White Chocolate Blueberry Cupcakes

WHITE CHOCOLATE BLUEBERRY CUPCAKES

You know that moment when you are looking for a really nice recipe to celebrate friendship? I was experimenting a bit these days and those little cupcakes are the fruit of my efforts. There is no such pleasure than welcoming friends with freshly baked cake. However, practically speaking, little cupcakes leave way more choice when to devour them. Whether it be with a great coffee at home, or on the go as a little companion during the country visit.

It is definitely no secret that white chocolate and berries make a lovely combo. To keep it seasonal, I opted for blueberries. Markets are full of blueberries, which launch a wave of recipe ideas in my head every time I do food shopping. 'Yet another blueberry recipe' I imagine some of you think. Well, that's part of the challenge, to take old recipes and give them a relook, or rather a retaste. 

I really cannot complain. I had them tasted by the German fan-block at the World Cup finals; I spoilt some of my colleagues as well. They have all agreed that they are delicious. Mission accomplished I would say… and the journey to blueberry heaven can continue. 

For 18 cupcakes you need:

125g plain yogurt

240g flour

180g sugar

4 medium eggs

120g butter

50g white chocolate

200g blueberries

2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 165°

In a large bowl whisk together the ingredients in the following order: yogurt, flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar and butter. Mix until you obtain fluffy dough. 

Chop the chocolate, and then add it to the dough as well as the blueberries.  

Place the paper cups into the cupcake molds. Pour the dough into the molds and bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I have the feeling that at the moment everyone is talking about red velvet cupcakes. And especially for Valentine's Day all the food blogs were full of red velvet cupcakes, brownies, cake pops and so on. So I got curious, and wondered what is so special about that red sweet dessert. 

I started checking out recipes, and in the first place I thought, well except from the food coloring there is nothing special about these cupcakes. And then two weeks ago, again, a friend was talking about red velvet cupcakes. This is when I thought: OK you have to try them.

But which recipe would now be the perfect recipe? Most of the recipes I found were quite similar, except for the frosting. Either there was too much sugar, or too much butter, or too much food coloring. I have to say, usually I don't like artificial colors when it comes to food. Especially these flashy blue or green ones. But I decided to give it a try.

I just purchased a book called "Cantine California" which has a lot of American recipes in it. I don't know if you already know the concept. It's a truck in Paris, moving from one square to another, selling American tradition with French quality of food. As far as I understood is the Author and Manager of the concept an American who grew up in France and tried to combine French quality with American tradition. So far I can say I am convinced of the recipe, and I will try a lot more from that book.

For 12 cupcakes you need:

60g butter

150g sugar

125g flour

1 big egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1pinch of salt

1tsp baking powder

10g cocoa powder

1tbs red food coloring

12cl buttermilk

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp baking soda

For the icing:

330g cream cheese

100g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°

In a large bowl soften the butter with a hand mixer. Then add the sugar and mix again until you get a light mixture. Now you can add the egg and the vanilla extract and mix again. In another bowl whisk together the flour, the salt, the baking powder and the cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture. In a small bowl mix the buttermilk and the food coloring and pour onto the dough. Aside, you should now mix the baking soda and the vinegar and then add them to the dough. Take the hand mixer again and mix until you get an even dough. 

Put cupcake cases into your cupcake mold and pour the dough up to 2/3 into the cupcake forms and bake for 25 minutes.

Let them cool down 10 minutes in the mold before putting them on a baking rack.

For the icing mix the vanilla extract, the cream cheese and the icing sugar until you get an even mixture. Fill the latter into an icing bag and start decorating the cupcakes. Usually I put a little decoration on the cupcakes but this time I chose not to do because I tried to form a rose-like icing

Enjoy!!!!!