Red velvet cupcakes

December is a busy and expensive month for us.  We have a birthday, an anniversary and then Christmas.  The gift giving can get really overwhelming if we don't stop ourselves from the purchases.  In past posts, I always mention that Christmas shopping for me, has gone from overly organised (back in my single days), to last minute shopper.  Before, I would have gifts for everyone months before December and all I need to do in the last few days leading up to Christmas will be to wrap them. These days, hubby (as he is constantly online), he purchases most of the girls' presents ahead.  He's good like that.  He's reliable that way and I am so grateful.  Really. A few days ago, I just started wrapping them.  And I'm really impressed. Now all that's left now is to get Santa's presents.

Now that part, he leaves to me.  I try to be really sneaky and at the same time realistic every year.  But just last year, lists to Santa has extended into the technology realm - you know, the latest iPod or some other overly expansive gadget.  The girls were really cheeky.  "If mum or dad won't buy us, they maybe Santa can get this for us?"    Well, for the younger girls at least.

I don't know about you, but I'm the more conventional mom when it comes to toys.  I mostly get board games instead of apps, crossword and word search puzzles and books instead of the latest Wii game.  Last year, just to get into the apps world, I got them the Draw Something board game.  Yeah.  I'm not saying I don't play game apps or have the latest from iTunes, but I still do believe in the basic of playing - interaction (face-face) and having a good time.  

 

The younger girls at 10 years old are sort of in between that age when magic is becoming reality.  Their friends at school don't believe in Santa and of course, they get into that stage where what is said in the classroom or in the playground, just might have some truth vs what mum/dad said.   As much as possible, I'd still like to play that game while they're still young. I think believing in the idea of Santa creates a sense of wonder and awe each Christmas morning, and I love watching their reaction.  The open-mouth-surprise and smiles are priceless.  That's the part I love.  So don't judge me!

This year, Santa's elves at the North Pole still don't make Apple products so that's out of the list for now.  But some creative stencil stamps, new board games and a magic juggling ball might just under the tree next week.

Now Christmas is my favourite time of the year.  In Australia, when it's the middle of the summer makes me love it even more.  Summer fruits, beautiful colours all round, days at the beach, endless blue skies, warm breeze, Christmas decorations, Carols, and just the deep sense and feeling of delight in sharing and giving. 

Each year since two years ago, I started making homemade food gifts to friends, work colleagues, teachers and neighbours.  I love the idea of getting busy weeks ahead planning what it will be, shopping for ingredients and making them in layers (a day at at a time).  And these red velvet cupcakes are always a hit with anyone who receives them.  Why not?  They're red and so Christmassy!  Don't you think so?

This recipe is adapted from the Joy of Baking.  I have made them so many times and have varied the brands of ingredients with the same result.  I have doubled Stephanie's recipe to make 24+ half-cup sized cupcakes.

Ingredients for cupcakes

2 and 1/2 cup (250 grams) sifted plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup (120 grams) unsalted butter, softened

1 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) caster (white granulated) sugar

2 large eggs (about 60-65g each)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk*

2 tablespoons liquid red food colouring

1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Method

 

Preheat the oven to 175*C.

Line two 12-half cup capacity cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.  Set aside.

In a measuring jug, mix buttermilk and food colouring until incorporated. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Continue beating and add the vanilla extract.

While the mixer is on low, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk mixture into the bowl. Add the flour and buttermilk alternating in three batches and mix until the batter is consistent and there are not more flour lumps.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Put the mixer on stop/pause.

In a small cup, combine the bi-carbonate soda and vinegar.  Allow the mixture to bubble.

Turn the mixer back on to low and quickly add the bi-carb soda-vinegar mixture and continue to mix for 10 seconds.

Scoop a tablespoon in each cupcake hole or at least a third full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewere inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.

Place on cooling racks and leave to cool.

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box (250 gram) cream cheese, softened

125 grams salted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (50 grams) pure icing (confectioner's) sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light, fluffy and soft.

Add the icing sugar a tablespoon at a time and continue mixing.

Add the vanilla extra and mix until incorporate.

Using a spatula, spoon and spread on top of cupcakes or spoon into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe onto cupcakes.

 Tips and tricks:

* To soften butter, take it out of the fridge to thaw for at least an hour or more (depending on the weather and season);

* Softened butter means its pliable.  When you pinch the butter, it creates a small dent.  Softened butter does not mean soft to the point of melting.  

* When preparing your butter and cream cheese, it helps in the mixing/creaming when you cut them into cubes. 

* As soon as you add the vinegar-baking soda, I always count 10 seconds to the dot then turn off the mixer and just fold the batter gently with a spatula.

* Don't overfill your cupcake tins.  If necessary, which is the case with me, I usually prepare another cupcake tin with liners for the excess.  

* When creaming the frosting, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. When one ingredient is even slightly cooler, it can cost the frosting to look curdled - meaning the butter becomes solid again. 

* For buttermilk substitute, you can make your own sour milk which is 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon or white vinegar.  Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until the milk has curdled or thickened.  I

* Plain natural yogurt can also be a substitute for buttermilk.  With the same amount in the ingredients, prepare  your yoghurt by mixing it with a teaspoon to take out the lumps. (Joy the Baker has some variations on the buttermilk substitution you might want to try.)

And so it's only 8 days till Christmas!  Are you ready yet? 

Is everyone's gift ticked on the list? 

Have you planned your Christmas menu?

And.... do you play the Santa role too?

