To Simon, With Love

Dear Internet; how have you been? Me? Oh I’m just peachy keen, thanks for asking. Where have I been? I’ve been in lame-not-posting town, that’s where! And then I went on a little jaunt, oh yes! But I am back now, and I have lots of bakes to share with you. Are you ready?

Now, I did some baking while I was away, and a couple of bake lessons for my kitchen-shy pal Pam, and particularly considering the oven we were using (which doesn’t believe in cooking anything. EVER) we did exceptionally well! I intend to fully write up those bakes soon, but in the interim, Dear Darling Simon asked that I posted a recipe for him, so he could make cupcakes for this weekend. So, consciously curbing my hyperbole, and, alas, omitting images, here are my White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Vanilla Butter Cream!

White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Makes approx 16 regular sizes cupcakes

225g golden caster sugar
225g unsalted butter (room temperature)
1tsp vanilla extract
4 Free Range Eggs (room temperature)
225g Self raising flour
White chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 180c (160c fan assisted).

Cream the butter and sugar together. Once combined, mix in the vanilla.

Beat in the eggs. The mix will look curdled and disgusting, but fear not! From ugliness, comes deliciousness. Beat this mix fairly vigorously to encourage air into the blend.

Mix in the flour and chocolate chips until the mixture is pale in colour and even in consistency.

2/3 fill your muffin cases, and bake for 13-15 minutes, checking at 13.


Vanilla Butter Cream

113g Unsalted butter
1tsp Vanilla extract
250g Icing sugar
1tbsp milk/single cream

Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.

Add the butter and vanilla and cream together until the mixture is dry and almost even in consistency.

Add the dash of a milk or cream and mix thoroughly.

If the mixture gets too wet, add more sugar, and more milk/cream if it still to dry.

Decorate as you please!


And because I think this would be great, an alternative topping for you!


White Chocolate Ganache

227g White chocolate (good quality (Menier/Green and Blacks etc))
180ml Double cream
28g Butter

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Heat the cream and butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring as you go.

Bring the mixture to the boil and immediately pour over the chocolate. Let this mixture stand for a few minutes to make the chocolate melt, then beat vigorously with a whisk. This will make the mixture thicken.

Refridgerate for about an hour, and then the mixture can be piped. If you wish to spread the mixture onto the cupcakes, let it come back to near room temperature before you try.

Hope that helps, Simon dear!