Sweets for the season

Recipe: Mandarin cupcakes with candied peel

Ingredients:

6 medium mandarin oranges

250 g butter

250 g soft brown sugar

200 g all-purpose flour

50 g whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs

1 cup sugar extra

Method:

1. Scrub the mandarin oranges well.

2. Place four oranges into a pot of water and boil them until the fruits are soft, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool slightly, and cut them into halves, removing any seeds. Blend to a puree.

3. Peel the remaining two oranges and shave off any thick pith. Cut the peel into strips. Reserve.

4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and add eggs one by one.

5. Sift the flour, whole wheat flour and baking powder together and fold into the butter mixture.

6. Fold in the mandarin orange puree and spoon the cake mixture into paper cases, 2/3 full.

7. Bake in a pre-heated 180 C oven for 20 minutes or until the cake surface bounces back when pressed.

8. While the cake is baking, prepare the candied peel and glaze. Boil the one cup sugar with 3/4 cup water and add the strips of peel. When the syrup is thickened, remove the strips of peel onto grease-proof paper. Spread out to cool. The remaining syrup in the pot is your sugar glaze.

9. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool. Spread a spoonful of glaze on top of each cake and top with strips of candied peel.

Food notes:

This is a lovely lot of cupcakes that disappeared almost as soon as I offered them. The tangy mandarin puree moistens the cake and the candied strips of peel gives it a festive touch - since candied peel is a traditional Spring Festival tidbit in the south of China.