Call Me Cupcake

Sweet food & photography

Christmas

Gingerbread Cookies

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Some years ago I thought lace doilies where.. uhm, let’s say something you would find at your grandma’s house (absolutely no offence to grandmothers, they’re the best). And now all of a sudden, you can find them in my house. It’s funny how some things change. I see lace doilies a lot since I go to flea markets every week, and one day when I saw a huge stack of them I got an idea.

The pattern is often quite beautiful and would translate well onto cookies. So I picked out a few, the trick is to choose the ones that are smooth and non hairy (in lack of a better word) or you’ll end up with hairs in you cookies. And of course, it should also be clean!

I see myself as decent at piping gingerbread houses, but cookies? Nope. Not sure why! That’s why I looove these cookies. They look fancy and there’s almost no extra work! I’ll be using some of them as gift tags together with wax paper and silk ribbons from Nåde.


Gingerbread cookies

Makes approximately 75 cookies

INGREDIENTS

  • 100 g (1 scant stick) salted butter
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) molasses or dark syrup
  • 135 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
  • 300 g (approx. 2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine butter, molasses and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat. When the mixture is melted, stir in the spices, remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream.
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Cover the bowl and let it rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pieces of dough to about 5-6 mm thickness. Dust some flour over the dough. Place a clean lace doily on top and gently press it onto the dough, then roll out the dough to 3-4 mm thickness. The cookies need to be quite thin or they will puff up too much in the oven and the pattern will fade. Gently remove the doily and cut out cookies using cookie cutters or a knife.
  5. Bake the cookies for 5-6 minutes depending on size. If you’d like to use them as gift tags, make a small hole with a toothpick as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. Let cool completely.

Homemade Chai Concentrate + Chai Latte

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It’s been a couple of years since I made a post about edible gifts, so I thought it was about time!  Thses posts are actually some of my favorite things to create and this recipe is just SO good. I already made three huge batches (I didn’t give any of it away though, hehee), some of which is waiting for me in the freezer. I’m pretty sure I will make a couple more batches before Christmas, some to keep and some to give away.

What’s also great about this recipe is that it’s so forgiving, and you can tweak it to your own liking. I for example, love my chai lattes to be quite sweet, but if you’re giving it to someone who isn’t keen on sweet things, you can make it with less sweetener.

It also feels more sustainable to not buy so much new stuff, I simply used bottles and jars that I already had at home! I bought a couple from a flea market too, I just cleaned them with a bottle brush and sterilized them in the oven. A lot of people don’t want more things to clutter their homes and minds, so edible gifts are just perfect. And if you have the patience, making some gingerbread house toppers to go with the gift, I’m sure that would be appreciated too! I didn’t use a template for them, I just cut out the pieces with a knife. I did cheat and used store bought dough though..

Here are some more edible gift ideas – flavored sugar from a couple of years ago, and muffin mix, herb salt, cookie mix, another chai latte mix, nutella and granola.

Homemade Chai Concentrate

Makes 6 cups / 1 1/2 litre

This recipe is very forgiving so you can tweak it to your own liking. I’ve tried it with both granulated sugar and a mix of honey and maple syrup and both are delicious! You can’t really taste any difference. I like my chai latte really sweet so I used 200 ml of honey in the recipe, but you can make it without any sweetener too! Don’t worry if the mixture is cloudy, I had that happen when I used honey and loose tea. Any leftover chai concentrate can be frozen in freezer proof containers. And don’t forget to write a little note with instructions to the lucky person who receives the gift!

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 cups (1500 ml) water
  • 100-200 ml (approx. 1/3 cup – 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) honey or maple syrup OR 90-180 g granulated sugar
  • 25 g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 25 whole cloves (about 1/2 tbsp)
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 whole star anise
  • 15 cardamom pods (about 1/2 tbsp), lightly crushed
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • a few pieces of fresh orange peel
  • 5 bags of black tea or 3 tbsp (10 g) loose black tea

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine water and honey/sugar in a large saucepan. Let the mixture come to a boil and stir until honey/sugar is dissolved, then add all ingredients except for the tea. Place a lid on the saucepan and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
  2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the tea. Let steep for 10 minutes.
  3. Discard the tea bags and let the mixture cool.
  4. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, then pour into clean and dry airtight jars or bottles. Store in the fridge for up to one week.

