Tuesday, December 6, 2016

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Mousseline

After pining for the food mill that went with the ancient disc I had found here in the junk drawer, I realized I was not going to have the luxury of dealing with the raspberries and their seeds other than with the dreaded strainer. So, I went and procured the necessary 12 oz. bag of frozen sugarless raspberries, no sugar added, thawed it in the oven with pilot light [brilliant Rose idea!], and proceeded to manage 3 oz. of pulp and made into its syrup.











I recalled that I had two Lekue muffin pans of 6 cavities each such as Rose mentions below:
Then I needed to recall whether we used liners, spray or what for the muffins. So I went to Rose's Heavenly Bakers on p. 534 and was told by Herself that, "Silicone pans without liners give just the right support to produce cupcakes or muffins with the nicest domed shaped." She continues, "My favorite silicone pans have six cavities. Each cavity is the same capacity as that of the cups in a standard muffin pan: 1/2 cup/118 ml. As with other silicone pans, it is a good idea to set silicone muffin pans on wire racks and then set the racks on sheet pans or cookie sheets for support so that air can circulate around them and ensure that they bake evenly..." She adds that a 2-inch diameter ice-cream scoop is great for dispensing cupcake or muffin batter quickly and neatly into the cup."  Now, however, I arrive at the recipe at hand and am told that I need "16 cupcake liners set in muffin pans or custard cups." Well. Now I don't know what I need, and it is almost midnight. I re-read the paragraphs. I wrote Vicki. I decided:  Since I am using the silicone, I shall lightly spray the silicone cavities with Baker's Joy and wipe it out. So. I am going to bed.


In the morning everything seems fine. I do the mis en place for cupcakes:

My vision is not good and it is a lot easier for me to bake from the iPad that now suddenly needs charging, and so I am - really tempting fate, using iPhone -- I am mixing the ingredients in the mixer and I make the old, old mistake: When I add the egg mixture I do Not do it in two parts and, therefore, I do not beat on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate and strengthen the structure. I knew immediately: Oh No!! I gasped.  But I thought maybe it would be okay. So I finished the batter and continued with my ice-cream scoop, filling cavities. I had just enough batter. Not enough for four more. So we sat and did our 20 minute rest at room temp.







Resting for 20 minutes before baking












Resting may have resulted in rounded tops, but they weren't up and fluffy; they, as you can see, were down in the cup. It wasn't okay.


The cupcakes were not cake. They were/are short and doughy. Crumbly and sort of biscuit-like. I am not motivated to do anything with them even if possible. I had intended to take them to a meeting today all dressed up fluffy in pink mousseline, but instead am just chalking it up to experience.

3 comments:

  1. Really curious thing to have happened after all your hard work, too. It's a yummy recipe so maybe next time it will work out for you.

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  2. That is so disappointing! Is your baking powder old? Or (since you didn't have enough batter for 16 cupcakes) did you forget an ingredient? Well at least you have raspberry syrup; it freezes well but it is also wonderful in plain yogurt or on ice cream!

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  3. Oh Wow!!!!!! How on earth did you get that to post? I was so disgusted at myself, I just pitched all of it. You are right, I should have kept the syrup! Baking soda has been sitting out for a while instead of in fridge where I usually have it, but it is dated Oct 2017. I feel it was the dumping all that egg mixture in without interval support that did it. The batter did have a certain foaminess to it, but it just wasn't strong enough. It is not difficult and I will have to remake. Thanks to you all.

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