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NUTELLA CUPCAKES



    These Nutella Cupcakes are so moist, and chocolatey topped with a rich Nutella cream cheese frosting. They’re decadent, completely homemade and so easy to whip up.


    This Nutella frosting is incredibly luscious and it goes so well with the moist cupcakes! Best part? It’s super easy to make! It takes less than five minutes and the mixer does all the work.


    Few days back I had a private baking class for a 9 year old and taught her the nuances of making these perfectly moist and most indulgent cupcakes. Sharing my Nutella cupcakes recipe for you to try as well!

    PREP TIME: 30 minutes

    BAKE TIME: 18 minutes

    PASSIVE TIME: 1 hour

    TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

    YIELDS: 12



    INGREDIENTS


    For Cupcakes

    • 1/4 cup Nutella

    • 1 cup caster sugar, remove 2 tbsp from it

    • 6 tbsp cocoa powder (dutch processed)

    • 1 egg, room temperature

    • 123g plain flour

    • 1/2 cup milk, full fat, room temperature

    • 1/2 cup warm water

    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

    • 3/4 tsp baking powder

    • 3/4 tsp baking soda

    • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

    • 1/4 tsp salt

    For Frosting:

    • 1 cup/ 226g cream cheese, softened to room temperature.

    • 1/2 cup/ 113g unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature

    • 2/3 cup/ 176g Nutella

    • 2 1/2 cup/ 250g confectioners sugar, sifted

    • 1/4 tsp salt

    • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, dutch processed

    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Equipment needed:

    • 1. Large 12 case muffin tray.

    • 2. 12 Cupcake liners

    METHOD


    1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 375°F.

    2. In a bowl sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Mix together with a whisk.

    3. In a separate bowl, add milk, water, Nutella, egg and vanilla essence. Whisk together everything to mix until well combined and no lumps of Nutella are left.

    4. Drop the Nutella mix to the flour mix and gently combine them together with a whisk or a spatula to form a lump-free batter.

    5. Take a 12 cup large muffin pan. Place the cupcake liners.

    6. Divide the batter with the help of an ice cream scoop or a large spoon into the cupcake liners equally.

    7. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until the tooth pick comes out clean.

    8. Remove from pan and cook them on cooling rack.

    For Frosting:

    1. Place butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer bowl, fitted with paddle attachment, cream together for 4-5 minutes on medium-high speed until its smooth and fluffy. Scraping down the sides in between.

    2. Add Nutella, and cream it for another minute.

    3. Sift cocoa powder and confectioners sugar together.

    4. With the mixer off, add sifted cocoa powder and confectioners sugar. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 minute until creamy.

    5. If your frosting is bit loose add bit more confectioners sugar to adjust the consistency.

    6. Add vanilla and salt. Mix for another minute.

    7. Pour the frosting in a piping bag fitted with your decorative nozzle. Pipe it down on the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with chocolate curls or flutes.


    COOK'S NOTES

    • If your frosting is bit loose add bit more confectioners sugar to adjust the consistency.

    • You can stick your frosting in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes to let it firm up, which will help you pipe it easier.

    CRANBERRY PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES



      These super easy to make shortbread cookies are a burst of flavour and colour. A perfect contrast of green and red colour from cranberries and pistachios gives you the festive vibe and are also very inviting to munch with a cuppa.


      These light and buttery shortbreads give the right balance of sweetness and crunch from the fruit and nut used in the cookies. I try to keep a batch ready at the back of my freezer handy to make them for a lunch box snack at times.


      You can also add some dark chocolate chips to add to the crunch and sweetness.


      Make it during festive times and it can be a perfect little gift treat for Christmas, wrapped up in a bag and tagged with fancy ribbon.

      YIELDS: 25-30 cookies

      PREP TIME: 20 minutes

      BAKING TIME: 12-15 minutes

      PASSIVE TIME: 1 hour



      INGREDIENTS

      • 3 cups all purpose flour

      • 1 cup caster sugar

      • 1 1/4cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

      • 1/2 tsp salt

      • 1/2 tsp almond extract

      • 1 tsp vanilla extract

      • 2 tsp baking powder

      • 1 egg, room temperature

      • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

      • 1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped



      METHOD

      1. In a stand mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in colour. Add the extracts and egg, and blend for 2 minutes until the egg is well combined.