Chai Latte

Serves 2

Depending on how sweet you made your chai concentrate and how strong you like your latte, I’d say you’ll want at least 1/3 part chai concentrate to 2/3 parts milk. For more flavour, use equal parts. You can leave out the whipped cream and use a milk frother for the milk. As for the tiny gingerbread houses, I made them using storebought dough, and I basically just cut out pieces with a knife and then ‘glued’ them together with icing!

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.) chai concentrate
  • 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk of your choice
  • whipped cream for topping
  • cinnamon, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat the chai concentrate and milk in a saucepan. Pour into cups and top with whipped cream, cinnamon and a tiny gingerbread house/cookie if you want!

Gingerbread Village Cake

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I have to say, I absolutely LOVED creating this cake. It’s the most fun I’ve had in the kitchen in a long time, and I definitely felt like I was a kid again. Which I think is exactly what baking and blogging should feel like! I can’t say it was without a little bit of frustration too, which is also part of baking, photographing and blogging I guess.

I can’t even remember the last time I piped icing on gingerbread cookies and at first it was just frustrating but after a good night’s sleep (it never fails me), I sort of got the hang of it. I will probably never be a master at it but I do enjoy it! Perhaps this year will be the year I make a gingerbread house again? We’ll see, we’ll see…

I love experimenting with recipes and tried a couple of different versions for the gingerbread layer, but in the end, this one with lingonberries was definitely my favorite. Lots and lots of flavor and so moist (I know a lot of people hate that word but I don’t know what other word to use, hehe).

I also experimented with getting that blueish grey shade on the cake. I was thinking about how blueberry powder reacts when I add lemon juice to it – it becomes pink when you add something acidic, so I figured it would become more blue when adding something alkaline. And it totally worked! Feel free to try it if you want, or don’t if you think it sounds weird. I promise you it’s not though! Hope you like it!

GINGERBREAD VILLAGE CAKE

Makes one 9-inch layer cake

Some notes about this recipe:
-If you can’t find lingonberry jam for this recipe, I bet frozen lingonberries would work too, just thaw them and stir them together with a little bit of sugar. Apple sauce might work too but I haven’t tried either of those suggestions.
-I used store-bought gingerbread dough for this cake but feel free to make your own! If your cookies float out too much during baking, be prepared with a sharp knife as soon as they get out of the oven – and cut the edges again. The cookies are still soft when they get out of the oven!
-Because I prefer not to use artificial food coloring, I experimented with black sesame and blueberry powder! I wanted the cake to be slightly grey/blue so I added some black sesame paste which does give a slight taste to the cake. Omit the sesame seeds if you know you don’t like them. I added baking soda to blueberry powder to change the ph of it. This doesn’t affect the flavor at all, but feel free to omit this from the recipe if you want. Or use a food coloring of your choice! Or just leave the cake white. All options are totally fine!

INGREDIENTS

Gingerbread cake

  • 200 g (1 3/4 stick) salted butter
  • 360 g (2 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. allspice (can be omitted)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 360 g (1 2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 250 ml (1 cup) sour cream
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) lingonberry jam

Gingerbread cookies

  • about 500 g of gingerbread dough (I used store-bought but feel free to use homemade)
  • 150 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp. lemon juice (or as needed)

Frosting

  • 200 g (1 3/4 stick) softened butter (I use salted but feel free to use unsalted)
  • 250 g (1 2/3 cup) powdered sugar
  • 300 g cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • zest from 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp. black sesame seeds + 2 tbsp. maple syrup (can be omitted)
  • 2 tsp. blueberry powder + 1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1-2 tsp. water (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

GINGERBREAD CAKE

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 23-24 cm (9 inch) springform pans. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter and set aside.
  3. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and lighter in color, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and butter to the egg mixture in additions, and stir until completely smooth. Stir in the sour cream and lingonberry jam.
  6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack for 25-27 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  7. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

  1. Knead the dough lightly with floured hands to make it soft and pliable. Lightly flour the table and the rolling pin and roll out to 2-3 mm thickness.
  2. Cut out little house shaped cookies using a knife, or a cookie cutter if you have one (I made my cookies between 5-8 cm high, as the cake is around 8 cm high). Bake the cookies at 175°C (350°F) for about 5-8 minutes depending on size. Let cool completely.
  3. Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Start with a small amount of juice and add more until icing reaches a good piping consistency. Your mixture should be thick enough that it will not run when piped, but not so thick that you can’t squeeze it through a piping bag.
  4. Transfer icing to piping bag and cut a tiny hole in the bag for piping. Decorate the cookies and let the icing harden before placing the cookies on the cake.

