Caffé Latte Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Do you like a cup of coffee first thing in the morning? Moreover, do you like a sprinkling of cinnamon on your morning latté?* If yes, then these are the perfect cupcakes for you. A hint of coffee, a hint of cinnamon - and a generous slashing of cream cheese frosting on top of that all. Oh - and even if you cannot really taste the cream liqueur in the finished cupcakes, the fact that you know it's there, makes these especially tempting :)

* I do. 

Caffé Latte Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Kohvimuffinid toorjuustuvõõbaga)
Makes 12 medium-sized cupcakes



2 large eggs
150 g caster sugar
100 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
50 g sour cream or creme fraiche
150 ml milk
1 Tbsp instant coffee granules (I used Nescafé Gold)
2 Tbsp cream liqueur (Bailey's, Vana Tallinn or such like)
200 g plain/all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream cheese frosting:
50 g butter, at room temperature
100 g plain cream cheese (I used Philly), at room temperature
80 g confectioner's sugar

Whisk eggs and sugar until thick and foamy. Fold in the melted butter, sour cream, milk, coffee granules and cream liqueur. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a separate bowl, then stir into the wet ingredients.
Spoon the batter into 12 muffin tins lines with paper muffin cups. Bake in a preheated 200 C/400 F oven for about 15 minutes, until the muffins are cooked through (test for doneness with a wooden toothpick - it shoud only have couple of moist crumbs on it, when inserted into a muffin).
Transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely. Remove the paper cups carefully.
To make the cream cheese frosting, stir the softened butter, cream cheese and icing sugar until thoroughly combines. Pipe or spread onto the muffins.
Decorate the cupcakes with chocolate coffee beans, instant coffee granules or a dusting of ground cinnamon.

Cheesy Oatcakes for your Picnic Basket

Planning a picnic soon? Or need something to nibble while working away at the desk? Try these savoury oatcakes with cheese. They're soft and slightly chewy, quite filling and very easy to make. The recipe is adapted from a Finnish magazine. I used an Emmenthaler-type cheese, but good old Cheddar or Monterey Jack would work just as well.

Cheesy Oatcakes
(Kaerahelbeküpsised juustuga)
Makes about 2 dozens

100 g old-fashioned oats
135 g plain/all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
75 g cheese, grated
250 ml / 1 cup milk
40 g butter, melted
0.5 tsp salt

Mix oats, flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the grated cheese, milk, melted butter and stir, until everything is combined. The batter with be rather soft.
Take spoonfuls of the batter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated 225 C/450 F oven for about 15 minutes, until the cookies are golden.
Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

Spicy Chicken Couscous with Rose Harissa

Here's a lovely, and rather fiery, chicken couscous that I made on several occasions earlier this year. The chicken is first marinated in a yogurt-harissa mixture, then gently cooked in the same marinade, before mixed with couscous and some additional ingredients. It's got plenty of taste, good texture and it's definitely not dry - a problem I find with so many couscous dishes and couscous salads.

I used Belazu's Rose Harissa - a rather expensive, but very tasty British harissa paste available in deli shops. But I'm sure your regular harissa would work, too.

Spicy Chicken Cous-Cous with Rose Harissa
(Maitsev kanakuskuss harissaga)
Serves 6

500 g chicken breast or thigh fillets
200 g plain yogurt
1 heaped tsp Rose Harissa paste

CousCous:
300 ml water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
250 g medium-grain couscous
2-3 Tbsp butter

In addition:
250 g cherry tomatoes
handful of spring onions (white and light green parts only)
handful of fresh coriander/cilantro

Cut the chicken pieces into small strips (about an inch long and 1 cm wide). Fold harissa into the yogurt, then throw in the chicken pieces, stirring, so all chicken pieces are covered with marinade. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour.

Prepare the couscous. Heat the water, salt and oil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the couscous. Cover the saucepan and leave for 2-3 minutes. Return to the heat, add the butter and heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and keep covered.

Take a small frying pan, add a splash of oil, rinsed cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes are hot. Add to the prepared couscous and cover again. /No need to stir at this point/.

Take a large frying pan and dip in the chicken strips with the marinade. Heat over a moderate heat for 7-8 minutes, until chicken pieces are cooked through and the marinade hot. Pour over the couscous.

Stir the whole lot gently with a large spoon, then scatter chopped spring onions and coriander leaves on top.

Serve.