Passionfruit Curd Cupcakes

I have been contemplating on working with passion fruit because I really love the unique aroma and the slight sour tang passion fruit provides to anything it is added to. So instead of Vanilla Cupcake with Lemon Curd Core done in previous bake, I went with passion fruit curd instead. So here's the recipe.

(Makes 12 standard muffin size)

To make the vanilla cupcakes

125g self-raising flour

125g caster sugar

125g unsalted butter at room temperature

2 eggs

0.5 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp plain yogurt

Zest of 1 lemon

a pinch of salt

To make the passion fruit curd

3 large eggs

125g caster sugar

125g passion fruit puree

200g unsalted butter

To make the frosting

125g cream cheese

75ml whipping cream

50g icing sugar

For the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees and line the muffin tin.

2. Sift together the flour and the baking powder and set aside.



3. Beat the sugar and butter till light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine before adding the next.

5. Add the yogurt and mix till fully incorporated.

6. Add the sifted flour and baking powder mix as well as the zest and mix to combine.

7. Spoon the batter into the lined tray, filling to three quarter of each cup.

8. Bake in preheated oven of 180 degrees for about 20 minutes. Insert a skewer into the center of a cake and if the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked. (Mine was a bit dark because I left it in the oven for about 24 minutes, so 20 minutes should be adequate.) Remove the cakes from the tray and leave the cupcakes to cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the passion fruit curd

*This can be made a few days in advance.*

9. Mix all the ingredients except the butter in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

10. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and whisk continuously till the mixture thickens. To do a quick test, coat the back of a wooden spoon with the thickened mixture and run your finger across the spoon. If the 'finger path' remains, your mixture is ready.

11. Take the mixture off the heat and add in the butter (cut into cubes) and whisk to incorporate.

12. Pour into a container, cling wrap the mixture, with the cling wrap touching the surface of the curd, and chill in the fridge to set and until ready to use.

For the cream cheese frosting

13. Cream the cheese and icing sugar till soft and smooth. 

14. Whisk the whipping cream till soft peak. 

15. Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture till smooth. 

To assemble

16. Core the cupcakes to fill with the passion fruit curd.

17. Fill the core with passion fruit curd. I used a piping bag to make it neater and easier.

18. Use a star nozzle tip to pipe the cream cheese on top and decorate as desired.

This was really good and I love how the tangy passion fruit curd balances the sweetness from the cupcakes. This was also well received by the group I specially baked for.

Torrone

Intrigued by Anna Olson's amazing bakes, I bookmarked so many of her recipes to try and the one recipe that stands out is torrone, which essentially is Nougats. This recipe calls for focus on the temperature and so you'll need a candy thermometer.

2 cups almonds

1 cup shelled pistachios

400g + 50g caster sugar

90g egg whites

400ml honey

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Zest of 1 lemon

A pinch of salt

Cornstarch for dusting 

1. Line a 23cm by 33cm tray and set aside. 

2. Lightly toast the almonds.

3. Mix the nuts, lemon zest and vanilla extract and set aside.

4. Whisk the egg white and salt till foamy and add the 50g caster sugar gradually and beat till soft peak.

5. Boil the honey and 400g of sugar, stirring continuously till 138 degrees, after  that you can stop stirring because after 138 degrees, the honey mixture will not be in danger of boiling over.

6. Leave the mixture to heat up to 157 degrees and take it off the heat. 

7. Allow the mixture to cool to 149 degrees and pour the mixture down the side of the mixing bowl where the softly whipped egg white is, mixing on high speed. The egg white will inflate, then collapse again. 

8. Beat the mixture till cool enough that your hand can touch the mixing bowl. 

9. Fold in the nut mixture and pour the mixture into the tray.

10. Spread the nougat mixture evenly on the tray and with hand coated with corn starch, press the mixture to even the nougat out. 

11. Cool the mixture completely for about 3 hours before cutting into bite sized Nougats.

12. Wipe the knife with a thin layer of oil and cut the big block nougat into bite sized ones.

13. To store, place the Nougats a distance apart and use baking papers before stacking a second layer. 

I stored them in the fridge and discovered that the Nougats hardened after being put in the fridge. They're really delicious and they do not stick to the teeth. 

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV

http://bible.com/111/2co.9.15.niv

Baking Frenzy

There! All in one breath! I bake these in a day. Last bake for the husband's current office. He'll be moving to another office.

I so love the passionfruit curd. It's aromatic, tangy and sweet all at the same time and the texture is so so smooth. 

Baked some plain cupcakes with passionfruit curd core, topped with cream cheese frosting and complete with a drizzle of passionfruit curd. Perfecto.

Look at the passionfruit curd, tangy surprise that cuts through the sweetness.

Lovely and moist. 

This passionfruit curd is truly yummy! 

Checkerboard cookies which took quite a bit of effort to shape, chill, cut, assemble, chill and then shape again. Cute, aren't they? 

Then I decided that we need some savouries too. So these are easy tuna puff pillows. Easy peasy because I used store bought puff pastry. 

All these baked in 4 hours, but of course, the cookies were made and chilled a day in advance and the passionfruit curd made a day in advance too. 

I've got some passionfruit curd left, tart next? Maybe.:)

Inspiration Galore

My mind's whirling with galore of bakes I'm dying to try and my 'to read' list is overflowing.

On top of it all, torrone! Which is Italian nougat. Looking forward! 

Next, ice box cookies. Yum

And next, caramel hazelnut.

And next next, checkered cookies. 

And next next next, key lime pie.

So so many things to try! But I've got a lot more free time now, so I think I may just try them all! 

Currently reading Lee Wei Ling's 'A Hakka Woman's Singapore'. I think she's really unique and I admire her conviction in treating all equally. She has deep respect for all and she truly is principled. 

Shall be updating recipes soon. 

And I did the torrones! It turned out a little sticky, but I think it's successful for a first time.

Chestnut Macarons

In an attempt to make mont blanc, I bought 4 cans of canned chestnut because they're on sales. Now, I have too much chestnut and I need to use them up. So, chestnut macarons sounds like a good idea since the chestnut cream I used for the mont blanc is not overly sweet.

Here's the recipe and I must say, I have learnt to improvise and create my own chestnut filling. Not bad for a first time. Hee....

For the macarons

I used the recipe in a previous post: red velvet macarons

For the chestnut fillings

250g of canned chestnut
40g of chestnut spread (jam)
38g of milk
38g of whipping cream

You can add more or less of the chestnut spread according to your liking. In place of chestnut spread, you also also use icing sugar.

I did not add any colouring and the shells browned quite a bit. It didn't taste too sweet and I think the sweetness from the shells is enough.

Pumpkin rolls and bread

I did a pumpkin roll some time close to Halloween though I don't celebrate Halloween, was just intrigued by the pumpkin shape.

Then I had pumpkins left, so I made another round of pumpkin rolls and loaf.

Pretty soft and healthy. Recipe soon. 

Faith

So I took that leap of faith, all in God's hands.