Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

by in Food 0

Everyone knows I love a good cupcake (a little too much!).  When I was looking for a new flavour idea, fresh strawberry cupcakes seemed so delightful.  The humble strawberry is often left out of cupcakes in favour of our friend artificial strawberry flavouring….these cupcakes have a whole punnet of strawberry goodness in the cakes, then some more in the icing for good measure.  What’s not to love about them?  If it wasn’t for the butter, sugar and flour, they’d practically be health food! 🙂

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Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup to 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1.5 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt10 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • For the Strawberry Cupcake Icing
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3.5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2-3 teaspoons milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
  • Pink Food colouring (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line a muffin tin with cupcake wrappers or grease with butter.
  2. Place strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. You will need enough strawberries to yield 1/2 cup strawberry puree. Mix strawberry puree with milk and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, cream butter 1 minute. Add sugar, beating well. Beat in eggs.
  5. Alternately add half the strawberry mixture, then half the flour mixture, mixing until blended. Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to fill muffin tins.
  6. Bake 20 to 22 minutes. Cool strawberry cupcakes 10 minutes in muffin tins, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.
  7. Make strawberry cupcake icing: Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and 1 tsp. of milk. If frosting is too thick, beat in another teaspoon or two of milk until icing reaches desired consistency. Stir in chopped strawberries.  I added pink food colouring to mine, but if you leave this out, you will see the lovely pink flecks from the strawberries.
  8. Frost completely cooled strawberry cupcakes with fresh strawberry icing.

Strawberry Cupcake

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What’s your favourite cupcake flavour?  Would you give these strawberry bad-boys a go?  Serve with a glass of Rose for an added treat!!

Three Cheese Savoury Muffins

by in Food 0

savoury muffin 1“Three types of cheese!?” you ask, with trepidation.  Yes, that’s right….three!!!  Cheddar, parmesan and feta…. “You’re out of control Jem…” you say…. that’s right, am out of control crazy about these delicious muffins!!

These babies are delicious….and you can add as many different veggies as you like… I used spinach, zuchini, cherry tomatoes and basil…but you could also add corn kernels, sundried tomatoes, shallots or whatever you like.

I was looking for a savoury muffin that is baby friendly also, and these were a hit with little Dash!!

They’re easy to make, and can be frozen for easy lunches.

savoury muffin 2

Recipe:

  • 1 cup self raising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
  • 1/4 cup basil, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, grated
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Feta Cheese, cut into cubes

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 24-hole, 1 1/2 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pan.

  2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add caster sugar. Stir to combine.

  3. Add spinach, basil and parmesan to flour mixture. Stir to combine. Make a well in centre.

  4. Whisk buttermilk, oil and egg together in a jug. Pour into well. Gently stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin holes.  Top with small cubes of feta cheese and cherry tomatoes.
  5. Bake for 12 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of 1 comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place in lunchbox.

savoury muffin 5