January 29, 2007
Postcards Around the World #2
I really wanted to make a postcard for my secret Postcards Around the World penpal...not only to use my hordes of craft supplies, but because I wanted that v-day love to shine through. I am a craft junkie. I have collections of paper that date back 10 years. I finally threw away a glue stick that had probably dried out 5 years ago (does anyone else think that glue sticks smell like Fritos??). I spent an afternoon digging out any possible supply I could use.
So you know that saying about best intentions? My intention was to put together a clever and pretty postcard that would leave her giggly. What actually happened was that I became paralyzed with indecision...sitting on the floor surrounded by an array of paper, magazines, fancy hole punchers, every kind of adhesive imaginable .... and an incredibly blank look on my face. I turned to Martha....and was hit by an avalanche of ideas: heart bookmarks, hand-stitched cards, rose-shaped stamps made by radicchio and other handy veggies, glassine envelopes filled with sugared rose petals ....argh!
I finally smacked myself and forced a decision. I wanted to send her something sweet. I thought of my favorite recipes. There is one in particular that I love because it leans towards healthy and is a very good source of beta-carotene. The perfect thing for a blogger who spends long hours at the computer, uploading pictures and posting entries. I wanted to send her a hand-made card and I worry about her health too. Who wouldn't feel loved?
Carrot Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing
Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, at room temperature;
3/4 cup granulated sugar;
1 Tbs. maple syrup or honey;
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest;
2 eggs;
1 cup grated carrot;
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour (see note for gluten-free below);
2 tsp. baking powder;
7 Tbs. fresh orange juice, warmed;
1 tsp. baking soda;
For the mascarpone icing:
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature,
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar,
1 tsp. grated lemon zest,
4 oz. cold mascarpone or low-fat cream cheese,
Strips of dried mango for garnish (optional).
Note: If you are gluten free, replace the flour with gluten-free flour or a combination of organic brown rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca flour.
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 10 standard muffin cups with paper liners.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, maple syrup and orange zest until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the carrot.
In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. In another small bowl, stir together the orange juice and baking soda. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the orange juice mixture in two additions until smooth. Do not overbeat or the cupcakes will be tough.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the cupcakes are risen and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a baking sheet and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
To make the mascarpone icing, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon zest and mascarpone until blended.
When the cupcakes are cool, frost them and garnish with strips of dried mango. Cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes 10 cupcakes.
Desserts, Simon & Schuster, 2006
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