Cupcake, mince pies, Muffins and pastry
Little Eccles mince pies
PREP: 30 MINS COOK: 30 MINS MORE EFFORT MAKES 18
something a little different to have with your mulled wine. From freezer to oven, these cheeky Eccles mince pies are perfect mid-afternoon with an equally cheeky glass of mulled wine. It is Christmas after all!
500g block all-butter puff pastry
flour, for dusting
450g mincemeat
1 egg white, lightly beaten
golden caster sugar
Roll the pastry out to about the thickness of a 50p piece on to a floured surface, and cut out 10cm circles, then continue to re-roll and cut out until you have about 18 circles.
Place 1 tsp of mincemeat in the centre of each circle, brush the edges with egg white, then gather together tightly to completely encase the mincemeat.
Flip the pies over so the sealed edges are underneath, then squash them with your hand so you have a small puck-shaped pie.
Cut two small slits in the top of each pie, brush generously with egg white and scatter with sugar. The pies can now be frozen for up to 2 months. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 and bake for 15 mins from raw or 25-30 mins from frozen.
Nutty, fruity, festive muffin tarts
ready in 1hr 20 mins-1½hrs MORE EFFORT MAKES ABOUT 24
The perfect sweet offering for the Christmas holidays, these tarts are a delicious cross between mince pies and muffins
For the pastry
450g plain flour
250g salted butter, cut into small pieces
25g ground almond
50g golden caster sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
For the filling
300g ground almond
250g golden caster sugar
100g currant
100g sultana
50g flaked almond
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
200g butter
4 egg, beaten
1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice
1 orange, finely grated zest and juice
icing sugar, for dusting
First make the pastry. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it into the flour so the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Measure 150ml/¼ pint cold water into a jug. Stir the ground almonds and sugar into the flour mixture, then add the egg yolk and a little of the water, stirring with a knife. Gradually work in the rest of the water, stirring until you have a soft pastry ball. Wrap it in cling film and chill for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Tip the ground almonds, sugar, currants, sultanas, almonds and spices into a large bowl and stir. Melt the butter (use the microwave for speed) and add to the dry ingredients with the beaten eggs and the lemon and orange zest and juice. Mix together really well.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface (working with half at a time is easiest) to about 5mm thickness. Cut out about 24 rounds using a 10cm round cutter. Use each round to line a muffin tin (use two trays, or bake in batches). Spoon the filling into each pastry-lined tart, so it is just shy of the top of the pastry.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until pale golden, then turn each tart out on to a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. Lovely served warm or cold.
Stollen muffins
PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 20 MINS plus cooling EASY MAKES 10-12 (DEPENDING ON YOUR TIN)
These little cakes are filled with all the festive, fruity flavours of this classic German Christmas bake - ideal for Christmas morning or a teatime treat
200g plain flour
50g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
100g golden caster sugar
100g marzipan, diced
25g pistachios, roughly chopped
50g toasted flaked almonds
25g sultanas or raisins
50g dried cherries or cranberries
50g dried apricots, diced
2 large eggs
100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
125ml full-fat natural yogurt
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp icing sugar
You will need
12 paper muffin cases (we used tulip cases)
Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and put the muffin cases in a 12-hole muffin tin. Mix the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, the sugar, marzipan, nuts and dried fruit in a mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, yogurt and almond extract, then pour over the dry ingredients and very quickly mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture has just come together – the most important thing is to not overmix – don’t worry if there are still a few floury bits.
Quickly divide the mix between the cases and put in the oven on the top shelf. Bake for 5 mins, then lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and bake for 15 mins more until they are risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the middle of them comes out clean.
Once they have cooled a little and are firm enough to handle, lift out of the tin onto wire racks and cool for 5 mins. Mix the icing sugar with the remaining 1/4 tsp cinnamon and sieve over the muffins. Serve warm. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.
Gingerbread Cupcake From STL Cooks
Servings 18
INGREDIENTS
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup molasses
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¾ cup water
For the frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon molasses
2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
DIRECTIONS
Place standard baking cup in each of 18 regular size muffin pan cups.
In large bowl, cream sugar and butter.
Mix in molasses; beat in eggs, one at a time.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
Alternately add flour mixture with water to the wet ingredients.
Scoop evenly among prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 5 minutes in pan.
Remove cupcakes from pans to cooling rack, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
For the frosting
Mix cream cheese and butter together until light and creamy. Add salt, ginger and molasses, mix well. Add powdered sugar and beat until whipped and creamy.
Frost the cupcakes and top each cupcake with a little gingerbread man.
Christmas cupcakes
PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 25 MINS EASY MAKES 12
Have fun with the kids over the Christmas holidays making and decorating these easy cakes
280g self-raising flour
175g golden caster sugar
175g unsalted butter, very soft
150g pot fat-free natural yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg
For the frosting
85g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g icing sugar, sifted
To decorate
natural green food colouring (for Christmas trees), sweets, sprinkles and white chocolate stars
milk and white chocolate buttons and natural colouring icing pens,
Heat oven to 190C/170 fan/gas 5 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cake cases. Put all the cake ingredients into a bowl and mix with a whisk until smooth. Spoon the mix into the cases, bake for 25 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For the frosting, beat the butter, vanilla extract and icing sugar until pale and creamy and completely combined. To make snowmen, reindeer and Christmas puddings, first spread the icing over the top of each cake. Then lay the chocolate buttons on top, slicing some buttons into quarters to make ears and hats. Finally, use icing pens for the details. For the Christmas tree, colour the icing with green food colouring and pipe onto the cakes using a star-shaped nozzle, decorate with sweets, sprinkles and white chocolate stars.
