There were some birthdays over the week for a few family members and I wanted to make some cupcakes to take to the dinner celebration. Seeing as it was the middle of the week, I didn’t have much time to fuss about with complicated recipes, so the recent post by Niki on one bowl creations gave me some inspiration to bake a few cupcakes without the fuss of using a recipe which requires creaming of butter and eggs. I remembered Martha Stewart’s ‘One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes as a good route for quick cupcakes, perfect for frosting as well seeing as they cool down faster than an 18 inch cake does. Even though I’ve had a few failures with her recipes before I thought I’d give this one a go. I figured that if it didn’t work I would make a trifle instead - always a good way to go with lacke lustre cakes.

(Side note: While I love looking through Martha Stewart’s magazines and websites I have found many of the recipes repetitive, which come out with failed results - even when I’ve followed them as instructed. I have to agree with Niki’s theory on how American recipes for baked goods are written; as opposed to British or Australian recipes with measurements given in weight and not volume. So often I find converting the measurements a good way to make sure things turn out well)

In the end I still changed the recipe around, ommiting the plain flour for self-raising and eliminating the baking soda as I am not a fan of the texture when you combine baking soda and powder. I used the much cherished Valrhona cocoa powder which provided a decadent and rich chocolate cake. So rich that when it came to deciding what type of frosting to make I decided for something light and delicate which wouldn’t overshadow the chocolate flavour. I went with an orange and ginger butter frosting as both flavours go well with chocolate; and in this instance the combination worked very well for an adult themed sweet treat. The use of fresh orange juice and grated ginger means there is a kick to the flavours. And with the small quantity of ginger the kick comes courtesy of a peep-toe shoe and nothing too sharp!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange & Ginger Frosting

Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s ‘One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes‘
Makes 18 cupcakes

100g unsweetened cocoa powder
210g of self raising flour
200g cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180ºC

Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; mix batter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about one-third full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; allow cool completely. Once cooled spread or pipe your choice of frosting and serve. Enjoy!

Frosting

175g of unsalted butter
300g of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoon of finely grated orange rind
1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger
2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a mixing bowl until it is fluffy. Gradually sift in the confectioners sugar, two tablespoon at a time. Mix until well combined. Do not rush this as it will turn out lumpy. Add orange juice, rind and ginger and vanilla and combine well. Add a little more orange juice if frosting is not spreadable.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been enjoying a small harvest of home grown sprouts. They have been enjoyed in sandwiches with boiled eggs and sundried tomatoes, as topping on crackers with peanut butter, as light snacks on their own and this evening as a tangy and nutritious salad. Home grown sprouts are a simple, rewarding and thrifty way to ensure you are eating well as well as making a box of store bought sprouts last the distance. To sprout them at home all you need to do is soak some sprouts, seeds or nuts and allow them to germinate. The length of time depends on the type of sprout, seed or nuts you intend to harvest. I haven’t used any fancy sprouting machines, but I hear machines are a good way to sprout different types at the same time as well as under controlled conditions.

I prefer a simple method which comes recommended by friends and family. The method requires a deep bowl, some muslin cloth, fresh water and a good memory to remember to rinse the sprouts every day during the germination process. This week I used a sample of store bought alfalfa sprouts which worked really well. Alfalfa sprouts require roughly 3 - 4 hours soaking time and then 5 - 7 days germinate. After soaking the sprouts, all you need to do is place the muslin cloth in a deep bowl and then place the sprouts on top, cover with the remaining edges of the cloth and leave in a cool place or in the refrigerator. Every day rinse the sprouts and repeat until you see some growth. It is an on going project, as you can eat your fresh (and organic!) sprouts as they appear, just make sure you rinse them thoroughly and consume them when they are nice and fresh.

I had a small amount of alfalfa remaining from this weeks harvest, so I made a salad for dinner this evening. I was bowled over the simple and dare I say earthy flavours both the sprouts and lentils brought the salat. It appears The Boy was too as there was a request for a second batch to be made. As you may know The Boy has a certain affinity to things such as pizza and mashed potato (I do too, but I also love my vegetables!), so the alfalfa and lentil combinations may have pushed the boundaries. I was pretty chuffed with this request, seeing as I was expecting a few complaints after setting the table with our food. Sure he’d be happy with the roast chicken and Afghan bread, but the salad was the risky component. Alas there were nothing but enjoyment all round, even the decoy of danish feta was pushed aside for more greenery!

I have found with salads where dainty sprouts and lentils play the leading role, a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and salt works a treat. The addition of creamy feta adds a nice balance to the zing of the lemon and heat of spanish onion. You can use a good quality can of brown lentils (I quite like the varieties from Harris Farm Markets) if you don’t have time to bowl your own (and who does after a day at work!) Best of all, the sprouts were fresh and crisp and require not much muscle other than rinsing, which I do while waiting for the kettle to boil of a morning.

Something about homemade just makes it taste even better.

Lentil & Sprout Salad with Danish Feta
Serves 4

Salad
2 cups of alfalfa sprouts
1 cup of snow pea sprouts
1/2 cup of boiled brown lentils (fresh or canned)
1/2 a spanish onion (sliced, thinly)

Dressing
3 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon (juiced)
maldon sea salt to taste
1/4 cup of danish feta (cubed)

Mix all salad ingredients in a bowl until well combined. In a shaker add fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt to taste - shake well and pour over salad. Sprinkle with danish feta and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Over the last couple of weeks I have been looking for a ceramic tray to keep eggs sitting pretty in the kitchen, as I prefer to have eggs at room temperature for baking or even having a hard boiled egg for breakfast. One should never attempt boiling an egg which has been sitting in the fridge for god knows how long, unless of course you want to risk exploding yolk!

