Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Ganache

I KNOW!!!!!!!!.......the vanilla cupcake is totally lost........thanks to the sinful looking ganache.....it has stolen all the limelight.......Please do not be blinded by the ganache and forget my vanilla cupcakes.....coz they are beautiful soft spongy pillows that just melt in your mouth and the orange zest works like magic which makes these cupcakes extra special......these come under my 'Have to make every month' list and 'Vanishes in seconds' list.

Recipe source :Joy of Baking

Ingredients

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For Vanilla Cupcake

• 113 grams Butter , softened (1/2 cup)
• 130 grams Sugar (2/3 cup)
• 3 large Eggs ,room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Zest of one Orange or Lemon
• 195 grams Flour (1 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 60 ml Milk (1/4 cup)

For Chocolate Ganache

• 300 grams Dark Chocolate
• 200 ml Cream

Method

For Vanilla Cupcake

1. Preheat oven at 180 Degree C , line muffin trays with cupcake cases.
2. Mix orange / lemon zest , flour,baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a bowl beat butter an sugar till light. fluffy and pale,add one egg at a time,beating after each addition.Now add vanilla extract.
4. Add flour and milk in 3 batches,starting and ending with flour mixture and beating in medium speed after each addition.
5. Using an ice cream scoop divide the batter into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 to 25 minutes or when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven and transfer onto a cooling rack.let the cupcakes cool in the muffin trays.
7. Once cooled completely pipe chocolate ganache on top.

Method for Ganache

1. Keep grated chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
2. Pour cream into a saucepan and place on medium flame.Remove once small bubbles start forming in the sides of the saucepan.Do not boil.Pour this hot cream on the chocolate and let stand for a minute.
3. Mix till all the chocolate melts and you are left with smooth ganache.
4. Let  it cool down completely, the ganache will thicken, transfer into a piping bag and pipe the cupcake with the ganache.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Simple vanilla pudding or custard that can be served with fruits ,ice creams and cakes.

Recipe Source: All recipes

Ingredients

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• 500ml Milk
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp Cornflour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Butter

Method

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan mix together milk, sugar, cornflour, and salt. When all the ingredients are well blended place on medium low flame and cook stirring often till the mixture has thickened, the pudding is done when it coats back of the spoon.
2. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract and butter and stir till combine and smooth.
3. Vanilla pudding is ready to be served.

choco-vanilla spiral cookies

Choco vanilla spiral cookies -also known as Pinwheel cookies.
Recently I purchased a book - Australian Women's weekly- Easy baking, when I took the book home,sat down and went through the whole book I realised there is nothing 'Easy' about this book. Not that the recipes are difficult to follow,its just that 80% of the ingredeints are hard to find here in Bangalore.This was the only recipe I found simple enough,and I just loved the spirals in the cookies,and I knew my daughter would just love it.

 Ingredients
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• 200grms butter (softened)
• 2/3 cup, 150 grms caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups(375 grms) plain flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa butter

Method
1.In a small bowl combine butter, egg,caster sugar and vanilla essence. Beat with electric beater till light and fluffy.
2.Mix in flour(sieved), mix to form a firm dough.

 3. Divide the dough to two equal parts,to one part dough add cocoa powder and mix well,until well combined.Knead each piece of dough separately on a floured surface until smooth.

 4. Cover both the doughs with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 5.Roll the vanilla dough between sheets of baking paper into a rectangle shape(if possible),according to the original recipe into 25x 35 cm rectangle.Repeat the same with the chocolate dough.

 6.Remove the top sheets of baking paper from both the dough.Turn the chocolate dough onto the vanilla dough,you get only one chance to do this,once the chocolate dough is on the vanilla dough ,you cannot move it later,so be quick in flipping and try to put exactly on the vanilla dough.Remove the top sheet of paper.
7. Trim the sides to make a perfect rectangle with a scissor or knife.(do not through away the dough that has been trimmed ,you can used it later to make marbled cookies)

 8.using bottom sheet of paper as guide,roll dough stack tightly from the longest side.

 9. Cover the roll with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 10.Pre heat the oven to 180 degree C, grease oven tray and line with baking paper.
11. Remove plastic from roll and cut the roll into 1 cm slices
12. Place the slices about 2 cm apart and bake for 15 minutes.

 13, Let the cookies stand in the tray for 5 minutes before transfering into a wire rack to cool

 The dough that was trimmed off before can be used to make marbled cookies,I have rolled out the dough and refrigerated it for 15 minutes  and used cookie cutter to get nice shapes,my daughter just loves the heart shaped cookies -she is a Valentine baby after all :)