peanut cupcakes

hello. i'm starting to welcome 2011, may it bring us more prosperity. anyway, i made this cupcakes for my brother's birthday cake. it's supposed to be 12 cupcakes in a tier but there's only 2 left and that's all i can take to show them to you through my lens. wew, i don't want to do a comment on this, but my writing today feels a little different than usual. i am writing this post in 10 am in the morning in heavy rain and cold breeze. i love this condition, if only i have a nice cup of hot chocolate beside me this will be a bliss.

my brother is only 9 years old, he hasn't reached a stage where boys are afraid to nuts. according to some information, nuts can cause acnes and it's so funny that boys nowadays are taking a little more care about their appearance. in the other hand, my brother loves peanut, peanut brittle to be exact. he's a big fan of peanut, butterscotch, and caramel. so this cake is specially requested by him.

luckily, i have a peanut cupcakes recipe with caramel frosting. perfect combo. the recipe turns out nice as well, lovely taste. i decorated the cupcakes with choco-balls and carefully piped the frosting with star nozzle tip. the result is pretty decent and i quite like it at least i piped better than usual. i cut a lot amount of sugar from this recipe and i'm sure it's better this way. do you like peanut and caramel? you may try this recipe and find out the wonderfulness.

Peanut Cupcakes
from 'The Golden Book of Patisserie'
makes 12 cupcakes

3.5 oz white chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup light cream
1 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup finely ground peanuts
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

caramel frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 tbsp molasses
1.5 cups confectioners' sugar
3 oz store-bought peanut brittle

directions:

1. preheat the oven to 325 degree F (170 degree C). line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper baking cups.
2. melt the chocolate with the cream in a double boiler over barely simmering water. set aside and let cool slightly.
3. combine the flour, peanuts, and salt in a large bowl.
4. beat the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy. add the eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition. with mixer on low speed, gradually add the mixed dry ingredients and melted chocolate mixture.
5. spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling each one three-quarters full. bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. let cool completely.
6. caramel frosting: beat the butter, brown sugar, and molasses in a small bowl until creamy. stir in the confectioners' sugar until well blended. spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes and top with the peanut brittle.

what happened in my kitchen?

• i substituted light cream with heavy cream. now i think the substitution makes the cake heavier in texture. it's better to use light cream or half and half.
• i have no self-rising flour so i used 1 cup all purpose flour + 1/4 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp baking soda.
• i used white granulated sugar instead of light brown sugar, makes the cake whiter than the original recipe. ha ha.
• for the frosting: i don't have molasses and substituted it with caramel syrup on the same amount and i omit the peanut brittle. 

enough for today's post. i'm getting ready to have some fun with some old friends. may you enjoy your day and the recipe!

thanks for reading.. :)