pear-and-vanilla-christmas-tree-cupcakes

Pear & vanilla Christmas tree cupcakes

Name: Pear & vanilla Christmas tree cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 270 ml tub Elmlea Double; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 200 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 175 g caster sugar; 3 medium free range eggs; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 150 g butter, melted and cooled; 1 ripe Conference pear, cored, peeled and finely chopped to give 100g; 2 tbsp dark or spiced dark rum (optional); 2 tsp icing sugar, plus more to decorate; 12 The Glorious Mess Vanilla Meringue Christmas Trees; Cooks’ Ingredients Mini White Chocolate Stars, to decorate (optional)

These cute meringue-topped cupcakes will make it a white Christmas whatever the weather. They're great for kids to help with if you like – just leave out the rum – and there are lots more cupcake recipes to try in our collection.

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Vegetarian

Serves12
CourseCake
Prepare20 mins
Cook20 mins
Total time40 mins
Pluscooling

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270ml tub Elmlea Double
1 tbsp lemon juice
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
175g caster sugar
3 medium free range eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
150g butter, melted and cooled
1 ripe Conference pear, cored, peeled and finely chopped to give 100g
2 tbsp dark or spiced dark rum (optional)
2 tsp icing sugar, plus more to decorate
12 The Glorious Mess Vanilla Meringue Christmas Trees
Cooks’ Ingredients Mini White Chocolate Stars, to decorate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/ gas 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with deep silver or gold foil cupcake cases. In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp Elmlea with the lemon juice, then set aside to thicken. Put the flour, baking powder and sugar into a large bowl and use a balloon whisk to combine. Whisk the soured Elmlea, eggs and ½ tsp vanilla paste into the melted butter until smooth.
Whisk until smooth. Stir in the pear. Divide between the cases and bake for 18 minutes, or until risen, golden and firm to the touch. Cool completely on a wire rack, then brush some rum on top, if using. These will keep for 3 days in an airtight container in a cool place.
When ready to serve, make the topping. Put the remaining Elmlea into a large bowl and add the remaining vanilla paste, 1 tbsp rum (if using) and the icing sugar, then whip with a balloon whisk or electric beaters until thick but not stiff.
Pipe or spoon the topping onto the middle of each cake, without spreading it to the edges. Top each cake with a meringue, squishing the topping out into a wider blob. Dust the cakes with a little icing sugar, scatter white chocolate stars on the topping for the full Christmas effect, if using, then serve.

Cook’s tip

You’ll have six little meringue trees leftover. Use them as a finishing touch for Christmas desserts, sit them on top of a snowy Christmas cake design, or crumble into sundaes or a Mince pie Eton mess

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe