Festive Fruit Cupcakes

It's Christmas Eve, so this will be the last festive recipe I'll share with you this year. Not the last recipe for 2014, but certainly the last one with "festive fruit" .
Oh, I have more - chocolate brownies with festive fruit, cheesecake with festive fruit and shortbread with festive fruit. (Can you tell that I over-stocked on glacé cherries and candied peel??).
The combination of rich dark chocolate, gooey cherries and crunchy nuts is definitely more-ish.
But, by now - I must admit - I'm over it! Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year ; )

Anyway, in case you're looking for something to serve this evening or tomorrow, here's the recipe…

Festive Fruit Cupcakes
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create

Preheat oven to 180'C
Line 2x muffin pans with cupcake cases (makes 24)

Ingredients:
400g dark chocolate discs or dark chocolate cut into small pieces
80g butter
6 eggs separated
80g + 1 tbs caster sugar
80 g cherry jam / preserve
150g ground almonds
50g cake flour
50g cocoa

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or on low power in the microwave.
Allow to cool slightly.

Sift the dry ingredients together - flour, cocoa and ground almonds.

Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 1tbs caster sugar, then whip until stiff.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks and remaining caster sugar together.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate/ butter, then the cherry preserve. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients - mix until just incorporated.

Fold one spoon of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest.
Continue folding the batter until the whites are no longer visible.


Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake cases.

Bake at 180'C for 20min or until a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Remove from the oven to cool slightly, then remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan.

Ganache

300g dark chocolate discs
150g whipping cream

Place both ingredients into a heat proof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Allow the ganache to cool slightly - but not set; then pour over the cupcakes.

Festive Fruit Topping

Mix together-
100g mixed candied peel
160g glacé cherries - roughly chopped
80g white chocolate - roughly chopped
80g shaved almonds - toasted


Place a spoonful of the topping onto each ganache'd cupcake.

(Omit the festive fruit and you could serve them any day of the year you please!)

Have a very very deliciously merry Christmas!

xxM

Amarula Chocolate Torte

Ok, so I made my own birthday cake. Who else was going to do it? My husband's kitchen skills don't stretch to chocolate cakes. Or any cakes. Or anything much besides steak and washing dishes - both of which he does really well, though!! (Don't worry - he'll never read this).
So, buy a cake? Uh, no.
And you know what - it's my party, I can bake if I want to : )

{torte (tôrt, tôrt)          n. 

A rich cake made with many eggs and little flour. Usually containing chopped nuts.
[German. Perhaps from Italian torta, cake, tart, from Late Latin torta, a kind of bread.]}

Amarula Chocolate Torte.
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create

Preheat oven to 180'C
Grease and line 3x 6in (15cm) pans or 2x 8in pans.

400g dark chocolate discs or dark chocolate cut into small pieces
120ml Amarula
6 eggs separated
80g butter
80g + 1 tbs caster sugar
150g ground almonds
50g cake flour
50g cocoa

Melt the chocolate and Amarula together in a double boiler.
Allow to cool slightly.

Sift the dry ingredients together - flour, cocoa and ground almonds.

Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in 1tbs caster sugar, then whip until stiff.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and remaining caster sugar together. Add the egg yolks and beat until light and creamy.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate /Amarula; mix well.
Add the dry ingredients - mix until just incorporated.

Fold in one spoon of the egg whites, then gently fold in the rest.
Continue folding the batter until the whites are no longer visible.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.

Bake at 180'C for 35-40minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Allow to cool in the pans before turning out onto a cooling rack.

ChocolateMousse Icing
Recipe by Tea, Cake and Create

(This recipe produces enough icing to spread between the cake layers and to cover the outside of the cake. Halve the ingredients if you'll be leaving it - the cake! - naked.)

150g butter
2x 250g tubs cream cheese
100g icing sugar, sifted
50g cocoa powder, sifted
2-4 tbs fresh cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla extract.

Beat the butter until soft and creamy, add the sifted icing sugar. Mix well.
Add in the cream cheese. Mix until just combined.
Then add the vanilla and sifted cocoa. Mix until incorporated.
If the icing is too stiff to spread on a cake - add the fresh cream / milk until it is softer.

Spread icing onto the cake once it is completely cool.

Try to keep some cake for the next day - it gets even better with age. As good things should ; )

xxM