{ Mélanger :: to mix }

Forty years ago my parents made the momentous decision to pack up their lives in the thriving metropolis of London, and migrate to the sleepy town of Brisbane.  The relocation was a culture shock to them both.  They went from living in one of the largest cities in the world, to one of the most provincial.

My parents were fortunate to travel by plane when they made the lengthy journey to Australia.  The vantage point from the air allowed them to take in the vast land that would soon be their home.

As a child, I remember hearing the stories about them flying into Sydney.  Their first glimpse of Australia.  My parents noticed, what they thought were, little garden sheds peppering every house lot.  As a couple that shared the enjoyment of spending a little time outdoors, they were impressed by the seemingly widespread passion for gardening.  They soon were to discover, however, that the little sheds were the ‘outdoor plumbing’, so to speak.

Even in my lifetime, Australia (and Brisbane in particular), has grown enormously.  Much has changed since 1969.  Most importantly, over that time, Australia has become home.

To celebrate, I wish to present 40 celebratory cupcakes to my Mother to mark the occasion.   This is my first cupcake trial.  I am actually planning four different flavours.  10 cupcakes of each flavour. First is chocolate. (Then coffee, vanilla and lemon.) 

This recipe for Devil’s Food Cake is a versatile batter. It can readily be converted from cupcakes to a single round cake. (Use the same amount of mixture and directions indicated, but bake for 50 minutes in 20cm tin.) The inclusion of cocoa produces a delicate, creamy flavour. The crumb is light without being too fluffy and airy. It is a great cake to make when you do not have time to let butter soften to room temperature – the butter is first melted with sugar.

I wanted a contrast for the frosting so instead of opting for the typical (yet more-ish!) chocolate ganache, I selected a Swiss meringue butter cream. I find this one of the most adaptable frostings around. To the basic recipe you can mix in vanilla, stir in melted chocolate, add a shot of espresso, fold in fruit preserve, or some citrus zest for your own distinctive flavour combination.

I hope to use Swiss meringue butter cream for all the “40th” cupcakes. I will simply make one large batch, portion out into four, then fold in my extra flavour to complement each cupcake.

{ Devil’s Food Cupcakes}

* Ingredients *

1 cup all-purpose flour (plain flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup of cocoa
1/4 boiling water
125g or 1 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream

* Directions *

Preheat the oven to 180C or 350F.  Sift the flour and baking soda and powder into a bowl.  Mix the boiling water with the cocoa to make a paste.  Heat the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat.  Once the butter and sugar has completely melted, transfer to a mixer.  Beat until the mixture cools, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly.  Add the cocoa mixture until incorporated.  Mix in the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream.  Divide the batter into 12 cupcake wrappers.  Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked.  Stand for 10-15 minutes in the tin before turning out to a cooling rack.  Once cooled, frost with chocolate ganache or Swiss meringue butter cream.

Makes 12 cupcakes

{ Vanilla Butter cream }

* Ingredients *

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
250g or 2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Directions *

In a bowl over simmering water, whisk the eggs whites and sugar.  Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature reaches 160F or 70C.

Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer and on a medium speed, beat until you reach firm peaks, about 5 minutes.  Slow the speed and add in the room temperature butter one piece at a time.  If the mixture appears to curdle, keep beating on medium speed until smooth again.  Add in vanilla or any other flavour combination until smooth.

Makes 4 cups

Until recently, when I thought of green tea I would never have thought of macarons.  This flavour macaron was one of the suggestions for my upcoming wedding favors.

The tea flavour is mild.  You taste it but do not immediately put your finger on what it is.  Once you are told it is green tea, you instantly distinguish it.  The pairing with the dark chocolate ganache is spot on.  The bitterness of the tea harmonises impeccably with the bitterness of the chocolate.  The creamy ganache and sweet almond macaron shells round out the flavour.  The matcha tea powder produces an attractive coloured shell, and the sprinkling of tea powder on top of the shells before baking provides a lovely finish.

