Sometimes I see so much in people that I have to document it. When I think of the long way they’ve come since the days of Full House, I can’t help but be amazed at what Mary Kate and Ashley have achieved.
As usual- illustration is by me.
Filed under Pretty friday …
Pretty Friday- Pretty Chocolate Mint Cupcakes!
>Not many of you know but I’m a beginner cupcaker. I like everything about them- the taste, the fact they come in such small individual portions and off course the fact that they start off pretty plain looking and let themselves be decorated. It’s safe to say that cupcakes are my favorite little bundles of joy (as I’m not planning to have babies anytime soon).
These little cups of cake are chocolate and mint. I ordered a cupcake kit that included a pastry bag and I decided to give it a go and decorate them fancily. Did I do a good job? I think so. Am I planning to do it again? absolutely.
Chocolate and Mint cupcakes (yields 12-14 cupcakes)
For cupcakes:
- 60 gr. dark chocolate
- 150 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 150 gr. sugar
- 1/4 tsp mint extract
- 90 gr. softened butter
- 100 gr. white flour
- 10 gr. baking powder
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 30 gr. crushed almonds
For frosting:
- 75 gr. butter
- 100 gr. powdered sugar
- a few drops of green food coloring
- 1/2 tsp of mint extract
- your favorite mint chocolate candy (I used after eights)
**Double the amounts of the frosting if you like to cover all of the top of the cupcake in frosting. As I don’t like having a ton of frosting on my cupcakes- I use the amount stated above and I give all the cupcakes little frosting “hats” rather than covering the entire surface.
- Heat up the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. I use the metric system as I am trying to piss you off don’t live in the states.
- Melt the chocolate in water. The original recipe says you should do so in a hot pot, but I just put the chocolate and the water for a round in the microwave. Stir them together until it’s smooth.
- Put the eggs, sugar, mint extract and the butter in a bowl and mix them well together until they’re light and fluffy. You can use a mixer if you’re fancy, I used a fork.
- Gradually add the flour and baking powder. Add the almonds and mix until well combined.
- Add the chocolate and mix until combined.
- Distribute the batter evenly into lined cupcake cups.
- Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool down before frosting them.
Frosting:
Mix together the butter and the sugar. When airy and fluffy- add the food coloring and mint extract and mix some more.
When it’s done spoon the icing over the cupcakes or pipe it. If you choose to pipe it and it’s your first time doing so- refer to some You Tube video tutorials (like this one) on how to do it to save yourself some tears and frustration.
Last step: stick the chocolates in the yum! Om nom nom!
Pretty Friday- Vintage Dior at the Oscars
>This one time, when I was a wee little version of today’s Synthetic, albeit no less elegant, I enjoyed playing dress up with a friend of mine. This might come as a shock to you when I’ll say it was a female friend. Let’s just say I have learned my lesson since.
During a dress up session of little SE and her friend M, SE wore a polka-dot sundress that was bought for her by her ever so chic grandma. M could not wear any of SE’s clothes and got stuck wearing her uninspired Ballerina costume due to a slight baby fat problem. Looking back at this- not being able to wear SE’s chic Naf-Naf dresses have probably made M feel even more frustrated. Subsequently, M deemed the polka dot dress unfashionable.
I wonder what M thought about Natalie Portman’s vintage Dior Oscars dress being auctioned and sold for a 5 figure sum. Would it make her eat not only chocolate cake but also her words?
Now M works at McDonald’s, taking the bus to work every day.
So yeah, Natalie Portman’s dress is today’s Pretty Friday. It’s pretty, elegant and also timeless.
If you are looking for a moral to my story, it’s don’t ever question the relevance of polka dots.
Photos: Daily Mail
Illustration by me.