HAZELNUT AND CRANBERRY CUPCAKES AND WOOD CARVING

Here comes the cupcake recipe, I made them for the sunday brunch, and keeping them in the fridge, they are still perfect, but obviously best the next day after baking. Now is the time for nuts, and again I'm lucky to have friends, who invites us to come to their "finca" and we can harvest as much as we want, so we have a big basket, well we had, of walnuts , the most common here in the south of Spain, and they are so good, thats why they don't last . We also got a few hazelnuts, and here they go in the cupcakes.

Shoppinglist

150 gr harina.                               ( flour)

220 gr. azucar.                              ( sugar)

3 huevos.                                     (eggs)

100 gr avellanas.                          ( hazelnuts)

130 gr mantequilla sin sal.            (unsalted butter)

125 gr leche de almendras.          ( almond milk)

1 sobre de levadura.                     ( envelpoe of bakingpovder)

Extracto de vainilla.                       ( vanilla extract)

50 gr arandanos secos.                ( dried cranberries)

Frosting

250 gr queso fresco.                    (cream cheese))

80 gr mantequilla sin sal.              (unsalted butter)

50 gr azucar glass.                       ( powder sugar)

Colorante alimenticio rosa.           ( pink food colouring)

Corazones blancos y rosas de Vahine.   ( sugar hearts, pink and white)

Start letting the cream cheese and the butter at room temperature, saving 12-14 hazelnuts for decoration, then shop the rest, or let go in the food processor if you don't want  pices, then mix it together with the bakingpowder and the flour.

In another bowl, use an electric mixer and beat the butter and the sugar fluffy, then add the hazelnut/flour mix, a little by little. without stopping the mixer, add the eggs, the vanilla extract and the milk, continue mixing for some min., then add the finly shopped cranberries with a spatula, and put the dough into cup cake moulds. It depends on the size, but normally it gives 12-14 .

Put in the middle of preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 min.

While the cupcakes are in the oven prepare the frosting, it's very important that the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature, again I use the electric mixer, be careful with the colouring, only a drop or two.

Take the cupcakes out of the oven, and let chill compleatly.

Put the frosting into a pastry bag, and decorate as you like it best, toss some sugar hearts over, and top with a hazelnut. Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour, I like to keep them in the fridge if there are ????? some left, then they keep moist.

I will be very happy if you want to be a member, and if you leave a comment.

The nut bowl  as well as the cutting board is carved for my mother by a local artist from Tjøme, Norway, many traditions and memories, always on our christmas table. If you are interested in the Norwegian handicraft work, take a look at this link

,www.osebergvikingskip.no

Made in year 2000.

In Spain we have the Constitution Day on the 6th of December, and the 8th is the day of the Spanish Protectoress, Inmaculada Concepcion, both are National holidays, and many places, since the 8th is a sunday, the holiday is transfered to monday. The roads will be buisy, as well as holiday destinations.

Night, Night ..............sweet dreams.