Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes w/- Rosewater Pistacio Brittle

Apparently my best efforts yet according to official cupcake taster and all round sweet tooth Murdoch. I'm not sure if that's because he helped me make them and just wants to blow smoke up his own arse but I'm going to take the compliment and run with it anyway.


This is the first time I've been successful making brittle that was actually, well brittle. Granted I've only tried a couple of times before but I've managed to make a soft, runny toffee-esque version and a burnt mass of ass. Turns out it's really not so hard to make, I'm just not the kitchen master I thought I was.

Anyway, point being if I can do it you can too, so whip out your apron and mixer and get to cooking. You only live once and sugar is king!

Lemon Pistachio Cupcakes w/- Rosewater Pistachio Brittle (makes 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1/8 cup cornflour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• 30-40 whole pistachio nuts, shelled.
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line tray with papers.
2. In a medium bowl mix together soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Place aside to curdle.
3. In another medium bowl sift together plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. To the soy milk mixture add the canola oil, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon extract. Beat until foamy.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until no large lumps remain.
6. Add lime zest and pistachios and mix until combined.
7. Fill papers to about 2/3 full. Take note that each cupcake is getting a few of the nuts.
8. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched with a finger.
9. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10mins then remove from pan to completely cool.

Lemon "Butter"cream

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup copha
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped

Method

1. Cream together copha and margarine.
2. Add 1/2 cup of icing sugar, beating the whole time and then a splash of lemon juice. Do this until all the icing sugar and juice is gone.
3. Add vanilla extract and beat for a further 3 or so minutes.

Rosewater Pistachio Brittle

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp rosewater
• 1 tbsp margarine
• couple of handfuls of coarsely chopped pistachios (really doesn't matter how many you use, depends how you like your brittle)

Method

1. Place sugar in a medium heavy bottom saucepan and cook over a medium heat for about 5 mins or until sugar dissolves and is a nice golden brown colour.
2. Add rosewater, stir through and remove from heat.
3. Add margarine and pistachios and stir to coat.
   
4. Pour and spread over a baking tray to cool. (You can line it with some baking paper but I found the margarine made it really non-stick so I'm not even sure it's necessary.)
5. Leave for about 20mins to cool and harden then break into shards.
6. Eat half the brittle before it even makes it onto a cupcake.

Pipe your icing onto cool cupcakes and top with a few shards of brittle. I sprinkled a heap of lavender coloured sugar over my brittle while it was still cooling and it ended up looking really pretty also.


**Note** Liquid sugar is beyond hot and sticky as all f***. If you get it on yourself it will mean a serious burn so make sure when preparing the brittle it has your complete and utter attention. Now, I have the awareness of a small child full of pixie sticks, whiz fizz and cordial but even I managed not to scald myself so turn off the TV, stop yelling at the kids and for Lucifer's sake put on some pants! Everyone knows genitals hate molten lava sugar!