It’s Vanilla Cupcake Day – Nice Move Tahiti Tourism! ( +Recipe)

Did you know that – Friday 10 November 2017 – was Tahiti Tourism National Vanilla Day?
Hmmm … is this news or a clever ruse?
Tahiti Tourisme tells us its one of the most delicious days on the calendar and what better way to promote both the exotic destination and ‘the best vanilla in the world – from the Islands of Tahiti’ than to proffer a delicious cupcake recipe, created by one of Tahiti’s best pastry chefs, Kirsten Tibballs?
Yum.
And it’s Friday.
Tahitian vanilla is considered amongst the best in the world for its incredible flavour, and nearly 80% of it comes from the little known island of Taha’a.
Tahiti Tourism says: Known as The Vanilla Island, Taha’a actually smells like vanilla due to its abundance, making it the sweetest of holiday destinations.

Tahiti Tourism National Vanilla Day

Tahitian Vanilla Cupcakes

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
155g Plain Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
3 Free Range Eggs
155g Brown Sugar
200ml Bulla Crème Fraiche
60g Unsalted Butter
Oil Spray
2 Tahitian Vanilla Beans
Method
1. Cut out 12 x 12cm squares of baking paper.
2. Grease a muffin tin with an oil spray and press each paper square into the tin.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.
4. Mix the eggs and sugar together in the bowl of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, until you have created a light foam.
5. Use a spatula to fold through the sieved dry ingredients, followed by the crème fraiche.
6. Melt the butter and fold it through the mixture.
7. Divide the cake batter into each cup of the muffin tin lined with the baking paper squares. Each cup requires approximately 60g.
8. Bake at 170°C for 15 -18 minutes.
9. Remove the cupcakes and set them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Turn the oven off.
10. Cut the Tahitian vanilla beans in half and scrape out the seeds. Place the pods in the oven once you turn it off after baking the muffins. When the pods are completely dried out, place them in an airtight container as they will be used as a garnish later.

Vanilla Cream Topping

Ingredients
4 Tahitian Vanilla Beans
300g Pure Icing Sugar
195g Unsalted Butter
3 tbsp Bulla Pure Cream
Pinch Sea Salt
Method
1. Cut the Tahitian vanilla beans in half and scrape out the seeds.
2. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.
3. Beat the butter, cut and scraped Tahitian vanilla beans and sieved icing sugar in the bowl of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer until light and creamy.
4. Add in the fresh cream and salt.
5. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star piping nozzle.
6. Pipe the icing directly onto the cupcakes.
7. Using a fine grater, grate the dried vanilla pods from earlier onto the icing.

 
 
(Source: Travel Monitor November 2017)