In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and salt until thoroughly mixed.
Form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Add the oil (or applesauce if substituting), vanilla extract, lemon juice and cold water.
Stir until completely combined and free of lumps.
Grease the muffin tins with oil or nonstick spray, or line with parchment cups.
Fill each well to about three-quarters full.
Place the muffin tins in the center rack of the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the cupcakes are baking, start your strawberry filling.
Over medium heat, add the chopped strawberries to a saucepan and stir constantly as they heat up and begin to soften.
When the strawberries are mostly liquid, add the sugar and cornstarch.
Continue to stir constantly for a few minutes more as the mixture thickens to a jelly-like in consistency.
Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
When the cupcakes are done — check that a toothpick inserted in the center of one cupcake comes out clean — transfer the tins to a wire rack to cool.
After the cupcakes have cooled, prepare them for the filling.
Using a paring knife, cut a cone out of the top of each cupcake, going deep enough to allow plenty of filling but not so deep that you cut through to the bottom.
Remove the cone and fill the space with the strawberry mix almost to the top but not quite.
Cut the “iceberg” portion off the cone you pulled from the cupcake so you have just the thin disk for the top and replace the “lid” over the strawberry filling.
Decorate with a little powdered sugar or sliced strawberries, and serve.
To make the pastry, using a beater on an electric mixer, blend all the ingredients together to make a smooth pastry.
To make the filling, put the fruit and sugar into a pan and cook over a med To make the filling, put the fruit and sugar into a pan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes to soften the fruit.
Roll the pastry out onto a 30. 5 cm/ 12 inch pie plate and spoon on the filling.
Roll out the excess pastry to make the lid and place on top.
Trim the pastry edges and crimp around the edge, brush with eggwash and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.
Meanwhile make the raspberry sauce.
Pass the raspberries through a sieve then stir in a little icing sugar.
I’ve included pancakes in this book mainly because they contain flour and when I was working in hotels these recipes, along with some tarts and pies, were still under the jurisdiction of the baker rather than the pastry chef. This recipe is very simple to make and the pancakes are delicious served on a bed of cream with raspberry sauce rippled through it.
Whisk together the flour, 20 g/3⁄4 oz of the sugar, the egg and milk for 5 minutes.
You should now have a batter mixture.
Test it by dipping a spoon in and seeing if it coats the back of the spoon evenly.
Heat a little sunflower oil in a frying pan and leave to smoke, then pour half a cup of the batter in the middle of the pan, tilt the pan to move the batter to the edges and replace on the heat for 3 minutes.
Turn the pancake over with a spatula and fry for another 2 minutes.
Remove from the pan and put on a plate to cool.
Repeat with the rest of the batter.
To make the filling, drop the butter into the frying pan, add the bananas and cook for 1 minute.
Add the rum and flambé until the flames die down.
Cook for a further 2 minutes and leave to the side.
Whisk up the cream with the remaining sugar and spoon a little into the middle of each pancake.
Top with the bananas, roll up and serve on a pool of pouring cream, if so desired – watch those waistlines!
These muffins are just spectacular served at teatime with a dollop of clotted cream, preferably accompanying cucumber sandwiches and a cup of Earl Grey tea – anyone for tennis?