FROSTING

  1. Beat butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until just smooth. Stir in the orange zest.
  2. Place the black sesame seeds and maple syrup in a mortar and pestle. Crush and grind the seeds until a paste forms. Stir the paste into the frosting.
  3. If the frosting seems soft, place the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the next steps.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Cut both cake layers in half using a serrated knife so you get four cake layers.
  2. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or directly onto a plate or cake stand. Spread a layer of frosting on the first layer. Repeat this until you’ve used up all layers.
  3. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for a few minutes if the frosting is soft.
  4. Place the blueberry powder and baking soda in a small bowl and stir in some water. Let stand for a couple of minutes, then add to the remaining frosting. Stir until smooth.
  5. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate with the gingerbread cookies. I placed toothpicks behind the cookies on top of the cake to get them to stand up. Dust with snow (aka powdered sugar) if desired.

A trip to Norway + Brownies with salted caramel and toasted meringue and a gingerbread bundt cake

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Last week, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in winter wonderland… errr, I mean at Melgården in Norway with some wonderful friends, Olivia of Adelasterfoodtextures, Samantha of The Botanical Kitchen, Kati of Blackwhitevivid and of course, the lovely lady of the house, Live of Melgården. Only sweet Krissy of Cottage farm missing!

Melgården truly looked like my idea of winter wonderland, SO cold (-19°C one day, brrr) and lots and lots of snow. Rolling hills, fog and frost on the windows. Like a dream come true. It made me feel like a kid again on so many levels. My fingers and toes weren’t as excited as I was though, nor was my camera gear or my phone battery which died within 10 minutes outside.

Melgården is like something out of a fairytale, or possibly a Wes Anderson movie, and I dare to say it’s every food photographer’s dream with all the rustic backdrops and props, and that GORGEOUS scenery. We drove through a snowy Sweden all the way up to snowy Rena, Norway, with the car full of fresh vegetables and props. We almost couldn’t fit in there!

I couldn’t believe how efficient we were. With about 5 hours of daylight each day and in two days, I shot FOUR cakes (I can only share two of them here though.. 🙂 ) and a whole bunch of other beautiful things that you can see in this post. That’s why I love working in a team so much, especially this team <3

And this is why I’m delighted to share that Olivia, Krissy and I will be hosting a workshop again, at Melgården in 2018! I literally can’t wait!! If you’re interested, make sure to subscribe by e-mail for more details and prerelease. You can fill in your e-mail address in the sidebar on the right 🙂

I’d also like to take the time to thank you for your continued support this year! It wouldn’t have been the same (or at all!) without you. Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a very Happy 2018!

BROWNIES WITH SALTED CARAMEL AND TOASTED MERINGUE

9-12 servings

Some notes about this recipe: If you’re not a fan of hazelnuts, you can definitely make these brownies with walnuts, pecans or almonds (I’ve tried all and they’re all delicious!). The brownies are also super delicious without caramel and meringue if you prefer that. When test baking, I baked my brownies for 32 minutes – it was almost set, slightly wobbly in the middle and it came out gooey and delicious. After a day in the fridge it has exactly the consictency I like in brownies! Make sure to have a look HERE in case you’d like to make an edible gift out of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Brownies

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) hazelnuts
  • 150 g (about 1 + 1/3 stick) salted butter
  • 4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) coffee
  • 150 g (1 cup) all purpose four
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 30 g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
  • 135 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 110 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) light brown muscovado sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 150 g (5.2 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

Caramel

  • 110 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 50 g (3 tbsp.) salted butter, in small cubes
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt

Meringue topping

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • zest from 1 orange

INSTRUCTIONS

Brownies

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the nuts in a baking dish and toast for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant and slightly browned. If the nuts aren’t already skinned, wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub until most of the skins come off. Let cool completely, then chop them coarsely.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool.
  3. Butter a baking pan, approximately 17 x 17 cm (measured at the bottom of the pan, the top is 20 x 20 cm) and cover it with baking paper.
  4. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the melted butter, coffee, eggs, chopped nuts and chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake is almost set but the center wobbles slightly.
  6. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan.

