Saturday, March 22, 2008

accidents that don’t wait to happen

a conversation
a moving of mouths
a pause at every period
or a period of pause

If you inhabit the same
rabbit
hole

by Cristina Paul

Friday, March 21, 2008

Chamomile Coconut Cupcakes (C times 3)


Makes about 20 cuppy cakes, cuppy cakes baker's man...

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp of chamomile tea divided (cut open a good quality teabag or crush loose leaf tea with a mortar and pestle)
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt divided
1 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
3 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract divided
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup baker's sugar or superfine sugar
1 3/4 cup sweetened coconut plus extra for decoration
1/2 pound of cream cheese
5 Tbsp butter
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 325. Allow eggs, buttermilk, butter and cream cheese to come to room temp. In large bowl, stir together all flour, 1 Tbsp of chamomile, baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt.
2. Beat oil, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and sugars on medium-high speed in an electric mixer until well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the buttermilk mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined. Don't overmix! Now gently fold in the coconut.
4. Pour batter into muffin cups in cupcake pans. Muffin cups should be 3/4 full. Bake for about 25 minutes. Cupcakes should spring back to the touch. Cool cupcakes in cupcake pans. Cool completely before frosting.

For frosting:Beat softened cream cheese on medium-high until smooth. Then beat in butter. Add chamomile, salt, vanilla, and slowly add powdered sugar. Use about 3 Tbsp of frosting on each cupcake and top with a sprinkling of coconut.

Created by Cristina

Sunday, March 16, 2008