Star-Spangled Bites (Gluten/Wheat Free)

Well, as most people on my Facebook and Google+ know, I had a mummy-fail today. Not quite an epic fail, but pretty darn close. The end of the school term is coming up soon, and the Imp's nursery has a Pirate Party planned to celebrate and to say farewell to those that are leaving the nursery and entering primary school (the Imp doesn't start primary until 2012, so she will be returning to the nursery in September). For the party, the kids can go dressed as pirates, and I signed up to take in cupcakes.

Last week with my Baked and Delicious magazine subscription I had a dozen little silicone star cupcake moulds arrive. The Imp was so excited, so I promised that we could use them for the party cakes. I got up early this morning, baked 60 of these tiny cakes because I only put one teaspoon in each mould instead of two. They turned out the size of a 50p coin, but rather cute. I then cut a strip of fabric to turn into a pirate sash for the Imp, and another bit of fabric for a bandana. She looked adorable, and was on cloud 9 because her current favourite program is "Jake and the Neverland Pirates". I had just managed to get the cupcakes safely packed so we could take them on the bus, the Imp all sorted, and out the door to go to nursery.  When we arrived, I was confused as to why the child that was leaving when we arrived was in normal clothing. I shrugged it off thinking that he may have just had a miserable mum. Thinking nothing of it, we went in and up the stairs. The Imp was the only child dressed as a pirate. I quickly glanced at the notice board. Oops, I had screwed up. By a week. The end of the term in this county isn't until next Friday. Mummy fail.

But we managed to turn it around. It's the first time that I've tried a slightly different cupcake recipe, and it made for a good test run. The Imp didn't care how she was dressed, and ran off to play with her friends. The cupcakes were shared amongst the 6 children in the Preschool room, however many in the Baby room, and the staff, to rave reviews. They were actually shocked that they were gluten/wheat free, because they turned out very light and fluffy, and very moreish. I think there was also surprise that I had made them myself. I think most people that have signed up for food on the list have intentions of getting shop-bought.  We'll just have to do it again next week.

And I'm thinking that I need to get a lot better about keeping a calendar. I have a fancy new smartphone that is tied in with my Google+, so maybe I should start having a play with that. Then my phone will start yelling at me to remind me to pay more attention to the date (that I rarely have much of a concept of).

I promised Beth on Facebook that I would share the recipe, so here it is. I have obtained it from "Baked and Delicious" Magazine, Issue 10 (Eaglemoss Publishing), Page 8.

Ingredients
For the Sponges
50g (2oz) butter, at room temperature (I used Flora Buttery margarine)
140g (4 1/2 oz) caster sugar (I never bother with caster sugar, and used granulated)
125g (4oz) plain flour (I used Dove's Farm Gluten and Wheat Free Plain Flour blend)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (I used Dr Oetker's Gluten Free Baking Powder)
a pinch of salt
125ml (4fl.oz) milk (I used whole milk, and added a small splash more to accommodate for the gf/wf)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Buttercream
50g (2oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature (again, I used Flora Buttery)
125g (4oz) icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp milk
a few drops vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.  Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and use an electric beater to mix it all to a fine breadcrumb consistency.

Pour in half the milk and beat until it is just combined.  Add the egg and vanilla to the remaining milk and whisk together.  Add the egg and milk mixture to the creamed mix, then whisk until the batter is smooth.

Use a teaspoon to fill the moulds.  There should be enough to make 36 stars, so do them in batches (I only put one teaspoon into each mould, and made 60. The cases produce about the diameter of a 50p coin, just in case you have another shape).  Cook the stars in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden and springy to the touch (mine weren't golden because they were quite far down in the moulds. But they were springy).  Cool the stars on a wire rack.

Beat the butter until it is creamy and light, and only then gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar, the milk, and the drops of vanilla until the buttercream is really fluffy. Spread a little on the top of each star. Decorate as you please. I used edible red glitter flakes that I found on eBay.

Mel

Recipe: Iced Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe is from Issue 1 of "Baked and Delicious" magazine, that I've altered by changing the flour to a gluten and wheat free blend from Dove's Farm. For those needing sugar free, the sugar is quite easily changed to sweetener alternatives(not tried this yet myself), and the butter and milk can be easily changed for your normal alternatives if you're dairy free (I have used Flora margarine and goats milk, in the past).

Here's the recipe:
For the Cupcakes:
125g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
125g/4oz caster sugar (I just use granulated, because that's what's here)
2 large eggs, beaten
125g/4oz self-raising flour, sifted (I'm naughty and rarely sift anything but icing sugar)
2tbsp semi-skimmed or whole milk (I had just a small dash more, just in case, for gluten free)
1tsp vanilla extract
(for chocolate, replace a tbsp of the flour with a tbsp of cocoa powder and sift it into the mixture at the same time. Add a heaped tspt of sifted cocoa powder to the icing sugar, too)

For the Buttercream Icing
75g /3oz unsalted butter, softened
2tbsp semi-skimmed or whole milk
1tsp vanilla extract
225g/8oz icing sugar, sifted
food colouring, optional

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy. Whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time, adding a spoonful of the measured flour to prevent the mixture curdling.  Use a metal spoon to gently fold in the remaining flour and then add the milk and vanilla extract.  Stand the cupcake cases (I use silicone, but you could also use paper cases in a muffin tin) on a large baking tray and divide the mixture equally between them.  Bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 until well risen and golden, for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove and cool on a wire tray.

For the icing, in a large bowl beat the butter until completely soft.  Tim in the milk and vanilla extract, add half the sifted icing sugar and beat for several minutes (warning...for me, this coats my entire kitchen in icing sugar).  Add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.  If you are adding food colouring, put it in a drop at a time until you get the shade that you want.  You can either spread it onto your cupcakes, or I have an icing gun-thing that I fill and just squirt it on (I actually double the icing recipe, because I'm rather generous with it, and that's my favourite part.

If you want to add decorations, i.e. sprinkles or fruit such as raspberries or strawberries, lemon zest (I've contemplated exchanging the vanilla out of the entire recipe and adding lemon extract. I haven't gotten around to it yet), etc., add it before the icing sets.

This, overall, is a rather quick recipe if I need a quick treat. I think it takes me about 10 or 15 minutes to put it all together, then the 15 to 20 minutes of baking, half hour or so of letting it cool, and 5 minutes to apply the icing (that I make during the cooling off time).

Mel