Caramel

  1. Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium to high heat until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Turn the heat down to low and stir gently with a wooden spoon until sugar is completely melted and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar! Stir in the butter, piece by piece, stirring between each addition.
  2. Little by little and very slowly pour the cream into the saucepan with the melted sugar and butter (it will bubble up so make sure to be careful as this stuff is hot!). Stir until smooth. Pour caramel into a heat proof bowl and let cool completely.

Meringue topping

  1. Place egg whites, lemon juice and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass).
  2. Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the simmering water should not be touching the bowl. Whisk the sugar and egg whites constantly with a whisk until the mixture reaches about 65°C (about 140-150°F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and mixture is hot to the touch, it’s ready.
  3. Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool to the touch with a stand- or electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the orange zest.

Assembly

  1. Place the cake on a plate or serving platter. Drizzle/spoon caramel on top, then spread the meringue over the caramel. Brown the meringue using a kitchen torch.

GINGERBREAD BUNDT CAKE

Makes 1 bundt

Some notes about this recipe:I used a 10 cup bundt pan to bake this cake and it was actually slightly too small for the batter so I would suggest putting a piece of baking paper underneath the pan while baking so the batter doesn’t end up on the floor of your oven, or reserving some of the batter to bake some muffins. A 12 cup pan would probably be more suitable.

 

INGREDIENTS

Gingerbread bundt cake

  • 540 g (3 3/4 cups) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. ground bitter orange peel (can be omitted)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 240 g (1 1/4 cup) light brown muscovado sugar (or regular light brown sugar)
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) cane syrup
  • 250 g (2 + 1/4 stick) salted butter
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) heavy cream
  • 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk

Cream cheese glaze

  • 120 g (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) powdered sugar
  • 100 g cream cheese
  • 1-3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Gingerbread bundt cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a large bundt pan with 10-12 cup (preferably 12 cup) capacity. Set aside.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, spices and ground bitter orange peel in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and lighter in color, about 3-4 minutes. Add cane syrup and beat until smooth.
  4. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in cream and milk.
  5. Add dry ingredients and butter mixture to the egg mixture in additions, and stir until completely smooth.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the lowest oven rack for 55-65 minutes, but start checking doneness after 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake during the whole baking time so the top won’t brown too fast (if it does, carefully place a piece of baking paper or aluminum foil on top).
  7. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely. The cake will most likely come out domed, so feel free to even that out with a sharp serrated knife once the cake is cool.

Glaze

  1. Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
  2. Stir in orange juice to desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.

Ris à la malta – Rice pudding with whipped cream and marinated oranges

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Ris à la malta is a very typical Scandinavian Christmas dessert made from rice pudding and whipped cream. Not exactly sure why it’s called ris à la malta as I don’t think it has anything at all to do with Malta. Some say it’s a version of the Danish name of the same dessert – Risalamande which is commonly served with cherry sauce and almonds.

In Sweden it’s more common to eat it with jam or ‘saftsås’, which is a cordial or sweetened fruit juice that is thickened with potato starch. I adore this dessert, it’s not overly sweet but it is quite heavy, so maybe not recommended to eat right after a big Christmas dinner.

Below I’m sharing two of my favorite ris à la malta recipes. One more common way of making it, where you basically make a rice pudding – then mix it with whipped cream, vanilla and some sugar. The rice pudding can of course be eaten as it is too, with cinnamon, sugar and milk!

