remove the pan from the heat and mix 4–5 tablespoons with the egg and flour paste, then pour this back into the pan with the remaining hot milk and return to the heat.
10. Bring back up to the boil, whisking constantly, and continue to boil for a further 3–4 minutes to ensure the flour and cornflour are fully cooked. However, be careful not to overcook or the eggs may begin to scramble. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the custard into a baking tray. Cover at once with cling film and set aside to cool completely.
11. In a food processor, blend the whole chocolate cookies (and filling, if they have one) until they form fine crumbs.
12. To finish the custard, pour the double cream into a medium bowl. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Place the cooled custard into a medium bowl. With the mixer or whisk on a slow speed, mix the custard until it is smooth. Using a spatula, gradually fold the whipped cream into the custard.
13. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a sharp knife to make a hollow in the centre of each cupcake, approximately 2cm (¾in) in diameter and about 3cm (1¼in) deep. Retain the cut-out piece of sponge. Spoon about 1–2 teaspoons of the mint filling into the hollow. Replace the cut-out piece of sponge, trimming to fit and pressing down gently to ensure that the top is level with the rest of the cake.
14. Spoon generous amounts of the custard onto each cupcake, then gently smooth over with a palette knife, making a swirl at the top if you wish. Top each cupcake with a sprinkling of the chocolate cookie crumbs.
Eton Mess Cupcakes
This quintessentially British pudding turned into a cupcake is part of our popular summer desserts range. Make sure you eat these soon after decorating so that the meringue stays crisp on top.
MAKES 12-16 CUPCAKES
FOR THE SPONGE
70g (2½oz) UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
210g (7½oz) PLAIN FLOUR
250g (9oz) CASTER SUGAR
1 tbsp BAKING POWDER
½tsp SALT
210ml (7½fl oz) WHOLE MILK
2 LARGE EGGS
1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
FOR THE CUSTARD
330ml (11½oz) WHOLE MILK
3 LARGE EGG YOLKS
60g (2oz) CASTER SUGAR
20g (¾oz) PLAIN FLOUR
20g (¾oz) CORNFLOUR
150ml (5½fl oz) DOUBLE CREAM
FOR THE DECORATION
125g (4½oz) STRAWBERRIES, CUT INTO ROUGH PIECES
50g (1¾oz) SHOP-BOUGHT OR READY-MADE MERINGUE, CRUSHED INTO ROUGH PIECES
EQUIPMENT
ONE OR TWO 12-HOLE DEEP MUFFIN TINS
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3, and line the muffin tins with paper muffin cases to make the number you require.
2. First make the sponge. In a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, mix the butter, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together until they form a crumb-like consistency.
3. In a separate jug, mix together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract by hand.
4. With the mixer or whisk on a slow speed, slowly pour half of the liquid into the crumb mixture and mix thoroughly until combined. Turn up the speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth and thick with no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. Once any lumps have been beaten out, reduce the speed and gradually add the remaining liquid from the jug, continuing to mix until the batter is smooth and combined once more.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared paper cases, filling them two-thirds full. Using a 50ml (1¾fl oz) ice-cream scoop can make this process easier and will result in even cupcakes.
6. Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes or until golden brown and the sponge bounces back when lightly touched. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin and placing on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, make the custard for the topping. Place the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste, adding 1 tablespoon of the hot milk to thin if necessary.
8. When the milk has boiled, remove the pan from the heat and mix 4–5 tablespoons with the egg and flour paste, then pour this back into the pan with the remaining hot milk and return to the heat. Bring back up to the boil, whisking constantly, and continue to boil for a further 3–4 minutes to ensure the flour and cornflour are fully cooked. However, be careful not to overcook or the eggs may begin to scramble. Remove from the heat and immediately pour the custard into a baking tray. Cover directly with cling film and set aside to cool completely.
9. To finish the custard, pour the double cream into a medium bowl. Using the freestanding electric mixer with the whisk attachment or the hand-held electric whisk, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Place the cooled custard into a medium bowl. With the mixer or whisk on a slow speed, mix the custard until it is smooth. Using a spatula, gradually fold the whipped cream into the custard.
10. Once the cupcakes are cool, use a sharp knife to make a hollow in the centre of each cupcake, approximately 2cm (¾in) in diameter and about 3cm (1¼in) deep. Retain the cut-out piece of sponge. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the chopped strawberries into the hollow. Replace the cut-out piece of sponge, trimming to fit and pressing down gently to ensure that the top is level with the rest of the cake.
11. Spoon generous amounts of the custard onto each cupcake, then gently smooth over with a palette knife, making a swirl at the top if you wish. Top each cupcake with some chopped strawberry pieces and a generous sprinkling of crushed meringue.
Crème Brûlée Cupcakes
A classic French dessert given the American cupcake treatment. Sprinkle a generous amount of demerara sugar over the custard before ‘burning’ the sugar to create the classic crunchy brûlée topping. This recipe required a cook’s blowtorch – make sure you read the instructions and do be careful if you’ve not used one before.
MAKES 12-16 CUPCAKES
FOR THE CUSTARD
330ml (11½fl oz) WHOLE MILK
3 LARGE EGG YOLKS
60g (2oz) CASTER SUGAR
20g (¾oz) PLAIN FLOUR
20g (¾oz) CORNFLOUR
FOR THE SPONGE
70g (2½oz) UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
210g (7½oz) PLAIN FLOUR
250g (9oz) CASTER SUGAR
1 tbsp BAKING POWDER
½ tsp SALT
210ML (7½fl oz) WHOLE MILK
2 LARGE EGGS
1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
FOR THE DECORATION
150g (5½oz) DEMERARA SUGAR
EQUIPMENT
ONE OR TWO 12-HOLE DEEP MUFFIN TINS
COOK’S BLOWTORCH
1. To make the custard, place the milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour