Fat Friday #24 Mulled Wine Cupcakes

 Its been 24 weeks since Fat Friday has graced this blog. Do you remember the first Fat Friday? The title did not even grace the screen at this stage. But here we are! I'm hoping that in 2015, there will be more blog posts will continue and there will be plenty more! But back to this Fridays post.
If your feeling the January blues, why not bring back some of the Christmas magic? These mulled wine cupcakes have a hint of spice and chocolate. Along with the icing it makes these cupcakes a real festive treat... in January...

Recipe Name: Mulled Wine Cupcakes (Recipe adapted from Primrose Celebrations by Lisa Thomas and Martha Swift)

Recipe: 12 cupcakes 

Cupcakes:

·90g butter

·200g soft dark brown sugar

·50g granulated sugar

·1 egg plus an egg yolk

·175ml mulled wine (try this recipe)

·1 teaspoon orange juice

·¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

·1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·¼ teaspoon salt

·½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·50g cocoa powder

·140g plain flour

Buttercream:
·50g unsalted butter
·Juice and zest of ½ orange
·¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
·175g icing sugar
·125g mascarpone

Equipment:

·12 hole muffin tin lined with tins
·Hand whisk/wooden spoon
·Bowl x 3
·Knife
·Chopping board
·Saucepan x 2
· Jug
·Sprinkles
 Cake
1.Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Line the muffin tray. 
2.Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3.Add the egg and egg yolk, one at a time and mix,
4.Add the mulled wine and orange juice and mix until evenly combined.
5.Fold in the dry ingredients with a metal spoon until just combined.
6.Carefully spoon the cake mixture into the paper cases. Add a piece of chopped up galaxy bar to each cupcake and push it down into the cupcake.
7.Bake for 20 minutes until slightly raised and golden. Leave the cupcakes to cool in the muffin tray for 10 minutes. Then place on a wire rack to completely cool.

For the butter cream
1.Place the butter, orange juice, zest, cinnamon and half of the icing sugar in a bowl and beat with a hand whisk until smooth.
2.Add the remaining icing sugar and beat again.
3.Beat the mascarpone on a medium speed for about 30 seconds until just combined.
4.Place in the fridge until you’re ready to ice the cupcakes.

To finish

1.Ice the cooled cupcakes with a swirl or with a piped rose and sprinkle with sprinkles or glitter!  

Do you keep the festivities going after Christmas? Hope your all having a great New Year so far!

Fat Friday #22 Homemade Mulled Wine

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas fellow food lovers. Do you overstuff your faces on chocolate and turkey? I hope so! (Just not at the same time at least!) I'm still in a festive mood and am still enjoying my mulled wine left over from Christmas. If you've never made your own, its worth making some as it is really easy to make. Mulled wine solves everything.

Got unexpected friends coming over and want to served something special? Mulled wine solves it. Talkative relatives? Mulled wine solves it and dulls the noise coming from their mouths. Had a rough shift at work? Mulled wine solves it. Even at 3pm in the afternoon.... I don't have a mulled wine alcohol problem!

Recipe: Makes 4 servings (Recipe inspired by Boutique Baking by Peggy Porschen)

Ingredients:
·       1 orange, plus a extra orange slices to serve
·       1 bottle red wine
·       1 teaspoon of ground ginger
·       100ml water
·       45g sugar
·       1 teaspoon ground cloves
·       2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
·       ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
·       1 star anise, crushed

Equipment:

·       Saucepan
·       Fine sieve
·       Serving glasses or mugs
·       Peeler
·       Knife

Method
1.    Peel the rind from the orange and cut the orange in half.
2.    Place the peel, orange halves and the rest of the ingredients into the saucepan. Warm for about 20 minutes. Don’t allow to boil.
3.    Take pan off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.
4.    Strain the mulled wine through a sieve to remove the solid ingredients.
5.    Serve warm in glasses with slices of orange. 

Have a great Boxing day and a happy Friday!