Strawberry Dots!

Well here it is...finally a delicious Fresh Strawberry Cupcake and it's another small batch recipe too! And they were so good! And I used fresh basil in the frosting...yummy!!

Well actually, this is my 2nd batch of this particular cupcake. With my first batch...well I wanted to taste just one and ended up eating all of them, sans frosting, just because they were so good. I know this sort of defeats the purpose of small batches but I like to bake so I just whipped up another batch.



Strawberry Dots
Recipe adapted from "Small Batch Baking" by Debby Maugans Nakos

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Yolk of 1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large fresh strawberries, diced into 1/4"by1/4" pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 5 muffin cups with baking cups and set aside.

Combine the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Add egg yolk and vanilla and again whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat with a hand-held mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients are blended. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is slightly increased in volume, about 45 seconds, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended, 20 seconds. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With a very sharp knife, slice the strawberries into 1/4" slices and then dice into pieces about 1/4" by 1/4". It is important to not squeeze the berries because you do not want any extra juice in the batter. Very gently fold diced strawberries into batter.

Spoon the batter evenly into the 5 baking cups. Put a little bit of water in the rest of the empty cups in your Cupcake Tin to prevent the cupcakes from scorching. Bake the cupcakes until a tester comes out clean, about 20 to 23 minutes.

Remove from the oven and as soon as you can remove the cupcakes from the pan and let them thoroughly cool on a cooling rack.



Strawberry Dots Basil Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 large fresh basil leaves, minced
3 large fresh strawberries, sliced and diced into 1/4" pieces

Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until blended, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and basil and continue mixing until sugar is completely blended.

Place cream frosting in a piping bag fitted with the tip of choice and decorate the cupcakes.

With a sharp knife slice strawberries into 1/4" slices and then dice into 1/4" pieces. Gently place diced strawberry on and into the frosting, careful to distribute the pieces evenly.



Dear sweet Zorra, now living in Spain, is homesick for Switzerland and is hosting an event, Red, White or Swiss, to celebrate Swiss National Day which is Aug 1st. I dated a gentleman once that was born in Switzerland so I do have a tie to Switzerland although only a teeny weeny one. :) Anyways my red, white and delicious Strawberry Dots are my entry!





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