An interesting tradition that might not be that common anymore is to hide an almond in the rice pudding, and whoever gets it in their bowl receives a gift. Some also say that if you get the almond in your bowl, you will be married before next Christmas… The second recipe, ‘apelsinris’, simply translates into ‘orange rice’ which I think is more of an old fashioned way of making it. My inspiration for this recipe comes from a cookbook from 1932 by Jenny Åkerström called ‘Prinsessornas kokbok’ – ‘The princesses cookbook’.

It’s super interesting to read through this book, the language is so very different and all the recipes are very vague, such as ‘bake in a hot oven until cake is done’. It also says to cook spaghetti for 40-50 minutes though.. hehe.

RIS À LA MALTA – RICE PUDDING WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND MARINATED ORANGES

Serves 4-6

Some notes about this recipe: You can also eat the rice pudding as it is without the cream – why not have it for breakfast, with some cinnamon, sugar and milk instead!

INGREDIENTS

Marinated oranges

  • 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) water
  • 90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1-2 tbsp. dark rum (can be omitted)
  • 2-3 oranges

Ris à la malta

  • 90 g (100 ml) uncooked short grain white rice
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.) water
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 500 ml (about 2 cups) milk
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • 1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar, or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Marinated oranges

  1. Combine water, sugar, cloves and cardamom pods in a saucepan. Let come to a boil, then simmer for 6-8 minutes, swirling the pan every now and then, until syrup is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the rum. Let cool.
  2. Cut away the ends of the oranges, then cut down the sides to remove the peel and the white pith. Thinly slice the oranges and place them in a bowl. Pour the syrup over the orange slices, cover the bowl and let marinate in the fridge for at least two hours. Discard the cloves and cardamom pods before serving.

Ris à la malta

  1. Place the rice, water and salt in a saucepan. Let come to a boil and let simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Add the milk and cinnamon stick, and on low heat – let mixture simmer gently with the lid on until thickened, about 30-35 minutes, stirring every now and then to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from heat, discard the cinnamon stick and let cool completely.
  2. Whip the cream to soft peaks together with the vanilla and sugar, then stir the whipped cream into the rice pudding. Serve the ris à la malta with the orange slices and syrup.

APELSINRIS (ORANGE RICE)

Serves 4

Some notes about this recipe: This is basically a simpler and quicker way to make ris à la malta. It’s also delicious to serve with some toasted almonds and grated chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

Apelsinris

  • 90 g (100 ml) uncooked short grain white rice
  • 500 ml (2 cups) water
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp.) heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • 1-2 tbsp. granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Apelsinris

  1. Place the rice, water, salt and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Let come to a boil and let simmer with the lid on, stirring every now and then, for about 25 minutes or until the rice is soft. Pour into a sieve and rinse with cold water until rice is completely cold. Discard the cinnamon stick and spoon rice into a large bowl.
  2. In another bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks together with the vanilla and sugar, then stir the whipped cream into the cooked rice. Cut the orange slices (see recipe for marinated oranges above) into smaller pieces and spoon into the rice mixture. Serve with some of the syrup.

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Vegan chocolate mousse

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Also known as the best chocolate mousse I’ve ever made. Super fluffy, smooth and delicious. It’s SO easy to make and no one will ever suspect that you made mousse from chickpea brine. It’s funny how I now have two open packages of chickpeas in the fridge after making this mousse a couple of times (I’ll make hummus, win win!). Every time I open a package of chickpeas or beans from now on, I’ll be making this chocolate mousse instead of getting rid of the brine. It’s a good excuse, and nothing goes to waste!

VEGAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Serves 4

Some notes about this recipe: It’s absolutely crucial that both the melted chocolate and  aquafaba is at room temperature, or the chocolate might seize when mixing the two together. If you don’t have chickpea brine, any other bean brine should work – just make sure it’s unsalted. As for the coconut cream, I used a brand named Garant, which is so smooth you can basically whip it straight from the can. You can also use a can of coconut milk which has been in the fridge overnight. Scoop out the firm part and beat until fluffy and smooth.

