(for the brownie cupcakes)

 ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces

1¼ cups sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

(for the frosting)

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

2.3 oz. vanilla pudding mix

3 T powdered sugar

(for the topping & filling)

strawberries & confetti

[how to make]

(for the brownie cupcakes) 

*Preheat oven to 325°F. Line mini-mufflin tin with paper cups.

*Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let cool slightly.

* Whisk sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl to combine. 

*Pour butter in a steady stream into dry ingredients, whisking constantly to blend. 

*Whisk in vanilla. 

*Add eggs one at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition.

* Add flour and stir until just combined (do not overmix). 

*Scrape batter into prepared pan.

*Bake until top begins to crack and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes.

*Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely in pan. 

(for the frosting)

*Pour the heavy cream to a cold mixing bowl.

*Using a mixer, whip cream for a few minutes until soft peaks form.

*Add the powdered sugar and continue to mix on high.

*Just before getting solid peaks, add the pudding mix.

*Lower to a slow speed and  continue to mix.　

*When the frosting starts coming together, stop the mixer.

(for the assembly)

.*Put the frosting into the decorating bag with a metal tip.

*Place one small strawberry on each cupcake and pipe frosting around it to form a tree shape.

*Decorate the frosting tree with your favorite confetti.

-makes 16-

Note: The brownie recipe comes from  "The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen".

Labels: brownie recipe, Christmas dessert recipe, cupcake recipe

250g butter

250g white chocolate, chopped

4 eggs

250g superfine sugar

90g dark brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 t vanilla extract

250g all purpose flour, sifted

300g cream cheese

2 T egg yolks

400g raspberries

3 graham crackers

[how to make]

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

*Grease a 35cm(14") X 25cm(10") deep baking pan, then line it with baking parchment.

*Melt the butter in a pan over a gentl heat.

*Remove from the heat and add the white chocolate to the butter and stir occasionally, so that the white chocolate melts.

*Whisk together in a bowl the eggs and the caster sugar and brown sugar with the salt and vanilla until the mixture is thick and creamy and the mixture has doubled in size.

*Fold in the flour and the chocolate mixtuer and then pour the batter into the prepared tin.

*In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, icing sugar and egg yolks until smooth.

*Sprinkle the raspberries over the top of the blondie mixture and then place spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture between the raspberries.

*Crush the graham crackers into small pieces with your hands and sprinkle over the raspberries and cream cheese.

*Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin completely.

*Remove the lining paper and cut the blondies into 24 squares to serve.

(Store in an airtight container to up to 3 days.)

-makes 24-

Note: I used the recipe from "The Perfect Afternoon Tea Recipe Book".

Labels: bar cookie recipe, blondies recipe