needs more sugar

A side note on me and strawberries..

I’m normally easy to convince with picking a favourite flavour. Whenever we got neapolitan ice cream when I was a kid I ignored the strawberry, ignored the chocolate and went straight for the vanilla.

Boring? No! I like to think of it as a classic.

When the vanilla ran out I’d sigh a deep sigh, tsk loudly and begrudgingly dig into the chocolate – ignoring the strawberry until freezer icicles started to form over it and Mum agreed to replenish the supply.

I’d like to apologise to the humble strawberry for neglecting it all these years.

Ingredients:
(Makes 12)

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Ingredients:
(White Choc Buttercream)

100g softened unsulted butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons white chocolate powder (I got mine from Essential Ingredient in Rozelle)
50g good quality white chocolate, chopped in a food processor until relatively fine

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy
5. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended
7. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended
8. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended
9. Divide batter evenly among prepared cupcake papers
10. Bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes
11. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and let cool completely before icing

Method:
(White choc buttercream)

1. Cream the butter for 2 minutes, add the milk, vanilla extract and half the sifted icing sugar and half the white chocolate powder and processed white choc and beat for at least 3 minutes so that the mixture is light and fluffy and the powder dissolved
2. Add the remaining icing sugar, choc powder and chocolate and beat for a further 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy and is of a spreadable consistency
3. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes

Tags: chocolate, strawberries

This entry was posted on November 15, 2010 at 12:51 pm and is filed under cupcakes, fruit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.