I’ve tried local stores like Victoria’s Basement and Peters of Kensington however my search have left me trayless. But today, I found this snazzy creation online at Dwell. I was originally looking for pretty pastel ones, and even though I will always be a fan of baby pinks and blues I quite like the simple and edgy design of this tray. Would be lovely for next Easter should I decide to go all “Martha” and dye some eggs.

But as luck would have it they do not ship outside the UK. Perhaps a polite email to the little sister who is living it up in London is required…

I am very lucky to have people around me who are just as interested and passionate about food as I am. When someone tells me that they are not interested food I feel sad for them. Imagine what they are missing - delicious food, rare condiments, extravagant and simple recipes, family traditions, cook books, food histories, food markets… cake! If I didn’t come from a family of fabulous chefs and homecooks I think the food blogging community would be my saving grace. One of my absolute favourite food blogs and I am sure you will agree is The Scent of Green Bananas. Santos creates superb recipes, showcases interesting cookbooks and makes accessible and tasty looking treats and dishes. Her most recent post sums up my love for her bloggyness, a twenty minute tea made with quality produce and is simple and accesible.

I was inspired by her recipe for scones and decided to make them for breakfast yesterday morning. We didn’t have any bread in the house (shock horror!) and it was a public holiday, so many shops were closed and it was far more tempting to laze around the house than go out. Scones are usually a tea-time staple, with their dense cake like texture they are perfect with a tart berry jam and cream. To make scones more suited as a breakfast item I added some buttermilk to the dough and hoped for fluffy light scones. And they were. I went a little overboard with the dough and made enough for breakfast for the rest of the week. So I popped the excess in the freezer for some toaster action later on in the week.

Fluffy Breakfast Scones
Adapted from TSOGB
Makes 18 scones

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoon of caster sugar
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of buttermilk
Extra flour for rolling and baking

Preheat oven to 225˚C.

Mix all ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface. If the dough is sticky add a a little bit of flour at a time and re-work it until you have a soft ball of dough. Roll out the dough to about a 3 cm thickness and cut out as desired. Scraps can be re-rolled and cut to use up the dough.

Place the scones on a floured baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until puffy and golden. Serve with a tart berry jam and a dollop of thick yoghurt or whipped cream. Enjoy!

I seem to be on a citrus kick these days. I have been enjoying limes, lemons and grapefruit in their natural form or in soups and baked goods. Over the weekend a bounty of pink grapefruit kept me happy with a breakfast of bittersweet wedges with almond & honey yoghurt and also as juice with a little ginger - all tasty and refreshing. By Sunday I was left wondering what I could do with the the remaining rust coloured globes, so I decided to make something for a family lunch later that day. I thought of a favourite salad of mine with segments of pink grapefruit with rocket, radish, avocado and grilled salmon, however with the lunch menu focusing on Sri Lankan food I gave the salad a miss.

Dessert option is always a good pleaser, so I decided to make a semi sweet creamy tart to counter the bitterness of the grapefruit. The internet is a wonderful thing and after a quick search I came across this recipe which substituted the juice of key limes for grapefruit. Knowing how everyone seems to like the creaminess of key lime pie I gave this recipe a whirl. It turned out well, however I still need to work on my pastry technique when it comes to tart shells. Either that or try not to attempt a new recipe two hours before you have to leave for a party. The tart shell isn’t sweet at all, so the filling with the pulpy grapefruit added an enjoyable bitterness to the sweet custard like filling. I added some finely grated ginger and vanilla extract to the filling for some added oomph however I would have preferred more kick from the ginger so I have increased the quantity just a notch in the recipe below.

If you do try this, please let me know how you find it. I’d be interested to know sooner than later as I prefer to make these sweet creations when I know there are people to sample them, rather than it sitting at home quietly tempting me.

Bittersweet Pink Grapefruit Tart
Adapted from Sunset Food
Serves 8

For the tart shell
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter (cubed)
1 egg

For the filling
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated pink grapefruit peel (finely grated)
2/3 cup pink grapefruit juice and pulp
1 teaspoon of ginger (finely grated)
2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2/3 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup thickened cream

Preheat oven to 180°C

In a large bowl combine flour and butter until you have fine crumbs. This can be done in a food processor or by hand*. Add 1 egg and continue to work into dough until you have a firm ball.

On a floured surface roll out the dough to fit a 10 inch tart pan (preferably with a removable base and rim). Once you have the dough rolled out to a 2 cm thickness place on tart pan and fit into place. Even out the ridge so that excess dough is taken out. You can use a butter knife or your fingers to do this.

Bake in a 180°C oven until the tart shell is light golden in colour, about 20 - 25 minutes. Allow cool and begin working on the filling.

In a bowl, whisk together remaining 3 eggs, grapefruit peel, juice, pulp, ginger, vanilla extract, sugar, and cream. Set baked crust on oven rack and carefully pour in filling.

Bake in 180°C oven until the centre is set**, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Allow the tart to cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or chilled, with grapefruit segments or by itself. Enjoy!

*My food processor isn’t working at the moment, so I just worked the dough with my hands - it takes longer, but it works fine. Make sure the butter is at room temperature.

** Shake the tart pan gently to see if the centre jiggles a little.