      2. In a large bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add cranberries and pistachios to dry mix.

      3. Drop 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mix and blend for 2 minutes until combined.

      4. Add the remaining dry flour mix in two batches to the butter mixture and blend until it is well combined.

      5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead lightly to make it smooth. Divide the dough in 2 batches. Shape one batch of the dough into a thick log, about 2 inch thick in diameter. Place the log on large sheet of cling film and wrap it tightly. Twist and knot the sides of the plastic wrap to secure from the ends. Freeze it for 1 hour.

      6. Repeat step 5 for the other batch.

      7. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

      8. Remove the cookie dough out from the freezer, unwrap the cling film and cut the log into 1/4 inch thick discs. Place them on cookie sheet 1.5 inch apart and bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edges.

      9. Transfer on to the cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.



      COOK'S NOTES:

      • These logs can be prepared days ahead and stored in freezer.

      • The wrapped dough logs will stay in freezer for up to 2-3 months. Discard the plastic and cut and bake as per the recipe.

      • If preserving the cookie dough in freezer for later use, make sure these logs are wrapped tightly in the plastic wraps to avoid freeze burning.

      • Baked cookies store well up to a week in an airtight jar.

      • Don't over bake the cookies else your shortbreads will be slightly hard.



      GLUTEN-FREE SPICED SWEET POTATO AND CANDIED GINGER COOKIES



        Who doesn’t like to indulge in cookies? These are Gluten-free Spiced Sweet potato cookies, it’s a winter weather healthy sweet treat, that benefits your body and brain as a whole, and are just perfect as a grab and go breakfast. It's also an adequate nutritional lunch box snack.


        Classical versions of cookies would mostly be made with refined flour and I tried replacing it with oats flour and gluten-free flour. Removing the gluten from cookie makes it slightly guilt free, though I used butter in the recipe

        YIELDS: 20-24 pieces

        PREP TIME: 20 minutes

        BAKING TIME: 18 minutes

        TOTAL TIME: 38 minutes



        INGREDIENTS

        • 1 medium sweet potato kumara, peeled and chopped (it should be 1 cup quantity of cooked and mashed potatoes)

        • 185g butter, room temperature

        • 200g or 1 cup soft light brown sugar

        • 1 egg

        • Zest of 1 orange

        • 180g gluten-free flour

        • 100g oats flour

        • 1/4 tsp salt

        • 1 tsp baking powder

        • 1 tsp cinnamon powder

        • 1/2 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

        • 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped

        • 50g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

        • 50g dark chocolate buttons (I used Hershey’s semi-sweet)



        METHOD

        1. Preheat the oven at 180°C. Grease and line the baking sheet/tray with baking paper. Set aside.

        2. Steam the chopped potatoes in a double boiler, for 10-12 minutes, until soft and cooked. Remove from boiler and spread on a plate and let them cool completely. Once cooled, place them on paper towel and let the excess moisture absorb on it. Mash them to a smooth purée.

        3. Beat butter and sugar together until pale and creamy, add egg and zest and beat for a minute. Stir in the mashed potatoes until well combined.

        4. Sift together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg and salt. Tip in the chopped macadamia nuts and ginger, then gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and combine well.

        5. Drop tablespoon full of the mixture on to the prepared baking tray keeping a distance of at least 2 inch in each cookie dollop. Press lightly and bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on wire rack.

        6. Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl, melt chocolate in a double boiler over a pan of barely simmering water. Pour it in a piping bag and drizzle over cooled cookies. Set aside for 30 minutes to set.


        COOK'S NOTES:

        • You can always use store bought pumpkin purée. It’s generally quiet soft as the water content is more, soak that extra moisture on the absorbent paper or kitchen paper roll and use it as written in recipe.

        • Preserve the cookies in airtight box for up to 2 weeks.


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