Back to you

Good evening folks! Over the last couple of days I have been slowly losing focus on everything that is important and have been floating on a cloud of …cloud of..? My point exactly.

Hence, I think it is time for me to get back to reality by making my single most significant contribution to humanity: How to make cupcakes in a pressure cooker.

But since this is my blog and since I am trying to fill up my vacuous life with words, I will tippity type whatever I feel like, prior to giving away the actual recipe/process.

It all started when M invited me to Ousu’s 1^st b’day party. It was a remarkable party in its own way, but I zoned out for most part. However, 3 things grabbed my attention at the party: M’s fabulous and very engaging android phone, hydrogen balloons and cupcakes. I wish I had had the guts to tell M not to let her mum takeaway all those leftover pink-blue-yellow-green icinged cupcakes, I wish I had at least sneaked a few into my lady purse like people always do in the movies, but I didn’t.

Instead I dwelled on it infintely and listened to other people talk about their own cupcake experiments, until my digestive juices left me with no choice other than to make some of my own. I went to Nigella who had the simplest, most luxurious recipe for butter cupcakes. One look at the proposed amount of butter and I knew it couldn’t possibly go wrong. That is until my oven conked off. Yet. Again.

The alternative seeking human being that I am, I googled up ways in which you can make cupcakes in pressure cookers and nothing came up. Cakes yes, muffins, may be, but no real cupcakes. I was too crazed, too ravenous for cupcakes, so I chucked my better sense that implored patience until the oven was fixed. From whatever I read and understood, I made an estimate of the cooker time required and proceeded to do the following:

1. Beat softened butter (100 gms) and 1/2 a cup of caster sugar together, until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in 2 eggs (room temp.) and 1 tsp vanilla. Just let them combine, don't overdo the beating.

3. Sift in 1 cup of self-raising flour and pour in 1/6 cup of milk (room temp.). Beat at low speed, until combined.

4. Pour mixture into the thoroughly buttered cupcake tin. Don't fill it up, leave some room for the cupcakes to "bloom"

5. Take a large pressure cooker, remove the whistle and leave it capped and on high flame for 8 minutes. 

6. Open with care and place an alloy plate at the bottom using a tong. Place the tin on top of the plate, using the tong. 

7. Close the lid and leave it on low flame for 15 mins.

8. Increase to medium flame for next 8 to10 mins. 

9. Open the lid and see if cupcakes are done by poking with a toothpick.

If it isn't done, leave it in for another 5 mins and then, Ta da! (alright, it doesn't look impressive, but the taste is very impressive)