Raspberry and Vanilla Cupcakes

Doug (my fiance)'s parents are coming to dinner so I decided to make these. There pretty quick as they use bought icing! However they have a nice summery feel and look rather impressive.

Ingredients

(makes 12)

100g self-rasing flour

100g caster sugar

100g low fat margarine

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

150g raspberries

2/3 tub Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Vanilla Icing

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes apart from the icing and raspberries in a large bowl until smooth.

Separate 12 raspberries then chop up the rest.

Mix in the the chopped raspberries

Spoon into cupcake cases and bake for about 15 mins then allow to cool.

Once the cupcakes are cool, spread on the icing and pop a whole rasberry on top.

Vanilla and Jam Mini Tea-Time Cupcakes

Ingredients

(makes 12)

100g self-rasing flour

100g caster sugar

100g low fat margarine

1 tsp baking powder

4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

A little butter of greasing

strawberry jam to spread on cupcakes

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C

Grease a mini cupcake tin

Separate the egg white form the egg yoke

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes apart from the egg whites in a large bowl until smooth

Beat the egg whites into soft peaks

Fold the egg whites into the rest of the mixture

Spoon into cupcake cases

Bake for about 10 mins

Remove the cup cakes form the tin and place on a plate upside down

Spread some jam on the underside of each cupcake

Raspberry and Vanilla Meringue Cupcakes

These take a bit of time to cook but are very yummy.

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

For the coulis:

25g brown sugar

100ml water

75g raspberries

For the meringue:

200g caster sugar

4 egg whites

2 tsp vanilla extract

A little butter of greasing

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 120 C

First make the coulis:

Chop up the raspberries into small pieces

Then pop them along with the brown sugar and water in a pan over a low heat

Simmer gently while stirring until they have become a thick liquid

Strain the liquid to remove all the pips and pop to one side

Next prepare cupcake cases for the meringues:

Grease 12 of the cupcake cases with butter so they flatten and put on a baking tray

Then make the meringues:

Whisk the egg whites and vanilla into soft peaks

Then slowly add the sugar and whisk until stiff

Finally swirl in the raspberry coulis and place a large blob on each of the cupcake cases you prepared earlier

Bake in the oven for 2 hours