Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla cupcakes

Cupcakes are popular in Paris at the moment, where I am in France, I have not seen much of it.  Anyway, I have that urge to try out a cupcake recipe and this time I look to Joy of Baking website for their Vanilla Cupcakes recipe.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon (outer yellow skin)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Buttercream Frosting:

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Assorted food colors (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting. If you want to pipe the frosting, I like to use a large Wilton 1M star decorating tip. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are made, but they can be covered and stored for a few days.

Buttercream Frosting: In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is available at cake decorating stores and party stores).

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes before frosting

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/VanillaCupcakes.html#ixzz1H9t0YxvS

Panini

Panini is lazy cook's most most favourite meal to prepare... not much work and not much cleaning up!

The filling depends on what is in the fridge, normally consist of a cold cut and some cheese.  My daughter's favourite is with Nutella.  Today I am preparing one with Coppa and Emmental, and another with Ham and Raclette.  I buy my panini bread frozen and it de-frost in about an hour out of the freezer.  Panini bread is actually half size baguette.  So when I need to prepare panini I just need to take out the exact amount of bread I need and in an hour or two I can prepare dinner based on what I have in my fridge.

Panini bread de-frosted

Panini toaster

Panini with filing ready to toast

In the toaster at 150°C for 5 minutes

Panini ready to serve

Lamb Stew Provencale

A simple lamb stew with very few ingredients, there is another lamb stew in France called Lamb Navarin and it's a stew of Lamb in root vegetables.

Ingredients :
2 tbsp olive oil
1 kg lamb rack
1 medium onion, julienne
1 tbsp garlic chopped
1 can of whole tomatoes (400 gm)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 cup sliced button mushroom
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a pot and brown lamb on both sides, remove.

Add onions, stir till transparent then add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato puree and stir well.  Return the lamb, stir well and add the rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer for 15 - 30 minutes, depends on the doneness that you like.  5 minutes before it is done, add the mushrooms.

I serve this with spaghetti.

Lamb stew provencale

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Spice cake 

I got this recipe from Martha Stewart website, did not turn out like the picture shown because I added the chopped walnuts into the batter, it turned out more like a spice cake.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup for topping
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping: In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and walnuts; set aside.

Make the cake: Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle with half of the topping. Repeat with remaining batter and topping.Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove sides of pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve topping side up. Serves 12.

I use my bread pan and did not seperate the topping with the batter and it turns out to be more of a spice cake.

Cake strait out of the oven

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Sour Cream Coffee Cake - Martha Stewart Recipes

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Creme Fraiche Pound Cake

I am doing Creme Fraiche Pound Cake instead!  Here is the recipe, that I got from Taste of Home website:

Ingredients :
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream / creme fraiche
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, optional

In a bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and vanilla. Beat on low just until blended. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired. Yield: 20 servings.

Creme Fraiche Pound Cake