Receta Baking| Paint-it-purple Vanilla Bean Cupcakes … {and homemade marzipan}
“When you look at a cupcake, you’ve got to smile.”
Anne Byrn
It’s been AGES since I decorated cupcakes or made iced sugar cookies. A few days ago when the daughter was frosting cupcakes for Mr PABs birthday, I thought back of the number of times I had done this for the kids when they were young. Now my food colour bottles need the cobwebs dusted off as the kids have grown up. IMHO {which was proved wrong} they are a tad old for colourful cakes and cookies etc. These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes topped with a silky butter cream and garnished with homemade marzipan made me think again! The kids LOVED them, the lad gently told his teen sis, “Mamas’ cupcakes are better than the ones you made for Papas’ birthday!” How brave of him, knowing that she can kill with her looks in these tumultuous teenage years! The cupcakes were certainly delicious and full of deep vanilla flavour. The frosting was silky smooth too, and didn’t set hard as a rock when refrigerated {must have been the low fat cream in there!}.I made them one morning when the kids were at school, and you should have lseen their amazement, ooohs and aaaahs echoing in the living room, when I brought them out. “Oooooh PURTY“, screamed the terrible teen, and then, ‘Yum marzipan!” she exclaimed. Hmmm … food connect? Marzipan always makes her recall the cakes I made for her 9th and 12th birthday many years ago, my first trysts with marzipan {pictures from long ago}!I love working with marzipan; it’s like going back to the kindergarten days and play-dough! The last I made marzipan was for these two delicious cakes – a Cinnamon Buttercream Autumn Cake {for a Daring Bakes competition}, and Ottolenghis Carrot Walnut Cake! The recipe this time was different from my previous one; easier and with just minimal ingredients. I found it online @ Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini. I added neon purple food colour to it {which might explain why these aren’t ‘deep purple’!}. Why specifically PURPLE you might wonder?A mail in my inbox the other day made me bake cupcakes. It was an invite from the Pixel Project to contribute my favourite cupcake recipe for a “Paint It Purple” Cupcake Online Recipe Gallery. The project aims at painting the internet purple and selling cupcakes for the cause to end violence against women. I salute the initiative, and it led to Pinktober being painted a little PURPLE too. The Pixel Project are a global volunteer-led non-profit working to raise awareness, funds and volunteer power for the cause to end violence against women worldwide using social media and new technologies. The “Paint It Purple” is a campaign to raise awareness and funds for the cause to end violence against women (VAW) in communities worldwide. This campaign runs from 8 Oct to 24 Nov 2011 and covers Domestic Violence Awareness Month as well as being a warm-up for International Day of Elimination of VAW (25 Nov 2011).
The annual “Paint It Purple” campaign raises awareness about Violence Against Women (VAW) by getting a global audience to “paint” the internet purple during the campaign using social media. The campaign also raises funds for The Pixel Project, our partners and participating VAW nonprofits worldwide through cupcake bake sales and “Paint It Purple” parties.
“Paint It Purple” is open to all VAW nonprofits, grassroots groups, bakeries and individuals supporting the cause to end violence against women.
India has her own initiative in this direction, The Bel Bajao campaign, translated to mean “Ring The Bell“. “Around 35 percent of Indian women suffer from physical violence at the hands of their partners while nearly 40 percent men and women think that it is sometimes or always ‘justifiable’ for a man to beat his wife (UN Women report on Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice, 2011-2012).Domestic violence is an issue that cuts across class, race, gender, ethnic communities, education, sexual orientation, religion and any other form of diversity in the society. Women of all races are about equally vulnerable to violence by an intimate partner.“
I think the more we get involved in our individual capacities, the better the chances are that violence against women will find an end. Any action, however small, is good news. Let’s join hands and make a difference. Each voice counts, and in turn gives support to those at the receiving end, paving the way for a brighter and safer tomorrow. Learn more and/or get involved.
- Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with buttercream and marzipan
- Deep, delicious vanilla bean cupcakes, smothered lovingly in a silky smooth buttercream, and topped with homemade marzipan cut outs
- Ingredients
- Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
- 100gm unsalted butter, soft
- 100gm powdered sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 125gm plain flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 1/8tsp salt
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- Buttercream Frosting
- 50gm unsalted butter
- 2tbsp low fat cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar {I eyeballed the sugar}
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder
- Few drops purple food colouring
- Homemade Marzipan
- {Recipe adapted minimally from http://alessandra-onlyrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/12/home-made-marzipan-sweets.html}
- {Makes 300gm of marzipan. You need about 75gms for these cupcakes}
200gms almonds,blanched and peeled
100gm powdered sugarInstructions
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a 12 mold cupcake tray with 8 liners, and fill the empty spaces with about a 1/4 cup water each. {This will aid equal distribution of heat}
Beat the butter, vanilla bean and sugar until light and fluffy.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the eggs.
On low speed, beat in the flour, baking powder and salt, followed by the buttermilk, until well mixed.
Divide into 8 cupcakes and bake for 20 minutes/ until done.
Remove to rack and cool completely.
Frost as desired {recipe follows}
Butter cream Frosting
Beat all the ingredients until desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is runny, add a little more sugar and continue to beat.
Homemade Marzipan
{Makes 300gm of marzipan. You need about 75gms for these cupcakes}
Run the peeled almonds in the bowl of your food processor until ground. They will be soft and begin to release oil. Add the sugar and process on low speed until mixed. The marzipan should hold together when pinched with the fingers.
Remove to a bowl and knead briefly until pliable. Keep wrapped in cling wrap so that it doesn't dry out.
Tint with food colour, a drop at a time, keeping the remaining marzipan in cling wrap all the time.
2.0
http://www.passionateaboutbaking.com/2011/10/baking-paint-it-purple-vanilla-bean-cupcakes-and-homemade-marzipan.html
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Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India