Rose and white chocolate cupcakes

One of my favourite past times is baking. I have far too many gorgeously bound cookbooks that reveal a plethora of cupcake, biscuit, macaron, tart and cake recipes... you name it and I probably have a recipe for it somewhere hidden on my bookshelf. Apart from the fact that I could very happily flick through my many cookbooks without actually baking anything and remain more than content, my love affair with baking is mainly due to the fact of how calming it can be. When I am particularly stressed out I look no further than the kitchen. The act of creating something that will not only be enjoyed by all but is also aesthetically beautiful helps me to focus and not think about everyday worries for awhile.

I think this quote by Xanthe Milton (author of one of my favourite books Eat Me!) sums up all the reasons as to why baking, for me, is so important and special."Few things in life give you as much satisfaction for so little effort. There is something so joyful about taking a batch of cupcakes from the oven and smelling their warm, heady aroma. It is ridiculously pleasing to see how a batter prepared from everyday ingredients rises to such exemplary proportions, bringing gasps of admiration from all who see the results... There is nothing quite like a freshly baked cookie or cupcake to bring a sense of comfort, belonging and completeness".

And so, I wanted to present to you a recipe for some cupcakes I baked recently. I experimented a little and was quite pleased with the results. Let me know if you would like more recipe posts from me! As you can probably tell, it is something I get really excited and passionate about!

batter adapted from Katiecakes
125 ml milk

4 Dilmah Rose and French Vanilla tea bags (I added a dash of rose water too for good measure)
110g unsalted butter
225g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
125g self-rising flour
120g plain flour

White Chocolate Ganache

2 X 180g packets white cooking chocolate, chopped

125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream

2-3 drops pink food colouring 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c/ gas mark 4.  Line a 12 hole muffin tray with cupcake cases.  

Heat milk in a saucepan over a medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add teabags. Cover with a lid for about 30 minutes.

Cream butter with sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and smooth. I found this took quite a long time because of the quantity of sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Scrape bowl with a spatula to make sure that the mixture is well combined.

Combine the flours in a separate bowl. Add a third of the flour to the butter and sugar mixture and beat well. Pour in a third of the milk/tea mixture and beat. Repeat until all the flour and milk has been added.

Carefully spoon mixture into cupcake cases, filling each one two-thirds full.  Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. Test to see if they are cooked. Leave in tins for 10 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool.

To make the white chocolate ganache, place the chocolate and cream in a medium heatproof bowl over a medium saucepan half-filled with simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water). Use a metal spoon to stir occasionally until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Place in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until ganache is spreadable. Add the pink food colouring and stir until well combined. Use a round-bladed knife to spread cupcakes evenly with ganache. Sprinkle with cachous to decorate, or sugared rose petals.