INGREDIENTS

  • 100 g dairy free chocolate (70%), chopped
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) unsalted aquafaba, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • Flavoring, if desired, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or peppermint extract, or zest from 1/2 orange
  • Flaky salt, to top
  • Whipped coconut cream
  • Grated dairy free chocolate

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Let cool.
  2. In a large clean bowl, combine aquafaba and lemon juice and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and keep beating until stiff peaks form.
  3. Add 1/4 of the whipped aquafaba to the chocolate and stir gently with a spatula until almost combined. Add the rest of the aquafaba in three more batches, stirring gently to not deflate the mixture.
  4. Add flavorings if desired, then spoon into ramekins or serving glasses. Place the ramekins in the fridge until mousse is set (which only took 5 minutes for me but it might take a little longer than that).
  5. Top with whipped coconut cream, some flaky salt and grated chocolate.

Swedish cinnamon bun Lussekatter

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I tried combining two Swedish classics in one gorgeous swirly bun, Lucia saffron buns (Lussekatter) and cinnamon buns (kanelbullar) for the first time last year, and I, for the life of me couldn’t remember why I never shared the recipe on the blog. The buns looked absolutely beautiful (more beautiful than these to be honest!). But when I took a bite out of these, I knew. These were SO much better. Like a million times better. Way fluffier with a buttery filling.

This is the second time I’ve tried brushing buns with syrup as soon as they come out of the oven and I think it’s such a great method. It makes the buns beautifully shiny, and I feel like it helps them retain moisture longer. Truthfully, I think that these are the best buns I’ve ever made – and that includes both Lussekatter and cinnamon buns!

As always, I started baking way too late in the day – I figured, I already had the photos I took last year – I don’t need to take new pictures. But then the buns came out looking so different, I felt I had to take some new photos. So like 5 minutes before the sun set, I managed to snap a couple of photos of these buttery, soft buns. I also wanted to take some tutorial photos of how to shape the dough, but there simply wasn’t time. As always these days, it’s a race against the clock for daylight.

Lussekatter are traditionally eaten on St. Lucia day (December 13) in Sweden, and I somehow always manage to post a recipe like.. the same day. But not this year! This year I’m even early. How unlike me 🙂


SWEDISH CINNAMON BUN LUSSEKATTER

Makes 17

Some notes about this recipe: If you wish to make regular cinnamon or cardamom buns, simply omit the saffron and raisins, and add about 1-2 tsp. ground cardamom in step 2. Should you have any leftovers, make sure to freeze them the same day they are made.

INGREDIENTS

  • 0,5 g saffron
  • 1 tbsp. hot water
  • 25 g fresh yeast
  • 250 ml (1 cup) milk
  • 90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 340 – 375 g (2.4 – 2.6 cups) all purpose flour
  • 100 g very soft salted butter, in cubes
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt

Filling

  • 100 g softened salted butter
  • 35 g (3 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • Handful of raisins

Syrup

  • 35 g (3 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp. water

Topping

  • 1 egg, for brushing
  • 1 tbsp. milk or water
  • Pearl sugar (demerara sugar would work too)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine saffron and 1 tbsp. hot (not boiling) water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.
  2. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat to 37°C (98.5°F). Pour a little bit of the milk over the yeast and stir until yeast is dissolved. Add the rest of the milk, the saffron mix and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.
  3. Stir in about half of the flour while working the dough with a dough hook in a stand mixer. Add the rest of the flour, starting with the smaller amount. Add the salt and the bits of butter and work until incorporated, then work the dough for about 10 minutes or until completely smooth and elastic. The dough will be a little sticky to the touch, so don’t be tempted to add more flour – this will make the buns dry.
  4. Cover the bowl with a damp, clean kitchen towel and leave the dough to rise for 1 hour.

Filling

  1. While the dough is rising, combine butter, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl and beat until fluffy. Set aside.
  2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with cold water  (mulled wine would be delicious too). Set aside.

Shape the dough, make the syrup

  1. Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
  2. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 50 x 32 cm (19.6 by 12.5 inch) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, almost all the way out to the edges. Fold the dough once across the shorter side (imagine how you would fold a towel or an A4 paper once), so you end up with a 25 x 32 cm (9.8 by 12.5 inch) rectangle.
  3. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut alongside the shorter side (25 cm) of the dough into 17 strips, each strip will be about 1,8 cm wide and 25 cm long. With the cut side up, shape the strips into an S-shape and place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each bun. Put raisins in the buns and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for 45 minutes.
  4. While the buns are rising, prepare the syrup by combining sugar and water in a saucepan. Let the mixture come to a boil and simmer until sugar has melted. Set aside to cool.
  5. Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F).

