Purple Cow -- Blueberry Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icicng

"I never saw a Purple Cow Cupcake
'bet you never thought you'd see one
But I can tell you anyhow
I'd rather see than be one" (especially the hanging out in a 350 degree oven part -- YOWCH!)


Happy Birthday, Aunt Tossie!

Blueberry Cupcakes
2 cups unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake tins with baking papers. Place the butter in a microwavable bowl and microwave 1-2 minutes, just until melted but not boiling. Whisk in the brown sugar. Let cool to lukewqrm temperature, about 4 minutes.
Whisk the eggs into the butter-sugar mixture. Add the milk, vanilla, salt, and baking powder; whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour until just combined. Fold in the blueberries.
Fill each baking cup two-thirds full. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

This cupcake recipe is adapted from Sara Neumeier's book, Cupcakes Year-round. This book has great recipes but the format could use a bit of standardizing with a Table of Contents so that when I'm looking for a specific recipe, I don't have to flip through the entire book looking for it.


Mascarpone Icing
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Beat butter until light and fluffy then add Mascarpone and vanilla and mix to combine. Scrape the mixing bowl thoroughly and slowly add powdered sugar.

This creamy Mascarpone icing is the perfect complement to the slightly tangy blueberry cupcake. I was pleasantly surprised that the cupcakes didn't taste as much like blueberry muffins as I had expected.


When I was a little tiny baby, my Aunt Tossie cared for me while my Mom went off to work in the coal mines at 3M. From the stories I've heard, it is only by small miracles that I survived the care of my dear Auntie. I know she loves me but expect to get such a pinch the next time she sees me. Everyone join me in whistling "Happy Birthday to You" and doing a birthday jig for Tossie.


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