The cutest cupcakes I have ever baked!!!

A couple of months ago my other half's family was getting together and after tempting people for so long with cupcakes pics on Facebook I decided to bring some nice cakes to live up the day. I saw this recipe Harry Eastwood's book and wanted to try for a while and with the summer on its best I decided that a strawberry recipe was on demand!!! I know I know..its not summer anymore but if you cant get nice strawberry you can change the flavour by changing the jam and the fruit on the top!!! very versatile recipe...and most important, yummy too!!!

2 medium free-range eggs
160g caster sugar
200g courgette, peeled and finally grated
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g white rice flour
100g ground almonds
2tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Some good quality strawberries jam
50g unsalted butter, softened
150g icing sugar
50g mascarpone
12 strawberries for decoration

Preheat the oven to 180C and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Whisk up the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until they are pale and fluffy (about 4 minutes).

Whisk the grated courgette and the vanilla extract into the egg mixture and mix to incorporate(remember to only grate the courgete just before adding to the recipe its important that they are as fresh as possible so they will give to your cake all their moist). Whisk in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt until everything is completely combined.

Using a large spoon, ladle a couple of generous spoonfuls of the mixture in the the bottom of each paper case. Add a teaspoon of jam then cover with a small spoonful of after mixture, in order to seal in the jam. The ration should be roughly 2/3 of batter at the bottom the jam, then 1/3 of batter on the top or you’ll end up with jam splitting out the top of the cake or sinking into the bottom.

Bake them for 20 minutes until risen and blonde on the top. Cool the cakes in the tin for 10 minutes and after that leave them to cool in the fridge for 20 minutes before icing.

For the icing; beat the butter with 50g of icing sugar by hand, in a large bowl(the tip here is to use the back of a wooden spoon and some elbow grease). Mix it until you have a paste. Using the same technique, mix in another 50g of sugar and the mascarpone until you have a paste again. Finally add the last 50g of icing sugar which should combine easily this time. Refrigerate until the cake have cooled completely (this icing is a bit smooth so cooling is paramount.)

Ice each cold cake with the help of a butter knife (if you don’t have a straight spatula), using a small tablespoon of the icing at each time. Top it with a strawberry and return it to the fridge to allow the icing to set. The cupcakes can stay in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

VERY IMPORTANT TIPS!!!

Don’t be tempted to use a electric blender for the icing that will liquefy the mixture. Also be sure to follow the step one by one as that will allow the ingredients to combine slowly giving the icing the right texture and you will end up with a very moist and fluffy cake toping.

i HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS ONE CAME OUT WRONG, HIHIHHIHI...THE JAM SANK STILL IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! THE ONES i TOOK TO THE FAMILY DAY HOWEVER WERE PROPER!!!

ps: to make it 100% gluten free make sure to use gluten free baking powder!!!

Now I know its autumn!!

30th September, Midnight and someone somewhere pressed the bottom to switch off summer and start autumn time...sounds mad but that's how season changes seam to happen here in the UK literally over-night.
With the season come all those lovely smells and colours and the craving for something a bit more fulfilling, a bit more cosy and warm. Friday when doing my grocery shopping, now online to save us all loads of time, I realized I fancied a nice pie. Not something filled with gravy or corn flour but a nice short crust filled with nice savoury flavours and textures.
I've ordered some Just Roll short pastry and some good quality pork sausages and decided to play with my ingredients today.

Triple Pork Pie

1 Just Roll short crust pastry (370g)

2 good quality (at least 80% meat) pork sausages

1 rash of lean bacon

1/2 cup of chorizo (cut in small cubs)

Half a large onion, finely chopped

1/4 of a yellow and a orange pepper, chopped into cubs

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped into cubs

1 tbsp of mascarpone

1 tbsp light cream cheese

Paprika, nutmeg, Oregano, ground garlic, ground parmesan cheese and spring

onions for seasoning.

Pre heat the oven on 200 degrees (my oven is a fan assisted one) open your pastry on a baking dish (I’ve used a round ceramic one with about 20cm diameter), pierce the dough with a fork and pre bake it for about 15 minutes.
On a large frying pan fry the onion, bacon and chorizo together (no oil needed as the meat will do the job). Pierce the skin of the sausage and peal it off then cut the meat into small cubs, just as you cut gnocchi. Once the onions are softened add the sausage cubs and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the peppers and tomatoes, season with paprika and nutmeg and let it to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. The tomato will provide moist enough but keep an eye for it not to burn. Take it off the heat and add mascarpone and cream cheese mix until it melts and the sauce will become creamy. Pour the filling into the half baked pastry and sprinkle garlic, oregano and spring onion to season. In Brazil we have these lovely potato sticks kind of crisps and they are lovely with creamy dishes. I've added some extra cream cheese on the top of the filling, with a tea spoon and covered it with a hand full of those Brazilian crisps - as my ginger boys calls them - sprinkle some parmesan cheese and take it to the oven again for about 10 minutes, only this time bring the temperature down to about 180 degrees.

It could easily serve 4 people with a nice salad or roast veggies on the side! I had mine with spinach as the weekend was a bit naughty!!!