Bake the buns

  1. Whisk together egg and milk or water in a small bowl. Brush the buns with the egg mixture and sprinkle with pearl sugar.
  2. Bake one sheet at a time, for 9-11 minutes or until the buns are golden brown. As soon as you remove the baking sheet from the oven, use a clean pastry brush to brush the buns with the syrup. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

White chocolate mocha

By 18 Comments


The darkness is not kidding around this fall/winter (hello ridiculously high ISO 🙁 ). I honestly don’t mind the darkness per se, it kind of relaxes me. Thus far at least. We’ll see what I have to say about that come February. But, when you’re planning to shoot something, it’s kind of a bummer to see the light fade around noon. I’ve considered getting some sort of studio lights but I don’t know.. Maybe I just have to accept that winter can be a struggle photography wise, but at least I’m feeling very inspired!

This time of year, is actually the only time I really ever make hot beverages. I mean for the exception of coffee, of course. It’s much needed right now, with the cold weather and the darkness. Lit candles every morning and night, and lots of this white chocolate mocha. By far, the coziest way to start the day. Ok, a fireplace wouldn’t hurt either. One day I will have one. All in due time![flowplayer src=”https://www.callmecupcake.se/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cinemamocha4.mp4″ autoplay=”true” loop=”true” ratio=”1.778″ width=”980″]

WHITE CHOCOLATE MOCHA

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk, 3%
  • Orange peel from 1/2 orange
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract)
  • 50 g good quality white chocolate, chopped
  • 2 shots of espresso (80ml / 1/3 cup)
  • Whipped cream, to top
  • Cocoa powder, to dust
  • Orange zest, to top

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add milk, orange peel and cinnamon to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer, whisking constantly. Put a lid on the saucepan and set aside for a few minutes.
  2. Stir in vanilla and white chocolate and whisk until completely melted. Reheat mixture if needed. Discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
  3. Pour one espresso into each cup, then top with the milk mixture, whipped cream, cocoa powder and orange zest.

[flowplayer src=”https://www.callmecupcake.se/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cinemamochany.mp4″ autoplay=”true” loop=”true” ratio=”1.778″ width=”980″]

Crème brûlée cupcakes

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Crème brûlée cupcakes
Crème brûlée is definitely one of my favorite desserts. I know I say that about everything but crème brûlée is just so simple, yet so ingenious. First I thought maybe I was going to butcher a classic by mixing cupcakes and crème brûlée, but after tasting, I can safely say that isn’t the case. Definitely not. However, I do wish that the light had stayed a little longer. I was able to shoot for 10 minutes before I had to crank my ISO all the way up to 4000. Yikes. So frustrating! hence the lack of photos. Spring and summer can’t come fast enough, even if I do enjoy the coziness of this season.. On another note, I used the orange rum vanilla sugar from my previous post for sprinkling and it gives just the right amount of extra flavor to that crispy, caramellized topping. So good!

So this might be my last post of the year. We’ll see. If it is, I’d like to wish you a all Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! These cupcakes are kind of perfect for both Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I know I’ll be making them!

Crème brûlée cupcakes
Crème brûlée cupcakes
Crème brûlée cupcakes
Crème brûlée cupcakes

Crème brûlée cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

The fluffy inside of these vanilla cupcakes goes perfectly with the creamy and crunchy topping. Also, you need a kitchen torch for this recipe!

INGREDIENTS

VANILLA CUPCAKES

  • 100 g (1 scant stick) butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 140 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
  • 120 g (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 tbsp milk or half & half

CRÈME BRÛLÉE TOPPING

  • 300 mL (1 1/4 cups) heavy cream
  • 135 mL (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) milk
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 55 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • Demerara sugar, for sprinkling on top

INSTRUCTIONS

VANILLA CUPCAKES

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
  2. Prepare a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
  3. Melt butter and let it cool.
  4. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until very light in color and texture, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add melted butter and milk and stir very gently until batter is smooth.
  6. Divide the batter among the liners, filling no more than 2/3 full (you might have enough batter to make another cupcake).
  7. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely.

