i know y’all are sitting around thinking about nothing but the FYA book club starting WEDNESDAY! holla! i know this because it’s all WE’RE thinking about. so here’re the answers to yr burning questions you’ve been waiting for — what section to read, what we’ll talk about, and most especially what is meghan bringing to the book club?? answer: MINI CUPCAKES!
ok, so maybe the cupcakes aren’t as important as what we’re reading when, and what is the gist of the discussion and the ground rules (every club needs rules, right?). so, here’s the scoop:
the rules
for now, there’s only one rule: BE NICE. hopefully, that’s all we’ll need! cheers, kiddos! and a little admin tip: if you want to respond directly to someone’s comment, please use the reply button so the conversation is easier to read.
the schedule (aka what to read when)
June 9 – Chapters 1 and 2
June 16 – Chapters 3 & 4
June 23 – Chapters 5 &6
June 30 – Chapter 7 and discussion of the entire book
the topics
just think about the book in the frame of our book reviews — swoonworthiness, bff charms, bonus factors, that kind of thing. we have some other awesome questions we’ll reveal on wednesday, and feel free to bring some of yr own. anything you think is worth dishing over is welcome. (pls, save it for wednesday, though!) and be thinking about what treats you’re bringing, because i’ll be showing up with …
the cupcakes!
i made these as mini cupcakes, because who doesn’t love miniature food? AND you can scarf down loads of mini cupcakes and because they’re small, you can eat lots more of them and pretend you’re not gonna have to go to the gym extra to work ‘em off! at least, that’s how i play it.
Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
from Cupcakes by Susannah Blake
4 T butter, at room temp
5 T sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c self-rising flour
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T milk
for icing:
3 oz. white chocolate, chopped
3 oz. cream cheese
6 T creme fraiche or sour cream (I used whole milk Greek yogurt, actually)
1 1/2 t vanilla
6 T powdered sugar
fresh strawberries
Makes 1 doz. big cupcakes, or 2 doz. mini cupcakes.
Preheat the oven to 350 and line muffin pan with paper liners.
Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg, a little at a time. Sift the flour into the mixture and fold in, then stir in the vanilla extract and milk.
Spoon the mixture into muffin cups. Bake for about 10 minutes until risen and golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To decorate, check that none of the cupcakes have risen above the rim of the paper liners. If any have, carefully slice off the top using a serrated knife to create a flat surface.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave, then set aside to cool slightly (make sure the microwave is on low power, or you’ll burn the chocolate and it’s really gross. Just sayin‘). Beat the cream cheese, creme fraiche, vanilla and powdered sugar together in a separate bowl, then beat in the melted chocolate.
Smooth the cream cheese mixture over the cupcakes, up to the rim of the paper liners, then chill for at least 1 1/2 hours until set (the dark chocolate mixture didn’t need to set). Decorate with fresh strawberries and serve.
Related posts:
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
WHY DOES INSTANT FOOD TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGY NOT EXIST YET? I NEED THOSE CUPCAKES IN MY MOUTH RIGHT NOW.
OMG THOSE CUPCAKES.
I’m going strawberry picking tomorrow, so I’ll totally be making those little cupcakes! They look amazing!
And v. excited for the bookclub.
OM NOM CUPCAKE MOUTH!
SO excited for this, and for cupcakes!