Cranberry & Pistachio Cupcake with White Chocolate Buttercream

[takayanagi]

I’m favouring a new cup cake flavour combination these days. Well… its not really new as such. Its white choc + pistachios + cranberries soaked in Southern Comfort. Yep you read it right, Cranberries soaked in Southern Comfort! I first made this cupcake at christmas. I’ve made several variations of the white choc, pistachio and cranberry combination but I don’t usually soak the cranberries. I'm so in love with these little beauties that i just can't stop making them!!

Ingredients Cupcake:

• 2oz Butter
• 2oz Caster Sugar
• 2oz Self Raising Flour - sifted
• 65g Pistachios
• 100g Cranberries
• 2tbp Southern Comfort
• 1tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 large egg

Method Cupcake:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Soak cranberries in southern comfort for at least 10 mins.(I left them overnight.)
3. Meanwhile, beat butter & sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add egg & vanilla and beat again.
5. Fold in flour.
6. Once flour is 1/2 mixed in, add pistachios, cranberries and any liquids that havent been soaked up by the cranberries - fold again.
7. Spoon into cupcake liners - you should get at least 6 medium sized cupcakes
8. Bake for 12-15 mins.
9. Leave to cool completely before frosting

Ingredients Frosting & Topping:

• 100g Butter
• 100g Icing Sugar
• 1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
• 50g White Chocolate - melted
• 1tbp Pistachios chopped
• 1tbp Cranberries chopped

Method Frosting & Topping:

1. Beat butter, vanilla & sugar until pale and fluffy.
2. Add melted white chocolate and beat for 2 mins.
3. Frost cupcakes - Make sure cupcakes are completely cooled first otherwise your frosting will melt.
4. Top with chopped cranberries and pistachios

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