Cupcakes - 3 Delicious Cupcake Recipes

There are many variations on the classic cupcake recipe and countless additional ingredients and flavourings that can be added to make cupcakes interesting. Fruit is always popular, whether dried or fresh, as well as nuts, coconut, ginger and grated carrots. Chocolate of course is an all time favourite. In fact the range of different combination's is almost limitless. Below are three delicious cupcake recipes for those people looking for something different. They would be ideal served up for afternoon tea.

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes

125g (4 oz) butter, coarsely chopped
80g (2 1/2 oz) white eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 beaten egg
100g (3 1/2 oz) frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 170oC (325oF). Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases. Stir butter, chocolate, sugar and milk in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and allow to cool, about 15 minutes. Whisk sifted flours into chocolate mixture. Add egg then fold in raspberries. Divide cake mixture among patty cases and bake for about 30 minutes or until cooked. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Ice with white chocolate ganache. To make ganache bring 1/2 cup cream to the boil in a small saucepan then remove from heat. When bubbles subside add 360g (11 1/2 oz) coarsely chopped white eating chocolate. Stir until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Banana Cupcakes with Passion Fruit Icing

125g (4 oz) butter at room temperature, chopped
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 170oC (325oF). Line two 12 hole muffin pans with paper cases. In a large bowl, using an electric beater, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and spice together. Fold into creamed mixture with banana, sour cream and milk. Spoon mixture into paper cases until two thirds full. Bake for 25 minutes or until cakes are cooked when tested. Cool in tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. When cool ice with passion fruit icing.

Passion fruit icing

In a medium heatproof bowl combine 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, 1 teaspoon soft butter and 2 tablespoons passion fruit pulp. Place over a pan of simmering water and stir until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cooled cakes.

Carrot and Orange Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

8 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Juice and finely grated rind of 1 orange
2 eggs, lightly beaten
175g (6 oz) grated carrots
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnut pieces
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 180oC (350oF). Line a 12 hole muffin pan with muffin paper cases. Beat together the butter, sugar and orange rind until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Squeeze any excess liquid from the carrots and add to the mixture with the walnuts and orange juice until combined. Fold in the sifted flour and pumpkin pie spice. Spoon mixture into paper cases until 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool. Ice with mascarpone frosting.

To make mascarpone frosting put 1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese, 4 tablespoons icing sugar and grated rind of 1 orange in a large bowl and beat together until smooth and creamy. When cupcakes are cooled spread frosting on each cake. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

These cupcake recipes will make you a winner with your family and friends.

Baking Coconut Sponge Part 4

The icing and jamming part.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MdIW3k8V6c&hl=en

How to Cook Lobster, Crab, and Shrimp : How to Form Crab Cakes from Crab Cake Mix

Creating the actual cakes from your crab cake mix; learn this and more in this free online instructional cooking video about seafood taught by an expert. Expert: Louis Ortiz Bio: Louis Ortiz is a professional chef instructor at a culinary institute. He has been working in the culinary industry for 10 years. Filmmaker: Jay Holzer



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYBAmZE6-Ko&hl=en

Johnny Cakes

Belizean food is easy to prepare, physically filling and delightfully delicious.  How about a dish of Johnny Cakes - a cross between what the American people traditionally or culturally know as biscuits and/or pancakes and traditionally a favored  food item breakfast dish in Belize.    However, Johnny Cakes are also, for many people, a standard, even a favorite bread that is consumed during lunch and dinner meals.  They are excellent with refried beans, cheese that is melted, crumbled or sliced.   A cultural Belizean food indeed; seldom is a meal eaten in a Belizean home without Johnny Cakes!

JOHNNY CAKES

2 lbs. Flour 1/4 lb. Shortening 4 tsp. Baking powder 2 tsp. Salt Cream from 1 coconut, or 1 tin Coconut Cream (8 oz.)

