sherbet cupcakes: attempt number ONE (a)

1) I AM SO SORRY. for not posting for over a month. FAIL BLOGGER. but I do have at least 6 recipes to put up, so watch out!


2) I work at sherbet cafe, in maylands. My boss (most amazing boss ever) is teaching me to bake. Everything I thought I knew about baking is being THROWN OUT THE WINDOW! I am learning so much and I am loving it, even if I have to get up at 5 in the morning.


3) I am determined to perfect the sherbet cupcake recipe. So, I plan on blogging each recipe, and letting you know how it goes.

Sherbet Cupcakes - attempt 1


110g unsalted butter softened 
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (mine were a little cold, but should be room temp)

3/4 c self raising flour (I used my housemates SR flour which had cream of tarta in it as well)

3/4 c plan flour
1/2 c milk (i used skinny)
1 tspn vanilla essence


Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line cupcake pan with papers.
In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth.
Add sugar slowly and beat until fluffy (it goes a white colour).
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Measure the flour into a seperate bowl.
Add the milk and flour to the butter mix, alternating and in about 3 lots (so, milk (mix), flour (mix), milk (mix), flour (mix) etc)
Spoon the batter into prepared tin, filling to about 3/4 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from tin and cool on wire rack.


Icing:
110 g unsalted butter, softened.
6-8 cups icing sugar
1/2 tspn vanilla essence
1/2 c milk
food colouring if desired.


Place butter in a mixing bowl. Add half the icing sugar, all the milk and vanilla.
Beat for around 5 minutes, or until icing is pale.
Add the remaining icing sugar, until you have the right spreading consistency.
Add a few drops of colouring.
Store the icing at room temperature.


The easiest way to decorate the cupcakes is with the icing in a piping bag. I didnt have one (or time to make one) so I just spread it on with a knife.


Reflection:
Ok, so with this recipe, the cupcakes didnt rise very high. Due to not enough air being incorporated in the beating stage, or too heavy folding knocking all the air out.
There was also WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR!!!!
I had no cupcake papers, so they came out of the tin funny.
My icing wasnt very smooth, so I probably added too much icing sugar.
AANNNDDD I didnt sift my flour (or use plain SR flour).
Attempt number two coming up soon :D

the alex (a)

Have you ever heard of the Reuben sandwich? It a sandwich with 1000 island (or russian) dressing, pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese.

In the sandwich world, there is much debate about who invented the reuben. Was it Reuben Kulakofsky from Omaha nebraska, who invented it in the 1920s as a late night snack for him and his poker buddies or

Arnold from NY, who sold the reuben at his deli (reubens deli) in 1928?

The mystery has never been solved.

The more important issue at hand is that I would like to claim copyright on 'the alex' (watch out guys this is gonna be big). Invented in my mothers kitchen in 2011, my brothers and I have been eating a version of this sandwich for the past few years (paul is probably gonna say he invented it but he didnt...i did) but I have finally perfected it.

Once I have my cafe, the alex will be a staple menu item. As that future is a while away, I will share the recipe with you :) because thats how nice I am. And because you will never get it perfectly right because you wont have exactly the same ingredients that I use - and my special secret ;) MUAHAHAHHAHAHA!!!

The alex

1 piece fillet steak

3 pieces grill haloumi

1 pickled cucumber

1/4 avocado

1 turkish pocket

tomato sauce

Cook the fillet steak and haloumi.

Layer the ingredients in the sandwich, starting with tomato sauce on the bottom, steak, haloumi, cucumber and avocado.

Enjoy with a cold beer :)

rhubarb crumble cake (a)

I am the eggman, they are the eggmen.
I am the walrus, coo coo catchoo coo coo catchoo...


i think that across the universe has to be one of my favourite movies of all time. bono singing 'i am the walrus' is pretty epic. i just looked up the lyrics to this song and realised there is alot of food references in it...


anyways, made something delish this morning, and a little bit out of this world, so you may feel like a walrus when you eat it (no it has nothing to do with fish). its rhubarb crumble cake. smelt so good in the oven and OH EM GEE when you taste it...its like...buttery and spongy on the bottom and a little bit lemony then the rhubarb is moist and oh so tart then the crumble ontop is sweet and crunchy. the perfect mix of sweet and sour with textures to boot. 



so i suggest you cook it up for dessert, or lunch...in fact, im going to eat some more while i write this, gah it is soooo good.


Rhubarb crumble cake

sorry the measures are all in g, but it doesnt translate to cups very well...
185g SR flour
1/2 tspn baking powder
185 butter diced and room temperature
185g castor sugar
zest of 1 orange
3 eggs beaten
juice 1/2 lemon
3 stalks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
1 tablespoon raw sugar


crumble topping
50g butter cubed and chilled
40g plain flour
40g demerara sugar (i used brown sugar)
40g flaked almonds


Preheat oven to 180 celcius and grease 22cm spring form cake tin.
Sift flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large bowl.
Add softened butter, sugar, zest, eggs and lemon juice. Beat well until just combined (may be easier with a mixer but i cbf)
Spoon mixture into cake tin.
Mix rhubarb pieces with raw sugar and then spread evenly over the top of the cake mixture, pushing it into the batter slightly.
To make topping, rub butter into flour and sugar until crumbly (like bread crumbs) then mix in almonds.
Spread the crumb mixture over the rhubarb ontop of the cake and press down lightly.
Bake for 65-75 minutes or until golden, risen and firm to the touch.
Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from tin.
Keep in an airtight container.
Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar and a dollop of thick cream.


Tips
DO NOT EAT THE CRUMBLE or you will eat it all and get sick. trust me.