Birthday- Part II of II

Hmm.. the perfect pairing?

Although I have to say in all honesty, and I think many would agree,  I wish the cupcake would die a swift death.  However, in miniature they can be quite useful for parties.  They look appealing, are bite-sized and come with their own self-contained wrappers, which is pretty convenient.  So I suppose I reluctantly have to admit that there is still a time and place for them, but only if carefully considered.

Although still very sweet, these ones are a little bit more ‘adult’ in that you can add coconut rum and they have a meringue topping rather than frosting, which also makes them a bit more durable.  They are therefore actually baked twice, so it is worth making sure you don’t over-bake them the first time round or they will be on the dry side. 

Mini Lemon and Coconut Meringue Cupcakes
(for approx. 20 mini cupcakes)

You will need :

For the cakes:
 125g unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp lemon zest
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
80ml milk
1 tsp coconut essence or 1 tbsp coconut flavoured rum (optional)
80g desiccated coconut
185g self-raising flour

For the filling:
1 jar shop-brought lemon curd (or make your own!)

For the topping:
4 egg whites
250g caster sugar
100g desiccated coconut
coconut flakes, to decorate (optional)

Method:

1.  To make the cakes, preheat a 180C oven and line a mini muffin/cupcake tray with paper cases.  I have some mini silicone cases, which I simply lined with mini paper cases for extra support and placed on an oven tray.  

2.  Beat softened butter with the sugar and rind until light and fluffy.  Slowly add the eggs so the mixture does not separate.

3.  Add the sifted flour and coconut.  Finally stir in the milk.

4.  Divide the mixture among the cases.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and beginning to come away from the sides.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 

5.  Using a teaspoon, make a small hole into each cake.  Eat or throw away the tops.

6.  Use piping bag fitted with a small nozzle or a plastic bag with a corner cut off to fill the holes with lemon curd. 

7.  Preheat the oven to 200 C.  Make the meringue by beating the egg whites until medium peaks form.  Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until you have stiff peaks.  Fold in the coconut.

8.  Pour some of the meringue mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the tops of the cakes in a swirling motion, creating a fair bit of height as you move towards the centre of the cake.  Top with a flake of coconut if desired. 

9.  Bake the cakes in a hot oven for 10 minutes until the meringue has set and is beginning to crisp up and brown a little (but not burnt!).  Remove and cool on a wire rack. 

Easy-Peasy Flavoured Popcorn

Lemon and Dill Popcorn

You will need:

100g popcorn ( 1 microwavable bags worth, basically)
30g butter
2 tbsp dill, chopped finely
1 lemon, juice and zest
Sea salt

Method:

1.  Pop your popcorn and decant into a large bowl.

2. Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly.  Add chopped dill, lemon zest and a few drops of the juice.

3. Pour over the popcorn.  Season with sea salt and use your hands or a large wooden spoon to mix until most of the popcorn is covered with the lemon-dill butter.  Consume. 

Chilli and Lime Popcorn

You will need:

 100g popcorn (1 microwave bag)
30g butter
1 tsp chilli powder
1 lime, zest and juice
Sea salt

Method: 

1.  Very much as per the above recipe, pop your popcorn and decant into a large bowl.

2.  Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly.  Add chilli, lime zest and a little of the juice. 

3.  Pour over popcorn and mix together to combine completely.  Season with sea salt. 

Parmesan Biscuits
(adapted from the cookbook What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies)
Makes about 60

You will need:

Biscuits:
 4 garlic cloves
260g plain flour, sifted
200g unsalted butter, cubed and cold
2 tbsp double cream
1 tsp dried thyme
140g Parmesan, finely grated

Topping:
30 large cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil
sea salt + black pepper
grated Parmesan
1 jar pesto
extra virgin olive oil
thyme sprigs

Method:

1.  To make the biscuits, first roast the garlic cloves in their skins, drizzled with olive oil, in a 200 C oven for about 30-40 minutes.  They should be totally soft and gooey inside.  

2.   Blitz together the the flour and butter in a magi mix to a breadcrumb consistency.  If making the biscuits by hand, quickly crumb together with cool fingers (run under the tap), making sure there are not large lumps of butter.  If the mixture gets too greasy, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before continuing.  

2.  Add the cream, roasted garlic (squeezed out of their skins), thyme, Parmesan, salt and pepper and mix until just combined.  Turn out onto a floured work surface and bring the dough together with your hands to form a flat, puck-like shape.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3.  Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to the thickness of about 5mm.  Cut out rounds with a small cutter, about 3 cm in diameter, I used a shot glass. Place onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.

4.  Preheat the oven to 160 C.  Sprinkle the biscuits with a little extra Parmesan and a good grating of pepper.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and set.  Allow to cool on a wire rack.

5.  To make canapes, drizzle the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, season and roast in a hot, 200 C oven until soft and beginning to caramelise.  Allow to cool before assembling the biscuits.  Dot each with a little bit of pesto (I actually found it easier to put the pesto in a plastic bag, snip a corner off and ‘pipe’ onto the biscuits), top with a tomato half and sprinkle with a little Parmesan, thyme leaves and salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.