Method: Place flour in mixing bowl and add all dry ingredients. Work in shortening with fingers. Gradually add coconut cream and mix until dough handle easily without being too sticky, or dry. If too sticky, add a bit more flour. Knead until smooth. Cut into desired size (golf ball size works well) and shape into a ball. Let rest about 10 minutes, then flatten to about 1/2" thickness onto baking sheet. Prick top with fork four or five times.

Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees F. until golden brown, or about 15 minutes. Once cooked split open and butter while hot.

Johnny Cakes are also good for when one has the munchies, pop one in the microwave or eat it cold, like bread and butter spread a bit of jam, jelly or your favorite fruit preserve on top. How delicious!

Hamburger Cupcakes!

We made hamburger cupcake for Bailey's birthday. The "buns" and the "meat" was white cake and Devil's food cake; the "mustard" and the "ketchup" was buttercream frosting and the "lettuce" was coconut with green food coloring.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrEAeH6U60o&hl=en

WorldFest 2009 - video arbitrary by Eco-Vegan Gal

** Click on HD for the best quality ** Whitney (aka Eco-Vegan Gal) reports from WorldFest 2009 in Los Angeles. An overview of the festival, with footage of speakers, performances, vendors, food, and animals. Featuring Bodhi Tree, Pop and Mama funnel cake, and Coconut Bliss. Guest appearance: Bill Muir. More eco-vegan at: ecovegangal.blogspot.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDciMwUTOG8&hl=en

The Basics of Cooking Polynesian Dishes With Coconut

If you visit Hawaii, or indeed any Polynesian island, you are sure to notice that coconut finds its way into many dishes. In fact, coconut composes up to half of the typical diet in some areas of Polynesia. This fruit grows on the ubiquitous palm tree, which can be spotted on nearly every island in this area of the world. It is grown both for decoration and for its many delicious uses in both sweet and savory dishes. If you're planning a luau party or simply love the delicious flavors of Hawaii, start cooking with fresh coconut.

Nearly every part of the coconut fruit has some culinary use. The white fleshy part, or meat, is used in a wide range of traditional Polynesian dishes. The coconut water, found in the central cavity of the coconut, is a highly nutritious and refreshing drink. When grated coconut meat is processed with water or milk, the result is coconut milk or coconut cream. This can be further processed into coconut oil. The oil of the coconut is frequently used for cooking (especially frying at high temperatures), making margarine, and even in beauty products.

Coconut can be found in a wide variety of dishes originating from Polynesia. For example, grated coconut can be added to soups or stews, or sprinkled on top of cakes and other desserts. Coconut cream can be used as a thickener, though its most well-known use is in the pina colada, a tropical drink made with rum and pineapple.

In Tahiti, one of the most popular dishes is Poisson Cru, a mixture of raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut milk. Another popular meat dish using coconut is Papaya Chicken, a mixture of coconut milk, papaya, and chicken. Mahi, a flaky white fish, is one of the most popular seafood dishes in Hawaii, and it is used in numerous recipes using coconut milk. For dessert, try Faraoa coco (coconut bread) or Poe, a taro root pudding flavored with banana, vanilla, or papaya and topped with coconut milk.

If you want to start using fresh coconut in your cooking, you might be unsure where to begin, as it's not found in many American dishes. The thick outer shell makes coconuts somewhat tricky to open. While monkeys open them by throwing them at rocks, the best way is to use an ice pick or screwdriver to pierce the eyes, which allows you to drain the liquid. Then, cook the coconut in the oven for about twenty minutes, followed by wrapping it in a towel and hitting it with a hammer to get it to open.

If your Polynesian recipe calls for grated coconut, one coconut produces between three and four cups of grated flesh, which can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days before use. If it's coconut milk you're after, mix a cups of loosely packed, grated coconut with a cup and a half of water from the coconut, found in the central cavity. Then heat it and strain it to produce coconut milk for your recipe. This process can also be done with a blender. The finished coconut milk can be used in a variety of both sweet and savory dishes at your next tiki party.