Very Violet Mistake

                                 very violet vanilla cupcake

Sometimes it's a huge advantage being self taught where baking is concerned; without preconceived/taught ideas you have a "freedom" to create... and sometimes it just makes you dumb!!

I was planning to bake small vanilla teacakes filled with blueberries & frosted with violet swiss meringue butter cream. Since they were for a special thank you gift I wanted a pretty topper and came up with modelling paste heart cut outs. I spent hours cake gluing crystallised violet petals to the hearts. Next day I popped the toppers into the prepared cakes, this is where I learnt a lesson your five year old already knows...

Sugar dissolves in moisture.

The tips of hearts dissolved in the moist frosting, the hearts collapsed and fell off leaving a trail of syrupy violet goo. 

If I had added toothpicks to the back of the hearts and raised them so they weren't touching the frosting this could have been avoided. Sooo, I've learnt something "not to do" & I'm looking forward to all new baking next week.

That's it for the end of my first week back, enjoy your weekend.

Happy Baking :) 

Pavlova Cupcakes

lychee, raspberry & rose syrup pavlova cupcake

Not much in the way of dessert making on MasterChef as yet, but there was a pavlova courtesy of guest judge Donna Hay. Sooo, to mark the return of MasterChef I thought I'd make mini pavlova's for cupcake toppers.

Ingredients

12 baked cupcakes in flavour of choice (I used vanilla buttermilk cupcakes)

3 egg whites (room temperature)

165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar (superfine)

2 tsps cornflour (cornstarch)

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp pure vanilla essence/extract

Decoration Ingredients

300ml (0.63 pint) of cream, whipped. Flavour the cream with liqueur if desired

Topping can be anything you like, I used lychees, raspberries & a drizzle of rose syrup.

Other topping suggestions are; passionfruit & flaked white chocolate, strawberries & kiwi fruit, dark chocolate curls and hazelnuts, crushed peppermint candy, milk chocolate & peppermint liqueur cream, mango/paw paw/banana and coconut, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries & red currants, peaches with raspberry puree drizzle, chocolate dipped strawberries, orange and chocolate, fresh or preserved stone fruits.

Method

Preheat oven to 120c/250F (100c/210 fan forced)

Line a cookie sheet with baking paper, trace 12 6.5cm (2.5in) circles onto the paper & reverse the paper on the tray so the ink won't touch the food.

In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is fully dissolved between additions... this will take a few minutes.

It should be looking like this now...glossy and shiny meringue

Fold in the cornflour, vinegar & vanilla.

Divide the meringue between the circles drawn on your baking paper.

Bake for 45 minutes or until cases are firm.

Cool totally in oven with the door slightly ajar; use the handle of wooden spoon to keep the door ajar.

Pavlova's will have a white thin crispy shell and soft marshmallow interior

Just before serving spread a little cream or frosting on the centre of the cupcakes to attach the pavlova. Place pavlovas on the cakes and topping with cream and desired topping.

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