Halloween Pumpkin Cupcakes

萬聖夜（ Halloween）在每年的10月31日，是西方世界的傳統節日，萬聖夜通常與靈異的事物聯繫起來。歐洲傳統上認為萬聖夜是鬼怪世界最接近人間的時間，這傳說與东亚的中元节類似. 當晚小孩會穿上化妝服，戴上面具，挨家挨戶收集榶果。

萬聖夜的主要活動是「不給糖就搗蛋」（Trick-or-treat）。小孩裝扮成各種恐怖樣子，逐門逐户按響鄰居的門鈴，大叫："Trick or Treat!"（意即不請客就搗亂），主人家（可能同樣穿著恐怖服裝）便會拿出一些糖果、巧克力或是小禮物。部分家庭甚至使用聲音特效和製煙機器營造恐怖氣氛。小孩一晚取得的糖果往往以袋計算，整袋整袋的搬回家。

我在早前买“人头“巧克力模时看到了这个蝙蝠巧克力模很可爱，打算买来等万聖夜做这个pumpkin cupcake送给同事吃。怎知日子算错了，万聖夜我正巧出远门，没机会做这个蛋糕。虽然，节日已过，但是我想模已买了，cupcake又是这个月Aspiring Bakers ＃13的主题，所以还是决定做这个万聖节金瓜杯子蛋糕（Halloween Pumpkin Cupcake）。

在这里分享一个故事，这是Jane几年前跟我讲的，但是我至今还是觉得很好笑。是这样的，Jane朋友的家公从大马来探亲，在节日当天，小朋友来到家里敲门，大叫“Trick or Treat！”Uncle不知什么玩意，英文也不好，就是听不懂小朋友要些什么。小朋友重复了几次，uncle好像听懂非懂，听懂了一个字“treat“，就以为一堆小朋友问路要去吃Chicken Treat （炸鸡连锁店），于是uncle就快快指指点点的向着家附近的Chicken Treat 炸鸡店的方向指去，然后把门关上。孩子们于是都很无奈的离去，好可怜喔！


p/s： 这个杯子蛋糕味道酷似carrot cake，蛋糕质地很松软。如果不是应节，大可不用橘色做装饰。

Ingredients:
1 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ can pumpkin puree (180g ) or mashed steam pumpkin

Methods:

1. ) Preheat oven to180°C. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.

3.) Divides the batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. ( I only get 7 standard cupcakes from this recipe).

Frosting：

250g cream cheese, softened

115g unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar ( I only use 1cup icing sugar)

¼ cup pure maple syrup

A few drops of orange paste


Method：

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.  Gradually add the maple syrup cream and orange colour paste and whip until smooth. Add more sugar as needed to get the right consistency.

Reference:

http://www.marthastewart.com/317069/pumpkin-cupcakes  

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/pumpkin-cupcakes/

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #13 : Enjoy Cupcakes! (November 2011) hosted byMin of Min's Blog 

一只只饿鬼在某KFC聚餐，看了恶心！

整个街道都是鬼，可怕！

Sourdough Bread -（谢谢 Jane & Andrew)

姐姐（Jane’s Corner）两天前上了她的长命酸面团欧包。其实早前她将养好的了的新鲜酵母分给我叫我在要做面包之前跟着Bourke Street 书上的后半段继续养一天一夜然后就可以做欧包了。讲就容易，做起来还真的七手八脚，步骤很乱（是我资质不够。。呵呵）。从养酵母到送面包进烤箱，一共是打了五六通电话询问详情，面包才有出炉的希望。虽说我有Bourke Street宝典在旁，但是还是打电话商量比较简介妥当。记得最后一通电话是问她上面那个白白的粉应该洒什么粉啊？原来是Semolina粉。。哈哈。。我还真觉得她很聪明，我万万没想到可以洒Semolina粉。

Jane那天跟我抱怨说她用了三天来翻译食谱，很苦。我就跟她说，是啊，最近看blog多过看我老公的脸，不知道老公几时要休了我。所以今天我在上班前特地把这面包放在最显眼的位置，等老公回来时可以享用。果然效果不错，他传了短讯给我，说面包很好看也很好吃，给打了分数10／10。哈哈。。看来老公应该有体会道爱心面包的能量，没有这么快想休妻。

Jane苦翻译了三天，我不能就这样copy n paste 她的苦劳。有兴趣参考食谱请到Jane's Corner Sourdough Bread。

P／S： 诚意谢谢姐姐跟我分享了她的爱心面包。




两个礼拜前，同事Andrew很紧张的拿了一张广告剪报给我，告诉我 两位大厨Adraino Zumbo 和 Luke Nguyen要来柏斯为他们的新书办签名会。我们俩都雀跃万分。在澳洲，相信喜欢甜点的朋友都会对Zumbo这名字敬仰，特别是想到Zumbo就会想到他那超级无敌的Macaron Tower。至于Luke，我老公特别的喜欢Luke的越南料理，所以，今次两位大师光临我们又怎可以错过呢。 但是我一向来都没有追偶像的习惯，所以唯有托Andrew去帮我排队。平时一副懒洋洋的Andrew竟然很落力的去排队等签名，想不到他尽然还要求两位大师写了留言给我，让我有个意外的惊喜。当他把书带回来给我时，我们俩个像疯了似的欢呼大叫。其他同事都很羡慕我们拥有两位大师的亲笔签名的食谱。Zumbo的书我从头到尾翻了一下，没有一个我是会做的，真的太technical了啦。。好像只有一个Doughnuts还可以试一下。。哈哈！但是Luke的书确实是一本很赞的食谱。简单却又精致的越南料理，食谱也详细的诉说料理的来源和历史。 看了真想每一道料理都有机会享用。两位大师傅旗下都有店铺在悉尼，柏斯怎么就这样惨，没有师傅要来开连锁店吗？


P／S：Thanks again Andrew for lining up for the book signings!

Red Velvet Cupcake

 我很爱喜爱甜点，尤其对cupcakes钟情。每次走过cupcakes橱窗都会逗留一下，就算不买，看一下也好。我们华人结婚送礼饼，西方人结婚和庆典都喜欢用装饰得美美的cupcakes来送礼或招待客人。 记得有一次，老公撇下我自己去了游乐场玩 ， 我独自逛街时，走到了一家cupcake店，很多客人，我于是凑热闹进去看个究竟。我问了店员要那个是他们家最销的cupcake，他于是介绍了Red Velvet Cupcake给我。那是我第一次看到鲜红色的cupcake，当时的想法是一定要做这个颜色鲜艳而我觉得很sexy的红色小蛋糕。 今年五月我终于出嫁了，于是做了这个Red Velvet Cupcake送给同事们。今天从做这个小蛋糕，想想原来我以为人妻半年了啊！

Ingredients:

125 grams sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 grams regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

57 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

110 grams granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

120 ml buttermilk

1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

250 grams cream cheese, room temperature

100 grams unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

2/3 cup cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

1.) Preheat oven to 175 C and line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners. (I only get 9 mufins instead of 12)

2.) In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.

3.) In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated.  Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

4.) In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

5.) In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

6.) Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

7.) Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and them remove from pan. Let cool completely before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Reference：http:/ /joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCupcakes.html

I am submitting this post to  Aspiring Baker #13 : Enjoy Cupcakes! (November 2011)hosted byMin of Min's Blog 

之前

 装扮之后，人靠衣装，蛋糕也要靠打扮喔！