CRÈME BRÛLÉE TOPPING

  1. Prepare a cold water-/ice bath in a large baking dish or the kitchen sink. Combine cream and milk in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add seeds and bean to the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat.
  2. Whisk together the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream mixture over the egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Remove the vanilla bean.
  3. Return mixture to the saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. It should become quite thick, almost like softened whipped butter (if you think it feels too loose, keep going for a few more minutes). Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Put the saucepan in the water bath, stirring often until it custard is completely cool. Transfer the custard to a bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to avoid a skin from forming and store in the fridge until thickened. The custard should hold its shape fairly well on the cupcakes but will still be on the soft side.
  4. Spread or pipe custard onto the cupcake bases. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and burn with a kitchen torch (make sure not to burn the  paper liner!). Sprinkle another layer of demerara sugar on top and burn again. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve!

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Edible gifts – flavored sugar

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Edible gifts - flavored sugar
I’ve tried making flavored sugar before but was always annoyed with how it would turn into one huge, rock hard clump within just a few hours. And shelf life was.. not too great. So I tried drying it in a hot oven before putting it in a jar. Success! And that smell.. oh my! I can’t say anything about shelf life yet but I’m sure it’ll be ok for a few months. I’m pretty sure I’ll use it before that.
I’m so excited to use these sugars to make pink meringue (no artificial coloring!), to top my pies and crème brûlée, sugar cookies, for drinks or ice cream or to top fresh fruit. They’d be perfect for just about anything sweet I guess. I’d also like to try mint sugar, and ginger!

If you want more tips on edible gifts you can make a few days before christmas, check out my DIY – Edible gifts in jars post from a couple of years ago. It includes a lot of nice gifts such as brownie mix, oatmeal cookie mix, hazelnut chocolate spread, herb salt, chai latte spice mix and cinnamon granola.

Edible gifts - flavored sugarEdible gifts - flavored sugarEdible gifts - flavored sugar
Edible gifts - flavored sugar
Edible gifts - flavored sugarEdible gifts - flavored sugar

Blueberry vanilla sugar

Yields 1 cup sugar

This sugar doesn’t taste a whole lot like blueberry, but it does taste a lot like vanilla! It also looks pretty, and it’s perfect to be able to make pink sugar without using a bunch of artificial ingredients. Lime or lemon zest would also make a great addition to this sugar.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tsp. freeze dried blueberry powder
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 225 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla bean powder

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 75°C (170°F).
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the blueberry powder and lemon juice and stir until a paste forms. Add the sugar and vanilla and stir with a spoon until the sugar is evenly pink.
  3. Spread sugar on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
  4. Dry the sugar in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes, stirring every now and then.
  5. Let cool completely, then put sugar in a mortar and pestle to break up any large clumps. Store sugar in an air tight container.

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Lemon herb sugar

Yields 1 cup sugar

I used rosemary and basil, which was what I had at home. Thyme or mint would also be delicious!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp fresh herbs
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • finely grated zest from 2 small lemons
  • 225 g (1 cup) granulated sugar

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 75°C (170°F).
  2. Put the herbs in a mortar and pestle together with 2 tbsp of the granulated sugar and grind until herbs are finely ground. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and the rest of the sugar and stir with a spoon until everything is well mixed.
  3. Spread sugar on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
  4. Dry the sugar in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes, stirring every now and then.
  5. Let cool completely, then put sugar in a clean and dry mortar and pestle to break up any large clumps. Store sugar in an air tight container.

Orange rum vanilla sugar

Yields 1 cup sugar

The rum adds a very nice taste to this sugar, but if you don’t wish to use alcohol you can use more orange juice in place of it.

INGREDIENTS

  • 225 g (1 cup) demerara sugar
  • finely grated zest from 2 oranges
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • 1 tsp. orange juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp. dark rum

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 75°C (170°F).
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients.
  3. Spread sugar on a baking sheet covered with baking paper.
  4. Dry the sugar in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes, stirring every now and then.
  5. Let sugar cool completely, then put sugar in a mortar and pestle to break up any large clumps. Store sugar in an air tight container.

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