Reindeer Christmas cupcakes
Preparation time less than 30 mins Cooking time 10 to 30 mins Serves/Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
125g/4½oz butter, softened
175g/6oz caster sugar
2 free-range eggs
200g/7oz self raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
100ml/3½fl oz milk
100g/3½oz dark 70% cocoa solids chocolate, melted
2 tbsp Irish cream liqueur (optional)
For the chocolate icing
50g dark chocolate, chopped
3 tbsp double cream
To decorate
giant chocolate buttons
crisp-coated chocolates (such as Smarties or M&Ms)
mini pretzels
black writing icing
mini marshmallows, sliced
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the eggs until well combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Fold in the milk, melted chocolate and Irish cream liqueur, if using.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and lightly firm to the touch. Remove the cakes from the tin and set aside to cool on a cooling rack.
For the icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate has melted. Whisk the mixture until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
To decorate the cupcakes, spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes. Spoon the remaining icing into an icing bag fitted with a small nozzle.
Press a chocolate button onto the cake as a nose, then stick a crisp-coated chocolate on top using a little icing. Stick on two slices of marshmallows as the eyes, and use the black writing icing for the pupils. Stick on the pretzels as the ears.
you could if you wish use the main ingredients from any of the above cupcake recipes or of course you own favorite one and do your own inventive toppings a few ideas for you below.
FLAKY CREAM CHEESE PASTRY
Recipe Source: WickedGoodKitchen.com
I promise this is wonderful pastry
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes enough pastry for two 10-inch pies or one 10-inch pie with double crust.
Ingredients
2½ cups (313 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour.
1 cup (2 sticks/226 grams) chilled unsalted butter.
1 (8-ounce/226-gram) package chilled cream cheese, such as Philadelphia®
1 tablespoon (12.5 grams) granulated cane sugar, such as
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon (2.4 grams) kosher salt
Preparation
Prepare the Pastry: Measure flour and set aside. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, lightly cream together butter and cream cheese. Beat in sugar, vanilla and salt; mix until well combined. Add flour in two batches beating just until incorporated. Scrape dough onto sheet of plastic wrap using rubber spatula and pat into large disk.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Thaw a few minutes to become pliable before rolling and using in recipes. Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin.
Notes
VARIATIONS
For Extra-Flaky Perfect Cream Cheese Pastry: Reduce flour by ½ cup to measure 2 cups or 250 grams. For an extra-tender crust, use pastry blender (or food processor) to cut butter into flour, sugar and salt; then cut in cream cheese.
For Savory Perfect Flaky Cream Cheese Pastry: Omit sugar and vanilla extract. Add chopped fresh herbs and/or spices to taste.
TIPS
To Measure the Flour: If you do not own a kitchen scale, spoon flour into cup then level off.
To Ensure Flaky and Tender Crust: Work only with well chilled (cold) butter and cream cheese straight from the refrigerator. If working in a warm kitchen, place work bowl with butter and cream cheese in refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill before adding flour. When rolling out scraps, use a pastry brush to whisk away excess flour from dough as this will ensure tender pastry and prevent it from becoming dry and tough. Always start with a clean surface each time rolling more dough by brushing away excess flour. When re-rolling scraps, do not gather the dough and ball up or mash. Layer scraps on top of each other and then roll out. This will help to maintain flakiness and also prevents overworking the dough.
To Prepare Pastry Dough in Advance: Dough can be prepared in advance much to the delight of busy bakers. Shape dough into disks or rectangles less than 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Also, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.
To freeze dough, enclose plastic-wrapped dough in heavy duty zip-top freezer bags. Simply thaw in the refrigerator while still wrapped in plastic.
HOW TO BLIND BAKE (Prebake) FLAKY CREAM CHEESE PASTRY CRUST
To successfully blind bake (prebake) pie and tartlet shells without a filling using Wicked Good Kitchen’s Flaky Cream Cheese Pastry, it is imperative to use weights such as dried beans or rice with a parchment lining. Dried beans or rice will not compact the pastry or prevent it from breathing during baking. By weighting the crust down, it will prevent it from sliding down the sides of the pie pan during baking as well as keep the bottom from puffing too much.
Pie weights with foil as a liner are not recommended for cream cheese pastry as they are much too heavy and the crust will have a cardboard-type texture versus a nice tender and flaky one. Dried beans and rice as pie weights can be reused many times.
For Prebaked Pie Shells: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. at least 20 minutes before baking. It is essential to have a very hot preheated oven when baking pastry crusts for pies as it helps to set the fluted border before the fat starts to melt and the crust starts to soften.
Line dough in pie pan with parchment paper pleating it as needed to fit the circular shape of the pan. Fill with dried beans or rice making sure the contents are pushed against the sides of parchment very well versus mounding in the center. Place in preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and lift out the parchment with the beans or rice. Prick the crust all over with fork tines but only going halfway through the dough. (By only going halfway through, this will prevent pie crust from sticking if using a sticky filling.) Return pie pan to the oven and bake until light golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before filling.
For Prebaked Tartlets and Small Flan Rings: Bake small (3- to 4-inch) tartlets or flan rings in preheated 400 degree F. oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and lift out the parchment with the beans or rice. Prick the crust all over with fork tines and return to oven. Continue to bake until light golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool tartlet shells completely on wire racks before filling.
For Prebaked Mini Tartlets: Bake mini (1-inch) tartlets in preheated 400 degree F. oven until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and immediately unmold. Cool tartlet shells completely on wire racks before filling.