Glazed ham, first ever attempt

Please excuse the over excitement over a simple glazed ham.  It is something traditional and ho-hum to some, but a first attempt in our little corner.  Over the years, oven baked ham that grazed our table were usually gifts or store bought.  It just seems like something too daunting to take on, like a massive DIY project.  But like all dreams and goals and things that you need to tick off your list, taking the first step and just getting on with it is the best antidote to the curiosity that eventually would have killed the cat.  And just like a DIY project, this one is massive!  7.8 kilograms of glazed pork ham bliss. Well, if you're into this kind of thing.

To make this glorious looking ham goodness, friends shared their recipes.  First stop, carefully take skin/fat off the ham.  Score diamonds on the ham then soak overnight in brine made of:

 4 liters pineapple juice

1 cup brown sugar

1 440g can crushed pineapple

1 tbsp cloves

* Use a big deep plastic bowl or container.  DO NOT USE aluminum or stainless container as the acid will ruin your pot. 

* The ham should be soaked/submerged all the day.  If you don't have a deep container, make sure to turn the ham every hour or so to make sure other parts of the ham are soaked as well. 

 

The next day, when ready to bake/roast, preheat the oven 170*C and prepare your roasting dish/pan. 

 Pat dry the ham and prepare ingredients for glaze.

600g jar apricot conserve or jam

1 can 440g crushed pineapple

 1 cup brown (half cup for rubbing, half cup for the glaze)

1/2 cup of the brine

1 cinnamon quill

handful of cloves for studs

Using a medium sized pot or saucepan, gently simmer the apricot jam, crushed pineapple, brown sugar, brine and cinnamon quill over low heat until the mixture has reduced and has a sticky thick consistency.

Rub brown sugar over the ham and stud the diamond scores with the cloves.

Using a pastry brush, glaze the ham with the apricot mixture in a patting motion, making sure all the sides and the diamond scores are covered.  Save some of the glaze for basting.

Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours, glazing every half hour but making sure ham is not getting burned (cover with aluminum foil, if this happens).

This ham was part of our NYE feast and coming out of the oven, it raved Oohs and Aahs with just its looks!  Served with some of the left over glaze on the side, the ham took on the new year by storm.  Some of it made its way into some pasta carbonara and many omelette dishes well into the week.  

Does it have to be Christmas or New Year's eve for ham to graze the dinner table?  With its size and effort, I guess its worth it.  A smaller and leaner portion can be made with a simple glaze and kept in the fridge for those weekday sandwiches, weekend breakfasts, toasted and topped on some salad, etc. etc.  So if  making glazed at home is on your to do list, don't wait for the  next big holiday.  Make it now and invite some friends over!  A ham is definitely worth making, and sharing!

 

Mini chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting - edible Christmas gifts

Christmas is a favourite time of the year in our home.  The girls are always counting the days as soon as any early signs of Christmas is up – whether its at the shopping centres, mail in catalogues or ads on TV.  At times my thoughts turn to how commercialise it has been over the years.  Children making never ending lists and parents succumbing to the temptation.  Must admit I can get dragged into the commercialism and get carried away myself, but economies of scale always dictates what is just and practical.  Which means B will not be getting her own Iphone 4S at the age of 14 even though most of her friends at school have them. And not every single DS and Wii game will be bought because we’ll be sharing some love with the local Rotary Club’s annual gift appeal and this year, we’ve opted to get some pencils and school supplies through World Vision.  Not much in the grand scheme of things.  But it spreads the real essence of Christmas – appreciating your own blessings and sharing them.

 

This year, is the start of edible Christmas presents coming from our kitchen.  There’s this feeling that it’s a MUST, following 2 semesters of a Commercial Cookery course.  So besides the almond bread given to work colleagues and teachers and the chocolate chip cookies for the girls’ simple class Christmas party, these gorgeous looking mini cakes made their way to friends’ homes.

These cakes were made using 9cm spring from cake tins.  The cake recipe is the fail-safe perfectly perfect chocolate cake (same one we use for the girls' 8th birthday cupcakes) from the Hershey’s Cocoa container, and iced with a simple chocolate ganache frosting.

 

The simple chocolate ganache frosting was made with:

1 cup thickened cream

230g/8oz bittersweet chocolate

(We used a combination of 200g Nestle Plaistowe and 30g Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Of course, you can use either or any brand.  I prefer dark chocolates though.)

Cut the chocolate bar into chunks and place in a bowl with the chocolate chips.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream until just about boiling point.  Add to the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Cool to room temperature.

*The ganache will thicken once cooled which will make for easier frosting.  If its too thick or has turned hard, simply whisk (with a hand-held beater or whisk) again until the thickness is of spreading consistency.

The cakes were sprinkled with icing sugar and adorned with mini candy canes before sending off wrapped with lots of love and Christmas thoughts.   Ross Grittin has a lovely message today in the Sydney Morning Herald, which I just have to quote, " ... for it's in giving that we receive happiness."  Spread the love everyone and be happy!

Christmas in July, Filipino style

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.  ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

Filipino style Christmas spread

Last weekend, we had a small Christmas in July celebration with a few friends.  It was a small birthday celebration, taking off with a Filipino theme.  Christmas in July is a trademark celebration in NSW, or possibly across the northern part of Australia brought about by the winter season during this month.  As traditionally, Christmas is celebrated in majority of countries around the world during this season - winter. 

As part of the Christmas theme, everyone was asked to bring a dish that reflects the Christmas they grew up with.  Here's what everyone brought in to share.

 

Embutido (a take off from the American meatloaf) and Morconito (Poached roll of beef sirloin stuffed with veggies)

Filipino desserts - Maja Blanca (Coconut and corn pudding) and Puto Bumbong (Steamed sticky dark rice and coconut sugar topping)

Filipino style fruit salad - canned fruits in syrup with sour cream, cream and condensed milk

Bibingka (Rice flour cupcakes)