half the tin blended to s smooth consistency, the other half as is)
• 1-2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped vegetables (whatever you have in the fridge - I used cauliflower, broccoli, carrot)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Spaghetti pasta, to serve

Method:

Spray a pan with oil and fry garlic over medium heat for one minute, then add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer gently for five minutes, and add the herbs. Mix thoroughly, continue simmering for another five minutes. You may want to add a sprinkling of sugar to taste.

Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Respray pan with oil and add the beef mince, breaking up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and continue to brown meat for a further five minutes. Return tomato sauce to pan and cook for a further five to seven minutes, or until the meat has cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Squeeze lemon juice over the sauce and mix thoroughly. 

In the meantime, cook spaghetti to your liking. Stir through cheese if desired.

Place spaghetti in a bowl, stirring through the pasta sauce. 


Shoeboxgirl