Recipe of The Week - Coco LimeNut Cupcakes

I thought I would enter the Cupcake Hero challenge again. I had so much fun last month thinking of a good recipe for peanut butter, so why not try again! This month Jamieanne from The Sweetest Kitchen is hosting. Her ingredient choice this month - coconut!!

So many things ran through my head when I heard coconut.. chocolate, lemon, lamingtons, golden roughs, raffaelos, malibu, lime...

These are coconut cupcakes, with lime curd, topped with coconut cream and a meringue.

Coco LimeNut Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes[Makes about 6] Printable Recipe

You Will Need.... Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a cupcake tray with wrappers.

Place all ingredients into a bowl, and mix together.

When ingredients are completely mixed together, spoon mixture evenly into prepared muffin tins.

Place in the oven until a skewer inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. About 15 minutes.

Once cupcakes are cooked, place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooking, you can start your meringues. You will need to wait until the cupcakes are out of the oven before cooking the meringues.

Meringues

[Makes approximately 20]

You Will Need...

Keep the egg yolks for the lime curd.

Put the eggwhites into your mixer, and using the whisk attachment, whisk until soft peaks form. (you can do this with a hand held mixer as well)

When you can see the soft peaks, add half the sugar. Keep whisking until all the sugar is gone. Then add the other half.

Once sugar is completely mixed in (you can tell by rubbing some meringue between your fingers - you shouldn't be able to feel any sugar)

Spoon meringue mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto a baking paper lined tray

Place in the oven at 140 degrees celsius, until meringues are lightly browned at the base.

Turn the oven off, and leave them in the oven with the door ajar until completely cooled.
Left over meringues can be stored in an airtight container.

Coconut Cream[Makes approximately 1/2 cup]

You Will Need..

1/4 Cup Coconut Cream
1/4 Cup Dessicated Coconut

3 Tablespoons of Cream Cheese

Place cream cheese and coconut milk into mixer and beat together until all combined.

Stir in dessicated coconut.
Place in fridge until ready to use to firm up

Lime Curd

[Makes about 2 cups]

You Will Need...

I used store bought lime juice, because fresh limes were ridiculously expensive!

I could only afford one lime.

Place egg yolks and egg in a saucepan and whisk together.

Add the lime juice and sugar and stir together.

Place the saucepan on the stove on medium heat, and mix lime juice, sugar and egg together until thick.

Don't let it boil.

1) Once thick, pour into a clean bowl.

2) Add the butter and mix in until butter is completely melted

3) Stir in the lime zest.

If not using straight away, place a layer of glad wrap over the top so it is touching the curd, and place in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

You can store left over lime curd in a jar in the fridge

Once cupcakes are completely cooled, and the meringues, lime curd and coconut cream are all made. Cut holes in the tops of the cupcakes. (You can eat the bits you take out!)

Spoon approximately 2 teaspoons of lime curd per cupcake into the holes

Add 1 teaspoon of the coconut cream ontop of the lime curd

And top with a meringue.

Enjoy!!

On The Fifth Day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me...

A Santa Cupcake Topper

This is how you can make a Santa face out of fondant.

You Will Need...

1 ball of red fondant

1 ball of white fondant

1 ball of 'skin coloured' fondant

1 circle cutter - medium

1 circle cutter - small (not pictured)

1 flower cutter - medium

1 triangle cutter - medium (also not pictured)

1 edible black marker

1 piping nozzle with a small tip.

Using the medium circle cutter, cut out a circle of the 'skin' fondant.

Cut out a triangle of the red.

Attach the red triangle to the circle using a little water, and bend slightly at the top.

Roll a ball of skin colour and attach with a little water for his nose.

Cut out a flower of white, and using the small circle cutter, cut out a circle in between 2 of the petals.

Attach to the face with a little water.Cut out 3 small circles using the piping tip.Attach one circle with a little water to the tip of the hat.
Attach the other 2 circles, either side of his nose where eyes should be.Roll out a small sausage of white.Attach to the brim of his hat.
You can draw on his eyes and mouth here if you want a baby faced Santa who hasn't quite grown a moustache yet.Or... Roll out 2 small sausage shapes from the white.Attach with a little water underneath his nose.

On The Fourth Day Of Christmas...

My true love gave to me...

A Recipe for Christmas Cake Cookies

[Makes about 30] Printable Recipe

You Will Need...

I used Benedictine

Process the flour, butter, sugar, almond meal, spice and vanilla essence until crumbly.

Add the water, until all ingredients come together.

Knead dough until smooth.Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Roll out dough and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. Once chilled, use a round cutter to cut out 30 circles.Bake for 10 minutes.

While cookies are cooking, crumble fruit cake into a bowl.

Add the Brandy (Benedictine) and mix together.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out balls of mixture and place on cookies.

Bake for another 5 minutes.

Once baked place on wire racks and let cool completely.While they are cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over the stove.Place wire racks over a tray, (to catch any drips) and coat cookies with chocolate. Let them set.Melt the white chocolate the same way, and spoon it over the top of the milk chocolate.Place a red smartie on top. (You could also use a glace cherry)

Cut a green smartie in half and place next to the red smartie.

Let chocolate set.

Store in an airtight container, or put in a Christmas themed tin and give away as small gifts to cookie and cake lovers.

On The Third Day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me..

Christmas Decorated Cupcakes

All Vanilla Cupcakes, with vanilla buttercream and fondant decorations

Made for a work christmas party