Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Bergamot Cupcakes, and eclipse



The other day I bought a jar of candied Greek Bergamot peels in syrup, they looked really attractive and bergamot oranges are not something that seem to be well known in New Zealand (even if many here drink Earl Grey tea!). I confess of having eaten some just by themselves (a bit of an indulgence really), but mostly they are perfect for topping cakes (and cupcakes). 


Bergamot Cupcakes

Ingredients

120 g butter
3 eggs
130 g sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
200 g self-rising flour
60 ml milk

Topping:
Bergamot orange peels in syrup


Makes 12 cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Line a 12-muffin tray with cupcakes paper cups.
Melt the butter in a jug, either in the microwave or in the oven (while the oven is warming up for the cupcakes). Place the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk, using an electric beater, until the mixture looks light and pale yellow in colour. Slowly add the melted butter and the lemon zest. Keep beating at a low speed now; add half of the flour followed by half of the milk. Add the rest of the flour and milk and keep beating making sure that there are no lumps. Divide the mixture between the 12-cupcake cases.





Bake for about 18-20 minutes, until golden brown at the top. You can also check by inserting a toothpick into the cupcakes: if it comes out clean the cupcakes are ready. Remove the cupcakes from the tin and let them cool down. Brush a little bergamot syrup on top of each cupcake and the top with one piece of bergamot peel (I had to cut my peels as they looked to big for the cupcakes). Simple and delicious!




Did you see the eclipse today?
Pity that it is cloudy, but definitely everything
looks a bit strange, and the light is so unusual.
Max is watching it as school with special glasses,
I wish I had them to now, but instead I just took
a photo which probably doesn't says much,
but looks very cool! Let me know if you have
some good pictures!












Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

19 comments:

  1. l'eclissi di sole l'ho vista una volta in spagna....è vero la luce diventa "surreale"...belli i tuoi cupcakes, ma non ho capito cosa hai messo sopra...canditi di bergamotto o cosa? sembra buono!!

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    Replies
    1. Si canditi di bergamotto, greci (quelli italiani qui non li ho visti). Sono le buccie arrotolate (lo faccio anche con le arance) e poi cotte nello sciroppo di zucchero.

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  2. I haven't heard of bergamot peel before. The cupcakes look good.

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  3. If you like citrus you will like this one! Did you see the eclipse in Australia?

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  4. Hi Alessandra, I like the cupcakes and that rustic piece of wooden chair... very nostalgic and charming.

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    Replies
    1. My colonial chairs, very old but quite photogenic :-)

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  5. I love the smell of bergamot! If I may, I’d like to invite you to submit your photos to the new YumGoggle, a photo sharing site with the philosophy that if you worked hard to cook it and photograph it, we should show it off! Hope to see you there soon!
    http://www.yumgoggle.com/gallery/

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  6. Thank you Yum Girl, I'll have a look :-).

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  7. Non avevo mai sentito i candidi di bergamotto, sono curiosa.
    E che fortuna vedere l'eclisse!

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    Replies
    1. Chissà se ne fanno di simili nella zona di Reggio...

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  8. Non li conosco pero' un po' riesco ad immaginarne il sapore! L'eclisse, Wow! E' sempre qualcosa di speciale da vedere e vivere... Buona giornata Alessandra :-)

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  9. Anch'io non li conosco!! ma i cupcakes devono essere davvero deliziosi e belli con quel ricciolo!!

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  10. Che bella l'eclisse... qualcosa di speciale tanto quanto questi cupcakes. Poetici, belli e profumati! Compimenti cara! Di cuore!

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  11. Si molto profumati, proprio come l'essenza di bergamotto.

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  12. non immaginavo si potessero trovare cosi distanti i canditi al bergamotto, mi piace molto il loro profumo

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    Replies
    1. Ogni tanto queste cose si trovano, ma non si è mai sicuri che il mese dopo ci siano ancora... qui non importano regolarmente prodotti di questo tipo, magari arriva una cassa in un negozio giusto per sfizio o perche' è in offerta, e quando finisce non arriva più nulla.

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  13. Mi hai ricordato che ho l'olio essenziale di bergamotto a casa..da usare!
    Amo quel profumo e quell'aroma...sono piccinissimi i frutti!
    Curiosa davvero l'eclissi...

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    Replies
    1. Le scorze si tagliano lunghe e poi si arrotolano e cuciono con il filo, si candiscono, si toglie il filo e rimangano a riccioli, poi si mettono nel vasetto. Lo faccio con le arance, è la prima volta che trovo i bergamotti però.

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  14. Ciao cara, come sono carini!
    Un abbraccio e a presto

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