Sundays in the Kitchen #4

Sigh.


I am starting this post with a long sigh. A sigh for the many Sunday's out of the kitchen. A sigh for the love and attention that my blog needs.



Here's a nice instrumental I just discovered today. Interesting title. 





So, I'll skip the excuses about why I haven't been sticking to my plan of regularly blogging and get straight to it. On the plus side, I've been using my time for many other cool things- like plays and poster designs and baking and painting and violin practices and singing. 


And right now it's raining. It's actually pouring with pretty violent lightening and thunder. I'd rather stay awake and listen to it than go to sleep. Listening to classical music, or any instrumental music is perfect in this weather with the rain and thunder in the background. 


If you cannot imagine what I mean, listen to Primivera and a track of a thunderstorm simultaneously. 

Anyway, it was my birthday a few days ago. It was quite an eventful birthday, despite not wanting to celebrate it. I found myself in the kitchen baking vanilla cupcakes with chocolate ganache for my colleagues at work. 


The recipe is one Nigella Lawson's. That woman is amazing. I love her almost as much as she loves butter.


So, really easy and really quick to make. Cream 250g of butter, 250g of sugar, 4 eggs and a tbsp of vanilla together. Once light and fluffy, add 250g of flour sifted with 2 tsps of baking powder and 1 tsp of baking soda. Fold into the wet mixture with about 4 tbsp of milk. Pour into cupcake trays lined with cupcake liners. Bake in 180 degree centigrade oven for about 15-20 minutes till tops are golden brown. Test with a toothpick.


Once cooled, add the ganache. This is a trial error recipe. I mean, you can add ingredients based on the consistency and flavour you want. Melt about 100g of butter and 200g of chocolate on a double boiler. Add about 1 cup of icing sugar once its melted and whisk together. These are approximate measurements. You can experiment with your own quantities. Most recipes ask for cream, but I didn't have any.


And once that is done, put them in a box and give them away to people, and suddenly you'll become everyone's best friend and all wrong done in the past will be erased and the world is a better place just because of chocolate covered vanilla cupcakes. Or you could eat them by yourself and the world becomes a better place nevertheless. :)