Cream Cheese Frosting For Cupcakes

This recipe can accompany the Oh So Divine Red Velvet CupCakes!

Ingredients:

1 Cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 Cup unsalted butter - half a stick, softened
1/2 tsp essence of Vanilla
11/4 Cups powdered sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt

Method:

-Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the butter to a smooth consistency.
- Lower the speed on the mixer and add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Turn the mixer on high again, beat the ingredients until light and fluffy.
- Its ready to use at once, cover if using it later.

Oh So Divine Red Velvet CupCakes !

This recipe makes one 1 dozen regular size cupcakes.

Ingredients:
11/4 cups sifted all purpose flour, make sure you sift it prior to measuring

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 bottle red rouge food coloring

4 tbsp unsalted butter, around 1/4 cup

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla essence  

1/2 cup buttermilk (liban), I use activia, at room temperature

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp baking soda

Method:
- Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, line 2 12-cups muffin tins with cupcake paper.
- In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set side.
- In a small bowl mix together the food coloring and cocoa powder until smooth with no lumps, set aside.
- Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together for around 3 minutes or until it's light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then the cocoa powder & baking soda mix.
- Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture beating it well.
- Add in half of the butter milk to the mixture while beating.
- Beat in another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the second half of the buttermilk.
- Finely beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until everything is well combined.
- In a small bowl, place the vinegar and add the baking soda to it. (it will foam a little bit).
- Add the vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir it with a spatula to combine it well.
- Using an ice cream scooper, fill 3/4 of the muffin tins with the cupcake batter.
- Place the tins in the oven and bake for 22 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the middle to check if the cupcakes are done.
- Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the muffin tins, and then cool them for another ten minutes after removing them from the tins and placing them on a wire rack.
- The must be completely cool before frosting them.

Frosting them with Cream Cheese Icing (Recipe)

My Twist on Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

1 Packet of baby Spinach
1 can Beetroot, round slices
1 red onion
2 Avocados, ripe
1/2 cup of frozen edamame, beans only
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
Toasted shredded almonds
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar

Dressing:

1/4 tsp Honey
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:

- Clean and wash the baby spinach
- Cut beetroot rounds into halves, discard the liquid
- Cut the red onion into thin slices, julienned, then place in a bowl and pour the vinegar on top of it. set it side until assembling the salad.
- Cut the avocado into cubes and cover them with lemon juice to avoid them going brown
- In a big bowl arrange the salad ingredients by starting with the spinach leaves on the bottom, topped with the beetroot.
- Add the onions without the vinegar.
- Add the avocado, then the frozen edamame.
top the salad with the chopped parsley and toasted almonds.
- Add the dressing when serving and mix.

Raspberry Love Eton Mess .. Made by Moi

This would be perfect for Valentine's ! it's fast and yummy.
Eton mess is a traditional English dessert consisting of a mixture of strawberries, pieces of meringue and cream. I decided to make them using Raspberries instead, simply because I wanted to!  I made this for our Saturday gathering and it was a success.
It's so easy to make; if you follow the recipe well & it's also Delicious! I started out by making the meringues in advance, made the raspberry syrupy mixture, and then I went ahead with assembling the dessert. It's such a treat!

Happy Valentine's Day ... 

Ingredients for the Meringues: (forming 8 large Meringues or 12 small ones)
2 large egg whites only
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Ingredients for the Raspberry Syrupy Mixture:
4 small packages of raspberries
1&1/2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp pineapple juice - I use KDD 

Ingredients for the Cream:
2&1/2 cups cold heavy cream - I use Almarai whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract



Method:
Start out with making the meringues. Preheat your oven at the lowest gas mark setting.
In a mixer, whip the egg whites and some of the sugar and continue whipping until it becomes bubbly.
Gradually add in the remaining sugar while whipping the egg whites until it forms a stiff peak.
To test the stiffness of the cream , hold the bowl upside down, the mixture should remain intact.
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon the meringue mixture on it leaving an inch apart between the meringues.(they don't have to be perfect, we will break & crumble them)
Place the baking tray in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes of baking turn the oven off but keep the meringues in for another hour.
Remove the meringues from the oven and leave them to cool completely while you finish up the rest of the dessert.
Once the meringues are cooled, break & crumble them into large pieces.

Now for the Raspberry Syrupy Mixture. In a saucepan pour the 2 packages of raspberries, the sugar, & lemon juice.
Crush the berries lightly with a spoon & bring the mixture to a full boil, once boiled, lower the heat and let it simmer for around 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally so it does not stick.

Once the  hot mixture is syrupy fold in the remaining 2 packages of raspberries and pineapple juice. (But keep a few fresh ones for decorating). refrigerate until it is very cold.

Finely, the making of the cream. In an electric mixture, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla together until it's firm. Set aside & start assembling.

In glasses of your choice, layer a spoonful of the whipped cream, then top it with the raspberry mixture, and then a few crumbles of the meringues. Repeat this process twice or three times until the glasses are full, then finish it with a dollop of cream and a fresh raspberry on top.


Can be chilled for 1 hour or served immediately.

Enjoy...