Cupcake decorating: my slow ascend to pro status

What better way to start off the week than with cupcakes?! (I mean really, who doesn't love a good cupcake?)

I recently invested in a Wilton's decorating set (courtesy of my coworkers' birthday gift to me - thanks guys!)  and decided that the best way to try it out would be, of course, to make cupcakes. I made red velvet cupcakes (which I have to say, were quite good) and butter cream frosting. I know traditionally, you should pair red velvet cupcakes with cream-cheese frosting, but I was just looking for a quick frosting to practice with. I know my cupcakes don't look like anything too fancy (or like these) but I am amazed at what pipping tips can do for decor! They were a bit harder to get used to than I expected (and I haven't posted pictures of all the cupcakes that went wrong), but I think pipping can be quickly mastered with more practice. I added colored, ball sprinkles, chunks of chocolate, and red, edible "confetti" (see below for how that's made) as garnishes.

Let me know if you want the recipes I used - they were pretty full proof and trustworthy!

Hope these little cakes make your Monday a bit happier. :)

Love,
Ellie

Butter cream frosting, pre-color. (I really try to be a clean baker!)

With just 1/2 a teaspoon or so of red food coloring. 

Cupcakes before I attempted to take them out of silicon cups...

And some of the cupcakes after I tried to get them out of the silicone cups. (Side note: those  cups were such a disappointment! Maybe next time I need to pray non-stick in the cup too?)

Cupcakes that made it out of the silicon cups and received successful pipping!

I learned this technique here. All you do is dry out a bit of crumbs from the actual cupcake - that's it!  (And  from the picture above, I clearly had lots of cupcake crumbs to work with.)

I loved attempting to mix the different tips to create various patterns. I'm still  learning!

Welcome to town

Over the past month or so, I've been discovering downtown Johannesburg like I've never seen it before. I first wrote about town here - and explained what is wrong with downtown at the moment; but how I found a diamond in the rough. Again, I mentioned town here, after yet another fabulous downtown discovery.

As I have boldly ventured into downtown Johannesburg more and more, I have also taken note of what fantastic architecture and art there is! I wanted to share some of the photos I've taken of this. Hopefully, as more and more of downtown Joburg is refurbished and rejuvenated, we will see more and more great pieces of art and history.

Come visit and I'll show you around!

Love,
EF

Cupcake decorating / the best Groupon ever

How was your weekend? The weather is changing very quickly here in Joburg, from summer to autumn, which provided a lovely blend of sun and cool breeze this weekend (and at the moment: a dreary mix of clouds, mist, and cold). And the husband and I went on a date to a new, Thai restaurant (new to us) in Nelson Mandela Square and had such a wonderful time. We needed a catch-up.

Really cool lanterns hanging from the ceiling of Wangthai.

I promised a post on a cupcake decorating class last week and I did not deliver. My apologies. But here it is! :)

Two weekends ago, myself and three friends used a Groupon, purchased long ago, for a cupcake decorating class. The plan was to do a mother-daughter excursion when my mom was in town for our wedding, but things were just too busy. So, I took my mother-in-law along. :) We were all excited about the class but also had no idea what to expect. Well, six cupcakes and almost four hours later, I have to say: this was arguably the best Groupon I have ever bought.

The Johannesburg Culinary & Pastry School is an absolute delight and gives you a true culinary education and experience. The school, owned and run by Kelvin and Jarlyne Joel, provides group courses, couples classes, and exquisite cooking experiences that are fun, practical, and delicious! Our cupcake class, although we reviewed the red-velvet cupcake recipe that was used, focused on decorating. We learned techniques for frosting, sugar details, and chocolate shaping that I can totally do at home! The ingredients aren't exotic or expensive. The techniques take practice, but can be strongly acquired after not much time. Kelvin taught our class - it was an interactive, friendly, and enlightening experience. Also, The JCP School is ANOTHER cool part of town! Who knew downtown Johannesburg was so rapidly chaning?!

