Spicy Crinkle Chocolate Cupcakes

Christmas is round the corner.  The mood was for baking something with spice.  So here is my version of Crinkle cookies in a cupcake

Ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup castor sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 /2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

pinch of salt

Confectioner Sugar

Mix the cocoa powder, castor sugar and oil till it all comes together in one lump.  This can be done with a spoon.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, alongwith the vanilla extract

Sift in the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg powders and mix just to bring together.  Do not beat

Keep in a cool place for 4-6 hours.

Preheat oven to 180 C.  Take some of the chilled dough and roll it in your hands.

Roll in the confectioner Sugar till fully coated.

Bake in a muffin tray - I used a mini size - for 10-12 min.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

In the mood for Lemon Meringue pie but not in the mood for making a pie - its too much effort,  I had bookmarked a recipe on Pinterest for Lemon Meringue Cupcakes which was what I ended up making.

Kept some cupcakes plain as my son did not want the lemon curd.  

The recipe given below is adapted from Ohsweetbakery.blogspot.in - I reduced it to make 6 cupcakes instead of 12.

Ingredients

3/4 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
3/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Eggs
1/4 Cup Oil
1/4 Cup Milk
1/2  Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
1 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C
2. Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners
3. Sift together dry ingredients together in a bowl
4. Mix in the egg, milk, oil, extracts and lemon zest.
5. Mix with an egg beater on medium speed for 2 minutes till well blended.
6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full
7. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or till a toothpick inserted into one of your cupcakes comes out clean 
8. cool cupcakes completely before decorating

Lemon Curd

Courtesy joyofbaking

3 eggs
150 grams white sugar
80 ml fresh lemon juice
60 gms butter
1 tablespoon lemon zest

1. Over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. 
2. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, until the mixture becomes thick
3. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. 
4. Add the lemon zest and let cool. 
5. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. 
6. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate for up to a week.

Note: 

• Room temperature lemons provide more juice. 
• Cold lemons are much easier to grate. 
• Grate lemons just before using as the zest will lose moisture if it sits too long.

Frosting

100 gms white sugar

40 ml water

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, water and cream of tartar. 

Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks. 

Gradually add the sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes. 

Assembling

1. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, make a small hole in the top using a melon scooper.
2. Fill this with Lemon Curd
3. Using an icing bag frost the top of the cupcake with the 7 min frosting.
4. Place under a grill for 3 mins to brown the frosting, taking care not to let it burn