Almond Cherry Italian Meringue Cupcakes


Wow how I have tried to get time to sit down and type this post.. These cupcakes were made over a week ago but I have been so busy doing a million things.. 

¡Guau! He intentado conseguir el tiempo para sentarme y escribir este post .. Estos cupcakes fueron hechos hace más de una semana, pero he estado tan ocupada haciendo un millón de cosas ..

..that I just didn´t manage to get the time to do this.. Give me some more hours in a day please!

..simplemente no pude obtener el tiempo para hacer esto .. ¡denme algunas horas más al día por favor!


If you´ve never eaten the flavour combo of almond and cherry, please do.. it´s like they were meant to be.. then top it off with toasted Italian Meringue and you´re in flavour HEAVEN!

Si nunca has probado la combinación de los sabores de la almendra y la cereza, por favor, pruébalo .. Parece que estaban destinados a estar el uno con el otro .. y por si fuera poco con merengue italiano tostado obtienes un sabor CELESTIAL!


ALMOND CHERRY ITALIAN MERINGUE
CUPCAKES

¡Clic aquí para ver/imprimir la receta en Español!


Cupcakes:
Ingredients:
(makes 8-9 cupcakes)

  • ¼ cup of sunflower oil
  • 100g of granulated white sugar
  • few drops of almond extract ( I used 6 drops but it depends on the potency of the one you use, test first)
  • 2 L eggs at room temperature
  • 100g sifted white flour
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

Method:
Pre-heat your oven at 175ºC. Prepare your cupcake tray with your liners. Sift your dry ingredients together and leave to the side. Blend your oil and sugar together for about 3-4 minutes, add your eggs 1 x 1 and then your almond essence. Now slowly add your dry ingredients and only mix until all the ingredients are incorporated well. Don´t overmix! Use an ice cream scoop to fill your liners ⅔ of the way. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in the tray for 5 minutes and then remove and let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Cherry Preserve:

Wash and un-pit about 2 cups of cherries, add to a heavy bottom saucepan with ½ cup of white granulated sugar on medium to high heat, stirring continuously. When the liquid has reduced, empty some of it (liquid only) in a cup and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, mix well (make sure there are no lumps) then add to the cherry mixture on the stove, reduce the heat and continue to mix until then preserve is nice and thick. Remove from the heat entirely and let cool at room temperature. When cool, you can put it in a jar and let cool overnight in the fridge.

Italian Meringue:
Ingredients:
  • ⅓ cup of white granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 L egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1&½ tablespoon granulated white sugar

Method:
In a heavy bottom saucepan, add ⅓ cup of sugar and water and stir to wet the sugar. Once mixed do not stir anymore, you can swirl occasionally but no stirring. Heat the sugar and water on medium-high heat. Dip pastry brush in cold water and wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pot. At the same time start whisking your egg whites in a grease-free mixing bowl (not plastic) on medium-low until they start to foam, once foaming add the cream of tartar and salt and increase the speed to medium-high. When soft peaks form slowly add 1 & ½ tablespoons of sugar. Continue whipping until glossy. During this process check on your sugar syrup, when it has thickened and thick bubbles have become larger and pop open slower, just before the mixture turns brown your syrup is ready. This is the firm ball stage. If you don´t have a sugar thermometer you can test to see if it is ready by dropping a small bit of the syrup into a glass of cold water, it will form into a ball. When you squeeze the ball between your fingertips it will feel firm and you will know it is ready. Slowly pour the syrup onto the glossy egg whites in a thin steady stream with your mixture on low, be careful not to pour on the whisk or sides of the bowl. Continue to beat on high until the bowl is cold. This could take several minutes.

Assembly:
When your cupcakes have cooled, use an apple core to remove part of the centre and fill them with the cooled cherry preserve and top them with the Italian Meringue (I used a 1M Wilton open star tip to pipe mine). Sprinkle them with some flaked almonds and place them under the pre-heated grill/broiler until they have toasted golden brown (this takes very quickly so be sure not to leave the oven at this time, but rather check your cupcakes closely).




I love this recipe because it only yields 8 or 9 cupcakes which means you can easily serve them as dessert without having leftovers which you probably will eat and then feel guilty and to make up for the guilt you take another one.. sound familiar? Of course I´m not talking of myself.. ;-)

Me encanta esta receta, ya que sólo se obtienen 8 ó 9 cupcakes lo que significa que se puede servir fácilmente como postre sin que sobre nada, las cuales, probablemente te comerías para luego sentirte culpable y para compensar la culpa cogerías otra .. ¿Suena familiar? Por supuesto que no estoy hablando de mí misma ..;-)


So now I feel like I accomplished something and I can tackle the other million things on my list.. I also have my daugther´s 16th birthday party this week.. I need to create a dessert table with a summer pool/beach party theme.. Any ideas? :-) Until next time guys.. same place.. thanks for reading me! xoxo

Así que ahora siento como que he logrado algo y puedo hacer frente a los otros millones de cosas que hay en mi lista .. También tengo la fiesta de cumpleaños de mi hija (16 años) esta semana.. tengo que hacer una mesa de postres con el tema: fiesta de verano en la piscina/playa .. ¿Alguna idea? :-) Hasta la próxima vez chic@s .. en el mismo lugar .. gracias por leerme! xoxo



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