Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Mini quiches and cupcakes

Well, it seems the quiche and cupcakes were quite a visual hit. As requested, here are the necessary bits:

MINI QUICHE
INGREDIENTS (I don't usually measure so these are a guide)

Sheets of ready rolled puff pastry. I use Pampas frozen.
2 tspns butter
1 cup grated cheese
Approx 150g of diced ham OR 2 rashers of bacon, diced
1/3 cup cream
1 egg
Pepper to taste

METHOD

Allow pastry sheets to thaw as per packet directions.
Preheat oven to 180 deg.
Spray shallow patty pans with a little oil. I use gem scone trays.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except butter.
Heat butter and combine with ingredients.
Cut each pastry sheet into rounds approx 6cm diameter. I use a glass that I press into the sheet and get about 12-14 each sheet.
Press pastry into the trays.
Place approx half a teaspoon of mixture into each pastry round.
Cook in oven for approx 15 - 20 mins.
Repeat with pastry and mix until it's all used.
Turn on to racks to cool.

I can't tell you how many it makes because I don't measure the ingredients but go on consistency, so the amount is always a little different. I can usually get around 3 dozen out of this mix...

RED VELVET CUP CAKES
This is an american recipe so I've provided the conversions....
INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (plain flour)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa (powdered)
1 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
2 sticks butter at room temperature (approx 230g)
5 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (see note at bottom)
1 tspn vanilla
1 tspn red food coloring

METHOD

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Sift dry ingredients three times.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each egg.
Add 1/4 of dry ingredients to creamed mixture then approximately 1/4 of buttermilk alternating until mixed well. Mix in vanilla and food coloring.
Fill lined cupcake pans 1/2 full of red velvet batter. Bake in a preheated 350 (180C) degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cupcakes in pans for 5 to 10 minutes then remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

NOTE: If you don't happen to have buttermilk on hand you can try this simple substitution. Place one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in an empty one cup measuring cup. Fill with milk to 1 cup. Let stand for 5 minutes then use in any cake recipe that calls for buttermilk.

These taste great with cream cheese frosting. You'll have to source that one yourself, but I use something like:

250g cream cheese softened
approx 60g butter
1-2 cups icing sugar
vanilla essence or extract

Beat cream cheese and butter till softened and creamy. Add icing sugar and combine well. Add vanilla to taste.

3 comments:

Colleen Barnett said...

Yummo! Thanks, chook. I shall print these off and have a shot. Can't guarantee results, but hey...

*naniest*... I am somehow not the naniest of persons, but my own child didn't turn out too bad... :-P

Anonymous said...

Yeh, thanks for the recipes! Will try the mini quiches on the weekend and use mum as a guinea pig, as Mr Rat will be away at work.Never heard of red velvet cupcakes but they sound mysterious! RAT

JoeinVegas said...

Just thinking of Red Velvet, thanks