~X~——; He needed to find a way to use all the extra blueberries he had lying around. He had bought them with the intention to use them for something, he just hadn’t figured out what yet.
Sighing he pulled out a cook book, flipping the pages looking for something, anything that peaked his interest.
He paused, landing on a cupcake recipe, yes this would do nicely.
Blueberry Cupcakes
Ingredients:
160g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
115g unsalted butter, room temp
150g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
120ml whole milk
150g fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw)
1 tosp flour (to coat berries)
It was simple enough to him, he had everything he needed already laying around. So he set out gathering the ingredients, and baking supplies.
He clicked the oven on, wanting to make sure it was fully preheated for when the time came. Setting it to 170°c
Next came the purée. Into a small heated pot Neji added the blueberries, the skins cracking and bursting open as they heated up. He took a spoon, stirring it carefully. Once it was cooked down to the point he was sure would work he presses it through a sieve, leaving behind skins and seeds, setting aside the smooth, indigo liquid to cool. He would use it for the frosting later.
Next came the cupcake base, flour, baking powder, salt, mixed together with care, set aside before moving onto the wet ingredients.
Butter and sugar go next, beaten until fluffy and soft, the perfect consistency. Then he added in one egg, then the other, folding it into the mixture before adding in vanilla.
Then came adding in the dry mix in three careful parts, milk in between, until the batter is smooth like satin. If he moved too fast, or added in the wrong amount the texture would be off, while it would still taste the same in the end, Neji wanted these perfect.
Meanwhile the blueberries wait in their own bowl, he had dusted lightly in flour so they won’t sink in the batter mixture. If he added them as is, they’d sink to the bottom and the favor of them wouldn’t be evenly spread.
Carefully he folds them. Ensuring they sat evenly in the batter.
The batter was then added to a cupcake tin lined with silicone sleeves, placed in the oven to cook between 18-22 min.
While those cooked he moved onto the next part. The frosting.
Butter was beaten until it was soft, adding in the powdered sugar blending it making a tick mixture. The purée he had made first came next, adding it to the mixture, mixing most of it in causing a nice color contrast of white and indigo. He added a smidge of lemon and salt tasting it before humming, sharp, sweet, perfect. He set aside the left overs planning on using it later.
Making the ganache was something he wasn’t quite familiar with as some of the other steps, but it seemed to turn out okay. He had the white chocolate in one bowl, while he heated the cream up. Once it was heated enough he poured it over the white chocolate, watching it melt and mix together.
Finally everything was made and ready to be put together.
He took the icing and piped it onto each cupcake carefully, the mixture of white and indigo not only causing a lovely color contrast, but because he didn’t fully mix them together offering two distinct flavors that mixed together with each bite.
Once each cupcake was covered, he drizzled some of the purée over them, then he took a spoon drizzling the ganache over each cupcake. A few blueberries he hadn’t cooked in carefully placed upon each top.
There. Done. Finally.
He stood back, admiring his hard work.
“I hope they enjoy these.”
(Inspired by this recipe)