Really, I could keep raving, but just look at the pictures or sign up for a class yourself!

Bon appetit!
ef

The JCP School kitchen.

The school also serves cookies and cappuccinos to munch on, while you watch a class or read cooking books.

Nicole and I making red-velvet cupcakes. Kelvin, our chef/instructor, said he first learned of red-velvet cupcakes while working at Hyatt in America. He had never seen them before that; so, he was quite interested to hear what I thought of his recipe - it was great! :) 

Second mom, Michelle, and my mom-in-law, Charmaine.

Kelvin showing us how to create chocolate garnishes. Here, he mixed white and milk chocolate and spread it finely on parchment paper, then left it to harden.

Abstract shapes.

Of course, we had to taste a piece - or two. 

Perfect red-velvet cupcakes!

More chocolate garnishes. Here, Kelvin uses a tool to create squiggles in the chocolate before it dries. Then, when it does dry, you've got chocolate snake-like garnishes. (It's very cool - see cupcake below.)

He also showed us that if you add a certain type of baking "dust", you can add color to your chocolate. Upon letting it dry, you get a matte and a gloss look to the chocolate.

Ok, I don't know what you call this technique, but it's so cool and you end up with the extremely sweet, fishing-line-thin, caramel ball you see at the bottom. 

Three of the cupcakes I decorated. The techniques we learned can give you pretty abstract designs, but I think with more practice, I could create something...well, not so abstract. :)

My cupcakes. :) You must go!!

Neighborhood Goods Market, Johannesburg

Happy March! It's autumn (Southern Hemisphere) and spring (Northern Hemisphere)...two really great seasons, and my birthday month. I think it'll be a good month.

It feels like it's been a bit serious around here lately, so I thought I'd write about something that I've discovered recently that makes me oh so happy: the Neighborhood Goods Market, "in town" in Johannesburg.

Now, in most large cities, downtown is a happening, exciting, glamorous, and thriving place to be. (Don't you have Petula Clark's "Downtown" playing in your head already?) You've got the talents of theatre, the high prices (and bargains) of endless shopping, the world's largest businesses seeking great fortunes, and foods to satisfy every culinary desire. Not in Johannesburg. The CBD (central business district) of Johannesburg, and most of its immediate surrounding areas, are not where you want to be. They are worn down, smelly, dangerous, and will make you feel claustrophobic. There are meat shops with whole cow's heads, license plates being sold on the streets, and every time I have to go down there, I carry my tazer and my pepper spray close to me. (Yes, I own both of those. My husband bought them for when we were dating.) Until recently, I loathed going into downtown Johannesburg.

But recently, I was introduced to the most charming, delicious, reminds me of America market; a visual and culinary oasis in a desert of mono-culture and dilapidated buildings.

Neighborhood Goods Market.

Every Saturday morning, this market, filled with Etsy-style individuals selling culinary creations (and some crafts and thrifted clothing) gather in the first floor of a building that I can see serves no other purpose except to host this delightful, Saturday event. Everything from breads and sauces, to chocolate and cupcakes, to paella and homemade beer, to cheese and samosas (I could keep going) can be found, freshly made.

One of my best friends here, Nicole, introduced me to Neighborhood Goods; so we ventured out one Saturday with a new friend who moved here from the US. I fell in love so hard that I took my husband the next weekend. If you ever come visit, I will take you. If you have visited before: my apologies for not knowing of this sooner. Come back and I promise we'll go. :)

Love from the now autumn season in the Southern Hemisphere,
EF

Handsome husband who is about to find that he'll be hooked too!

Right: Homemade beer. Husband loved it. I don't like beer and it didn't taste any different to me from any other beer. Sorry.

A live Jazz band plays on the roof top every Saturday. The music is stellar and the musician's dancing is pretty entertaining too. 

Thrifted jewelry at a really cool shop down the road from Neighborhood Goods.

Nicole and Monika: my city exploring friends.