whack!

Well it hit me…inspiration that is. Those purple, egg shaped wrinkly (and getting more wrinkled by the day) passion fruit have been waiting for me to get inspired so that I could incorporate them into something sublime.

Thankfully, I stumbled across this recipe from an Australian publication that I get online. When I came upon the recipe for Passion fruit yo-yos with white chocolate and passion fruit ganache I knew that was it. Heck, who doesn’t want to eat something called a yo-yo, especially when it’s a cookie? The recipe is from a very talented Australian food stylist Emma Knowles. I had to fiddle with the measurements a bit, since they are in grams, but I think I got them pretty close (thanks to gourmet sleuth)

The sweet, tart flavor that comes from the passion fruit puree and white chocolate together is heaven. The cookie itself almost melts in your mouth, since it uses both flour and cornstarch as the base along with quite a bit of butter.

So head on out to your farmers’ market and get those passion fruit while their still here, and see what inspiration might hit you with these little beauties.

Enjoy!
Shannon



Passion fruit yo-yos with white chocolate and passion fruit ganache
Recipe adapted from Emma Knowles

Ingredients
yo-yos
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup passion fruit puree (see note)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
White chocolate and passion fruit ganache
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup passion fruit puree (see note)
2 pieces lemon rind, removed with a peeler (avoid the white pith)
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

1. For ganache, combine cream, juice and rind in a saucepan and bring just to the boil over medium-high heat. Place chocolate in a bowl, strain over hot cream mixture, whisk until smooth and refrigerate for 4 hours or until thick.

2. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, add juice and combine. Add flour and cornstarch and mix until just combined, then turn onto a floured surface, form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Preheat over to 350°F. Roll out pastry to ¼ inch thick and using a 1 ½ inch diameter cutter, cut rounds from pastry and place on parchment paper lined oven trays. Press scraps into a ball, re-roll and repeat. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just golden, cool on trays for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Spread half of the biscuits with a teaspoon each of ganache, sandwich with remaining biscuits and stand until set. Yo-yos will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container or up to a month in the freezer.

Note To make passion fruit puree, blend passion fruit pulp in a food processor to crack seeds, and then strain through a fine sieve. Twelve passion fruit yield about 1 cup of juice.

Makes 24

it's all about the frosting

There is just something about frosting that makes me happy.  And once you try this particular recipe you'll agree.  I love using this as a frosting or filling because it is light and creamy, and less sweet than the Classic Americana Icing.  It tastes like whipped cream.  I found this recipe in Sarah Magid's book Organic and Chic. This frosting can be adapted in so many ways; I start with Sarah's basic Vanilla Whipped Buttercream and then depending on my whim I add flavorings.  This version works beautifully as a filling with a dark-chocolate frosting or as pictured above, add raspberry purée to make a lovely sweet, yet slightly tart frosting to go with these yummy white chocolate cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Shannon


White Chocolate Cupcakes With Raspberry Frosting

10 Tbsp. soft unsalted butter
1/2 cup  superfine sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
6 oz. white chocolate, melted
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then add white chocolate and stir to combine.  Sift flour and baking powder over cake batter and fold in until combined.  Line two 6-hole (1/3 cup-capacity) muffin tins with 8 paper cases, then divide mixture among cases and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cakes spring back when lightly pressed.  Cool on wire racks.

Raspberry Frosting
This is a slight adaptation to Sarah Magid's recipe for her Vanilla Whipped Buttercream.

2 sticks (1 cup)  unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup raspberries, puréed and strained

Cream the butter on medium speed, 3 to 5 minutes, in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer until soft.  Add the sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat for a minute or so, then while whisking constantly, sprinkle in the flour slowly so to avoid getting any lumps.  Continue to whisk and cook the mixture until it comes to a low boil.  Then reduce the heat to low and keep whisking a few more minutes, until the mixture starts to thicken.

Immediately remove pan from the heat, but keep stirring. Place the pan over a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.  If you overheat the mixture and get small lumps try passing it through a fine-mesh sieve.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the cooled milk mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Increase the speed to medium to combine thoroughly about 2 minutes.  Then lower the speed and add the vanilla and  raspberry purée and blend until completely combined another 2 to 3 minutes.

Spread frosting over cupcakes using an offset spatula and serve.  Cupcakes will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.