Time for some desserts! I don't know how it happened, but I have a backlog of photos and recipes of desserts I've made. They all meet the two main criteria for a good dessert - tasty and pretty. I'll start with these angel food cupcakes, which were good, but I learned that I should have followed the angel food cake rules, no paper liners, flip the pan upside down as they cool. Even though they sunk a lot during the cooling process, they were still pretty great!
(Inspired By: Food & Wine)
Makes 18 Cupcakes
Total time: Approximately one hour
Ingredients
1/2 pound strawberries, washed and sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons of water
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
10 large egg whites (1 1/4 cups), at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 plump vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Whipped cream and strawberries for topping
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries with the granulated sugar and cook over moderately high heat, crushing the berries, until very soft and broken down, about 5 minutes.
Strain the puree into a small bowl and discard the seeds. Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the dissolved cornstarch and bring to a boil. Cook, until the filling is glossy and thickened, about 3 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325°. Set 18 foil muffin cups on a rimmed baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine the cake flour with the confectioners’ sugar.
In a large bowl, combine the egg whites with the salt, vanilla seeds and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.
Gradually beat in the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the whites are firm and glossy. Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites in 2 additions, folding gently until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.
Using a teaspoon, spoon 1 teaspoon of strawberry puree into each muffin cup.
Using a toothpick, swirl puree into the batter. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, shifting the pan from front to back, until the cupcakes are springy and golden. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool.
Transfer the cupcakes to a platter and serve topped with whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries.
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