18 Mar 2011

Mariane's Cranberry, Lime & Vodka Cupcakes (for 'Crawling at Night')



"Mariane built her own papery lantern of excuses, reasons ... words like, party, drinkies, fun-loving, good times, living life to the fullest ... she ignored the sounds or possibilities of problems, fucked up, dead end or alcoholism." (p.173)
"Mariane, a woman, who drinks too much, who leads an unexamined life, but who still seeks redemption."(p.201)


I wanted to make cupcakes for Mariane to illustrate her lost childhood and her need to do things right by her baby daughter, Daisy. The trouble is, Mariane can't get herself together. She loves to relax with a stiff vodka, cranberry and lime. She tells herself everything's ok, that there's time, but it may already be too late.

How would you interpret Crawling at Night by Nani Power? All cakes and comments welcome.


Cranberry, Lime & Vodka Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
100g butter
100g sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1/2 a lime
2 tbsp cranberry sauce or jelly
30g dried cranberries + extra for decoration if desired
100g self-raising flour (or 100g plain flour + 3tsp baking powder)
60ml cranberry vodka (or regular vodka)

For the drizzle icing:
150g icing sugar
juice of 1/2 a lime

Method:
Pre-heat oven to180*C
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well to combine. Stir in the lime zest, cranberry sauce and dried cranberries then fold in the flour.
Line a bun tray with paper liners and fill each 2/3 full. Bake for 12-15min.
Once out of the oven, poke holes in the cupcakes with a fork and pour a teaspoon of vodka into each one. Wait until cooled completely before making a thin paste with the icing sugar and lime juice. Drizzle icing over cupcakes and decorate with dried cranberries and lime zest.

Inspired by Cosmopolitan Magazine
Modified from Butcher, Baker
Recipe, Dessert , Cupcake, Cranberry, Lime, Vodka