YOU’VE made it through the first week of back to school for the new terms, now to unwind with some family time.
Food blogger Monowara Mohamed Bhamjee - also a home chef, mother to six, grandma to two, and ‘Noona’ to her nephews, nieces (and adopted social media followers), shares fun and delicious recipes to try at home with the kids.
*Marshmallow Fluff /Sweetie Pie Cupcakes
For one batch of soft cupcakes
Ingredients:
4 XL or jumbo eggs (separated)
1 tsp vanilla essence
⅓ cup oil
2 tbs plain double-cream yoghurt
1 cup castor sugar
⅓ cup boiling water
1⅓ cups cake flour
¼ cup maizena
3 tsp baking powder
Method
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Mix the yolks, vanilla, essence oil, yoghurt, castor sugar and boiling water.
Add it to the egg whites and mix well. Sift the flour, maizena and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three batches on low speed until smooth.
Pour into cupcake cases or into edible cupcake cases.
Bake at 180°C for about 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
For the marshmallow frosting
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp of cream of tartar
Method
In a dry stainless steel bowl, add the egg whites.
Place them on a pot or double boiler with boiling water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Keep the pot on the stove on a low heat.
Start whisking the eggs by hand. Add the sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are warm and the sugar is dissolved.
Stir only until the eggs are warm, otherwise you will cook them. Take it off the heat and use a hand beater or machine and start beating. Add the vanilla essene and the cream of tartar.
Beat continuously for about 10 to 15 minutes until the frosting is fluffy.
Use immediately. Pipe with a round nozzle.
TIP: Dip this in melted chocolate for a Sweetie Pie Cupcake.
*Milkybar cupcakes
Ingredients:
4 jumbo eggs (separated)
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
⅓ cup oil
2 tbs plain double-cream yoghurt
1 and ⅓ cups cake flour
¼ cup maizena
3 tsp baking powder
⅓ cup boiling water
Method
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Add the castor sugar a little at a time, until there are no more granules.
Beat the yolks, vanilla essence, oil, yoghurt and boiling water together. Add to the the egg whites and mix well.
Sift the flour, baking powder and maizena. Then, add the flour mixture, a little at a time, to the egg whites until smooth.
Do not overbeat. Rather fold it in.
Pour into cupcake cases and bake at 180°C for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool slightly then melt three milky bar chocolates. Top each cupcake with this and decorate with sprinkles.
*Chocolate cupcakes
Ingredients:
4 jumbo eggs (separated)
1 cup castor sugar
4 tbs cocoa
⅓ cup boiling water
1 tsp vanilla essence
⅓ cup oil
2 tbs plain double-cream yoghurt
1⅓ cups cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
¼ cup maizena
For the ganache topping:
2 big slabs (150g) Cadbury milk chocolates
½ of a big can of Nestle Cream
Method
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Add the castor sugar, a little at a time, until there are no more granules.
Add the cocoa to the boiling water and mix well.
Add the yolks, vanilla essence, oil and yoghurt to the cocoa mixture, then add it to the egg whites and mix well.
Sift the flour, baking powder and maizena. Then add the flour mixture in three batches to the egg mixture, gently, until smooth.
Do not overbeat. Rather fold it in.
Pour into cupcake cases ⅔ of the way and bake at 180°C for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool, then make a ganache by melting 2 big slabs of Cadbury milk chocolate. Add ½ a can Nestle Cream and mix well until a thick ganache forms.
Spread it generously on the cupcakes. Crumble flake chocolate and sprinkle it over the ganache. Drizzle with melted Milkybar chocolate.
*Cupcakes with Noona’s mock cream topping
Ingredients:
4 jumbo eggs (separated)
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
⅓ cup oil
2 tbs plain double-cream yoghurt
⅓ cup boiling water
1 and ⅓ cups cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
¼ cup maizena
Method
Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Add the castor sugar, a little at a time, until there are no more granules.
Beat the yolks, vanilla, oil, yoghurt and boiling water together.
Add to the egg whites and mix well.
Sift the flour, baking powder and maizena.
Then add the flour mixture a little at a time to the egg whites until smooth.
Do not overbeat. rather fold it in.
Pour into cupcake cases and bake at 180°C for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Let it cool slightly, then melt three milky bar chocolates, decorated with sprinkles
For Noona's Ultimate Mock Cream:
1 cup milk
2 heaped tbs Maizena
Enough milk to make a paste with the Maizena (not too thick)
125g butter
⅔ cup castor sugar (or a little less if too sweet)
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Bring the milk to a boil. Pour the paste in slowly and beat while pouring.
Beat for about a minute until it thickens (not too thick nor runny). Take it off the heat and let it get cold. I put the whole saucepan in a bowl of cold water.
Beat the butter until white, about 10 minutes.
Add the castor sugar, a little at a time, and beat well in between each addition, until all the castor is used up. Beat for another 5 minutes.
Add the vanilla essence, and beat. Add the cold milk mixture, using a big spoon at a time while beating – use all the milk mixture.
It should look like a creamy custard. The taste is on another level of awesome. It's a cross between a custard, ice cream and fresh cream.
Pipe onto the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.