Test Kitchen

It's been a while, a long while in fact, since I wrote on here.  So much has happened in that time.  Our renovations are I think, almost, finally finished.  Well at least the building side of things.  It would seem that there are lots and lots of things that we are going to be working on for what I would imagine years to come.  But the super exciting news is I have a second toilet and shower for the first time in forever and as of today I have a new bathroom door on our old bathroom that also has a lock!  It's the little things that make me happy but to have two working toilets with two locking doors is simply amazing!

The man of the house is still doing drive in, drive out and we are still working through this, some days are better than others, which means some weeks work better than others.  Overall I think we are making the best of the situation and we will make this work for however long it continues.

But back to the title test kitchen.  Some of you may know that I have been selling Your Inspiration At Home  products, this is a wonderful range of spices, vinegars, evoo, chocolate powders, teas and coffee (just to name a few.)

I have over the last few months been creating treats each week for my hairdresser for their clients at the wonderful day spa salon I go to.

I thought I would mix things up and step outside the normal range of taste sensations that I have been creating with the wonderful YIAH  chocolate powders.  This week I decided to infuse milk with the Marsala Chai tea and use that in the cakes I created, I was sure it would work but would everyone like it was the real questions.  Turns out that the answer was overwhelmingly yes!  

Here is the recipe and some photos from the Marsala Chai test kitchen.  

Basic Cupcake

Recipe

200g Gluten Free Flour

20g Corn Flour*

160g Caster Sugar

15g Baking Powder*

110g soft butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Infuse 1 cup of milk with 4 tblsp Marsala Chai tea for at least 12hrs (in the fridge) when that is done strain the tea from the milk and set aside to use. 

Preheat oven to 175C

Sift flour, cornflour, baking powder into a mixing bowl on a low speed mix well 

Add butter and mix well on low speed until the butter is covered in flour

Add 1 egg at a time mix well between each addition, then add vanilla 

When the eggs are combined into the flour and butter mixture, add 1/2 cup plus 2 tblsp of infused milk mix well on a low speed, turn up to a medium speed and beat for approx 2mins until well combined and mixture looks light and fluffy. 

Divide evenly between 24 muffin trays (using a 6cm ice cream scoop you will get approx 24 evenly sized cupcakes, using a tupperware melon baller you will get approx 72 mini cupcakes)

Bake in pre-heated oven for between 15-17mins

Icing 

400g Icing Sugar 

150g butter soft

40g milk (I used the left over marsala chai infused milk)

Beat all ingredients together well.  Pipe onto the cooled cakes using a rose tip and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. 

This exercise got me to thinking there are lots of amazing flavours in the YIAH range, would they also work as cupcakes?  And so the test kitchen happened.  With another friend we trialled Raspberry Mojito, Maple Bourbon Balsamic, & Choc Raspberry Truffle Red Velvet cupcakes.  

Here's a photo from the test kitchen (not nearly as pretty as the cakes I created earlier in the week but certainly just as yummy!)  The biggest decision will be working out which flavours to make for the gluten free guests at an upcoming family 21st!