Oreo Sundae Cupcakes

For those of you who are not familiar with Muslim holidays and festivities, Eid occurs twice a year for Muslims all over the world. The second Eid, also known as Eid-Al-Adha is a three day long celebration that honours the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son, as an act of submission to God's command, before God then intervened, through his angel Jibra'il and informs him that his sacrifice has already been accepted. The meat from the sacrificed animal is preferred to be divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbours; and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy. Hence Eid Al Adha is also known commonly as also called the Feast of Sacrifice. Similar to the previous Eid, feasts involve a range of dishes and sweets ranging from the traditional to the contemporary. With this Eid, my little sister had requested for me to whip up something in the kitchen that would involve the goodness of Oreos and my mind immediately drifted to Oreo Sundae Cupcakes.  To all those celebrating Eid Al Adha around the world, I wish you and your families a joyful time and remember to keep those less fortunate in your prayers too. Happy Eid! x

Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Jam Buttercream (Eid Celebrations)

It's been a hectic past month with Ramadan, the annual month where all Muslims around the world engage in fasting from sunrise to sunset, so I barely had time to accommodate for my blogging. However with the conclusion of Ramadan comes Eid Al-Fitr, another annual celebration that marks the end of Ramadan and festive treats are consumed and everyone dresses in their best suits to greet family and friends. It is tradition to make sweets pertaining to your cultural heritage however I decided to sway from tradition and opted to bake moist chocolate cupcakes with strawberry jam buttercream. Let's just leave it at that there were no crumbs leftover and smiles left, right and centre once everyone had consumed these petite treats.

Notes:

• In order to substitute buttermilk you can simply add tsp of white vinegar to 1 cup of normal everyday use milk and let it sit for 5 minutes so that it slightly froths from the top.
• To make the coffee as required by the recipe, simply add 1 tbsp of Nestle instant coffee granules to 1 cup of hot boiling water and stir.

Ingredients:

Makes 12 cupcakes

(Moist Chocolate Cupcakes)
75 grams butter
½ tsp vanilla powder
3dl flour
1dl cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 ½ dl white sugar
1 large egg
1 dl hot strong coffee
1 ½ dl buttermilk

(Strawberry Jam Buttercream)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Strawberry jam

Method (Cupcakes)
1.        Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners.
2.        Melt the butter, add the vanilla essence and let it cool.
3.        Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder and sugar into a large bowl.
4.       Light whip the egg together with the buttermilk.
5.        Mix the coffee with the butter.
6.       Add all liquid ingredients to dry ingredients until a smooth, liquid-like batter forms.
7.        Divide mixture between the cupcake liners and make sure to fill only up to 2/3 in each liner.
8.       Bake for 18-20 minute or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of any cupcake. Let the cupcakes cool for a good 2-3 hours before frosting.

Method (Icing)

1. Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency. If frosting gets too thick you can add a little milk to thin it out. Pipe onto cupcake using a Wilton 1M piping tip.

10k Views, Cupcakes & More...

A tad bit excited to share the news that I've started my own little online cupcakery by the name "Cookie's Cupcakery" on Instagram @cookiescupcakery . Just as the name suggests I'll only be offering my cupcake services to all keen foodies when I'm not too absorbed in lengthy case note readings. I'm currently in the process of working on an official website for "Cookie's Cupcakery" however till then you can always DM me on Instagram or drop me an email on cookiescupcakery@hotmail.com to place an order for a boxed order of deliciousness. Last but certainly not least, thank you to each and every single wonderful being who has helped in bringing this blog to life and the overwhelmingly positive feedback to act as the cherry on this mixture of all things sweet.  

Perfect Espresso Chocolate Cupcake with Nutella Buttercream

The key to making magic in the kitchen is to work with ingredients and produce that are in season. It's safe to say these "Perfect Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream" turned out several times better than what I had envisioned beforehand. 

        

            

Notes:

• In order to substitute buttermilk you can simply add tsp of white vinegar to 1 cup of normal everyday use milk and let it sit for 5 minutes so that it slightly froths from the top.
• To make the coffee as required by the recipe, simply add 1 tbsp of Nestle instant coffee granules to 1 cup of hot boiling water and stir.

Ingredients:

Makes 12 cupcakes.

(Espresso Chocolate Cupcakes)

75 grams butter

½ tsp vanilla powder

3dl flour

1dl cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 ½ dl white sugar

1 large egg

1 dl hot strong coffee

1 ½ dl buttermilk

(Nutella Buttercream)

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup Nutella

Method:

1.        Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners.

2.        Melt the butter, add the vanilla essence and let it cool.

3.        Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder and sugar into a large bowl.

4.       Light whip the egg together with the buttermilk.

5.        Mix the coffee with the butter.

6.       Add all liquid ingredients to dry ingredients until a smooth, liquid-like batter forms.

7.        Divide mixture between the cupcake liners and make sure to fill only up to 2/3 in each liner.

8.       Bake for 18-20 minute or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of any cupcake. Let the cupcakes cool for a good 2-3 hours before frosting.

9.       In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy.

10.     Gradually add the powdered sugar and salt, beating until smooth.

11.      Add vanilla and beat until combined. Add Nutella and beat until light and fluffy.

12.     Frost cooled cupcakes using a Wilton 1M piping tip with a top-sided swirl, add a sliced strawberry and dust with icing sugar to complete the look.

(recipe adapted from here)