Keto Raspberry Cupcakes

We’re back from camping at the coast where we were nestled in a temperate rain forest we love deeply and just a few hours drive away. There is something about living in a tented home that speaks to old memories of the soul. Completely unplugged and uncluttered. It’s renewing and a restorative sacred reminder of how simply we can exist. I was sad to leave.

I went grocery shopping on our return and came home with some beautiful raspberries and felt like cupcakes. Here is my final recipe after some hesitation about adding chocolate, I decided they would be lovely without … and they are! Yes, those are strawberries decorating them, I forgot to keep some raspberries back for decorating! I used mint leaves too.

Summary:

Make sure butter, eggs and cream cheese are all at room temperature. It prevents your batter curdling.

Prep your cupcake pan first. Always nice to get that out of the way. We’ll bake at 350⁰F for +-30 minutes. First, melting butter and sugar together; then whisking the dry ingredients together; separating the eggs and beating the whites until stiff; lastly, adding the beaten egg yolks together with the buttermilk and cream cheese and then mixing the batter all together. While baking, make your icing. I made a butter and cream cheese glaze, adding rose and vanilla essence and a few fresh raspberries.

This may make more batter than a dozen cupcakes, so I made two little dessert treats on the side in little flan dishes.

Recipe:

Continue reading

Keto Burfi (Indian sweetmeat or dessert)

My Dad had business friends who used to give him delicious Indian sweet treats around the time of Diwali. He would bring home an exquisite platter of colourful home-made “sweet meats” and we would enjoy the delicious variety sparingly, knowing how much work, care and love went into making them. They had edible gold and silver leaf, pastel sprinkles, hues of green, pink and orange or crispy golden deep fried, sometimes also studded with a few tiny silver balls or decorated with rainbow coloured puffed rice. As a child I remember hearing the Women and Girls would gather together in large groups in sizeable home kitchens and spend a day or weekend making these delicious, beautiful, delicately spiced exotic treats together, then sharing them with family and friends. I wished I could be a part of such a close knit culture, togetherness and bonding over such an auspicious time of year.

Continue reading