My friend E is not a tea or coffee drinker, yet enjoyed taste-testing these macarons – though admitedly, I did load up one or two with extra ganache as a compensatory measure, just in case.

So far I have trialed champagne, blueberry, liquorice and now matcha macarons for  my wedding favors.

The versatility of the macaron as a vehicle for practically any flavour and  colour combination is becoming more apparent with each new batch of macarons I make.  The ability to create your own macaron, to personalise something as your very own is extraordinary.  By the end, I hope to find my own signature petit four.  Until then, I will trial a few more macaron flavours before the big day. 

{ Matcha tea macarons }

* Ingredients *

100g egg whites
3g egg white powder
125g almond meal
125g icing sugar
2 teaspoons of matcha tea powder
For the syrup:
150g sugar and 50ml water

* Directions *

Process the almond meal and icing sugar together.  In a mixer, whip half the egg whites to soft peaks.  Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring the water and sugar for the syrup to 117C (or 242F) on a candy thermometer.  Once ready, slowly add the boiling syrup to the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed until they thick and shiny and are completely cooled (about 10 minutes).  At the final changes of whipping the meringue, and add the matcha tea powder.  Mix the remaining egg whites to the sifted almond mixture and fold into the meringue in four parts.
Pipe macarons on lined baking sheets. Double up your baking sheets if you do not have professional grade quality.  Let your macarons sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Bake at 140C or 280F for 15-18 minutes.  Fill with ganache or filling of your choice.  Refrigerate to set.

{ Chocolate ganache }

* Ingredients *

120g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

* Directions *

Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.  Pour over the chocolate.  Let sit for 2-3 minutes and then stir.  Let cool then transfer to the refrigerator to thicken.

I remember my first 4th of July holiday like it was yesterday.  My beautiful friend, Sharlene, invited me to stay with her and her husband’s family at picturesque Chatham on the Cape.

It was everything I would expect from a 4th of July celebration.  Lots of extended family.  Kids running around.  Happy banter.  The requisite barbecue.  Endless food.  The atmosphere was so warm and friendly, and the family so gracious and welcoming.

I will never forget that day.

4th of July represented summer to me.  Living in (sometimes arctic cold) Boston, you relished summer.  The sun.  The clear blue, warm sky.  Weekends at Cape Cod.  Baseball.  Ice-cream.

For at least a couple of months, you are not thinking about how long it takes you to shovel snow from your driveway, you are not thinking about the sub-zero weather outside, you are not thinking about needing to drive so carefully you do not hit black ice and careen into someone’s fence. 

For a few months, winter is behind you.  Summer is here.  Coming from the sub-tropics, for the first time while living in Boston I experienced summer.  A season that was so distinct.  Kerrin at MyKugelhopf just celebrated 1 year in Zurich.  She reminded me of my 5 years in Boston, and the growing familiarity you experience of new surroundings over time. 

To my gorgeous friend Sharlene, her husband, beautiful daughter (and bub #2 on the way), these Apple Pie Cupcakes are for you.  Happy 4th of July to you all. 

{ Apple Pie Cupcakes }

These cupcakes are absolutely moist and delicious.  When they were baking, if I did not know, I would have guessed I really did have apple pie in the oven.

* Ingredients *

Cake batter:
1 ½ cups plain / all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
125g / 1 stick unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced thinly

Topping:
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
Sweet shortcrust pastry

* Directions *

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F.  Line a 12 count muffin tins with cupcake papers. Sift together flours, baking powder and cinnamon.   Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs beating until each is incorporated.  Add flour in three batches, alternating with milk.  Divide mixture between the cupcake papers.  Carefully insert 3-4 slices of apple on the top of the cake mixture.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  For the topping, beat the cream and icing sugar until just stiff.  Pipe on top of the cupcakes and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Top the cream with sweet shortcrust pastry in desired shape.