One of My Favourites :: Raspberry & Coconut Cupcakes

These little ruby-filled cakes are so my one of my favourites that I made over 100 of them for my wedding reception!  I can't claim this recipe as my own even though I have made some changes.  It came to me via my dear friend Mim who had made her alterations after finding it in one of her recipe books (I suspect it was a Marie Claire but I can't be sure).

I used to call them friands, even though they really aren't, due to the friand pan I used to bake them in.  But now, with all the different patty cases available, and the fact they mean less cleaning, they have morphed into the humble cupcake.

As you know, I am never one to keep a recipe to myself as I love it when others like something I've made so much that they would like to make it for themselves!  Plus, I rarely create my own recipes, only adapt other's so I really have no right to keep anything to myself.

Rasberry & Coconut Cupcakes (I think the original name was Baby Raspberry & Coconut Cakes)
makes 12.

125 g unsalted butter
1/3 cup almond meal
3/4 dessicated coconut
3/4 cup caster sugar (or sifted icing sugar)
1/2 cup plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
24 raspberries, fresh or frozen (I use frozen)

1. Preheat oven 180C fan forced. (conventional just cook for further 3 mins or until cooked through)

2. Place butter in a saucepan over low heat and melt until it is very light golden colour.

3. Place almond meal, coconut, sugar, flour and baking powder in a bowl and using a hand held mixer, mix until combined.  Add egg and mix.  Add melted butter and mix until well combined.

4. Pour or spoon mixture into prepared patty cases and sprinkle with 2 raspberries per patty case.  As Nigella told me, I use one of those icecream scoops that you squeeze the handle to release the contents of the spoon.

5. Bake for 12-15 mins (18 mins conventional depending on oven) or until cakes are golden and springy to touch and moist in the centre.

Serve warm with double cream or serve cold with a dollop of greek yoghurt.  Lovely to have with any type of tea but today we had them with a good old glass of milk

.

Okey dokey, if you want to make them more friand-like, increase sugar to 1 2/3 cups icing sugar sifted, and use 5 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs.

By the way, I do love the look of sweet baked goodies with a powdering of icing sugar on top but I can't bring myself to do it as I think we consume way too much sugar in this household as it is.  I usually halve the amount of sugar in most recipes (as I did with this one).

Oh I do hope you like these as much as we do!

xxx