Raspberry White Chocolate Financiers

About a month a go I've decided that I'll start taking of myself, of my body and of my soul. So I signed up at the gym, tiring of looking at myself in the mirror and not liking what I see. Now when I bake I reduce the recipe at least by half so I'm not stuck with a 2 dozens cupcakes to eat on my own... but one a week or so can't hurt too much right?!

Anyway at the gym they made me pass some tests that determine your real physical age as opposed to your biological age. It turns out I'm a 26 year old in the body of a 62 year old (a really out of shape one, I'm sure about it), my BMI is at 40% but, there's always a silver lining however small it might be, apparently my abs are really strong... somewhere under all the belly fat!

So I've been working out and, to put all odds on my side, tomorrow I'm starting a new diet. Surprisingly I really like being in the gym!! Granted I busted my BOTH my ankles after the first week but I'm assuming it's because my body isn't used to all that movement! So my goal is to lose at least 30 lbs by August... 10 lbs a month, I should be able to do that! I'll weigh myself only once a month, on the lasy day and I'll keep you posted!

But for now, I'll share with you this delicious recipe. Delicate, delicious, small cakes with white chocolate and raspberries, these financiers are supre quick to put together but are of major wow factor.



Raspberry White Chocolate Financiers
Adapted from The Golden Book of Chocolate
Yields about 48

1 cup ground almonds
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup butter, melted (I turned it into beurre noisette, as traditional fianciers require)
6 egg whites, lighly beaten
1/2 frozen raspberries
2 oz white chocolate, finely chopped


To make beurre noisette cut the butter in small pieces and melt over low/medium heat. The butter will start to boil, let it go until it becomes of a dark amber color and starts smelling like toasted hazelnuts. Immediately remove from heat and pour in a glass recipient to stop the cooking process, let cool. If you don't want to do a beurre noisette just melt the butter normally but go noisette, you won't regret it!

Preheat the oven to 350F and oil 24 mini oval pans (which i don't have so I just PAMed some muffin tins). Place the almonds, confectioner's sugar, flour and baking powder in a large bowl.

Pour in the cooled beurre noisette and mix until combined. Add the egg whites and mix until smooth and well incorporated. Spoon the batter in the prepared pans so that they are about half full. Push a few raspebbies on top of each financiers and spinkle with the chopped white chocolate (I mixed the chocolate in the batter right before spooning it in the pans so I can have some in every bite!).

Bake until golden and firm but still moist in the center, about 10-12 minutes (Mine took a little longer I guess because more batter goes into the muffin pans). Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool.

October DB Challenge: French Macarons

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Who ever said that third time is a charm? Well they were fools! Or at least this concept doesn't apply to macarons because, in my case, it took me 4 tries before getting good looking macarons, with the little ruffled feet and a nice height and dry bottoms... no bellies left behind on the baking tray!! Yaaaa!!

First batch are chocolate macarons with a whipped chocolate ganache and a few with chatilly cream and a fresh raspberry half hidden inside. The feet are a little tiny and tops cracked on half of the batch but I "fixed" the problem with my second batch.



Second batch are pink macarons with raspberry curd, smooth shiny tops and beautifully ruffled feet. Since October is Breast Cancer Awarness month, I wanted to go with the pink theme. I didn't have powder food coloring for the shells. I had only gel coloring, which explains the pink freckles... totally unintentional but sooo cute!!



Those who know me well also know that I've been "studying" the art of macaron making for about a year now but never really had the courage to try my luck. I've read everything that I could find on macaron but yet always left them on my "to bake list".

It is hard to believe that something created out of 4 normal ingredients could be so hard to get and to be honest with you I'm scared of trying again... what if I got them right out of pure coincedence? I'd like to think that I actually was able to muster enough self-confidence to not let the macaron overpower me, so to all of you out there who are still trying to bake macarons DO NOT give up! Keep on going until you get it right because it is oh so worth it!


Now I know what all the rave was about... Now I am a new macaron lover!

Summer Breeze Cupcakes (ICE June: Summer Berries)

I'm baaaaaack!!!

I haven't submitted a cupcake for the ICE Challenges since a while, I never seemed to be inspired by the ingredients... until this month! I absolutely adore summer berries and my inspiration juices came back!

When summer comes around I usually eat less and try to stay as light as possibile. Not because of the whole "fit-in-your-bikini" story but it just happens on its own, I lose my appetite for heavy, fatty, greasy stuff. On the other hand, I crave fresh food, especially fruits. This got reflected in my cupcakes this month: sorry guys, no buttercreams and no chocolate this month!

Instead I propose light as feather meringues, tangy lemon, crunchy almonds and fresh berries!



These are almond cupcakes with a center of lemon curd cream and freash strawberry or raspberry. The are topped with a super delishously sweet meringue.



If you liked my cupcakes, please vote for me!! To cast your vote go to No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner!! Voting starts on June 28th at 8pm and ends on July 6th at noon.

RECIPE FOR 12 CUPCAKES:

Almond cupcakes (from Canadian Living)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in almond extract.

In separate bowl, whisk together flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Stir into butter mixture alternately with milk, making 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of milk. Spoon into paper-lined or greased muffin cups.

Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool.


Lemond Curd Cream (from Tartelette)
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
fresh rapsberries and strawberries

Combine the zest, sugar, juice in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, beat the eggs until light. Beat some of the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper.

Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly until it thickens up, about 5 minutes. Strain and let it cool to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.

In a stand mixer, whip the cream to medium stiff peaks. Incorporate the cooled lemon curd in three additions. Cut the cupcakes in two layers, remove some cake from the center of each layer. On the bottom spoon some cream, put a berry, spoon some cream in the top layer and recompose the cupcake.


Meringue tops
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp white vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 175ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites and vinegar with an electric mixer until they turn white and hold soft peaks. Still beating, add the granulated sugar a little at a time—you’ll have a shiny, bright-white meringue. Keep beating, gradually adding the powdered sugar. Pipe (or spoon for a more rustic look) the sticky meringue onto the baking sheet.

Bake until you can easily detach the meringue puffs from the parchment and they have lost their shine.



Our June ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists: INSANEJELLYFISH, SWEET CUPPIN CAKES CUPCAKERY SUPPLY and CAKESPY

Our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, JESSIE STEELE APRONS , TASTE OF HOME books and UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM will be providing our winner with one of their cute cupcake attitue t's!