Fresh Fig Cupcakes

 

Tis the season when the summer fruits are at their best but some of the early Fall ones seem to be appearing, too. A friend gifted me with a large basket of fresh figs today so I had to find a good use for them and fig cupcakes were the result. My first attempt at baking with figs but, so far, praises for my efforts.

Fresh Fig Cupcakes

1 cup almost pureed figs (you still want a little bit of texture.)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup solid shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cream shortening and brown sugar together and beat in eggs. Add the vanilla. Blend in the dry mixture with the creamed one. Fold in the figs and raisins.

Line your cupcake tins with cupcake papers. You should get 12-16 cupcakes. Divide the batter into the cupcake pan.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes but watch it until you know how your oven heats as fruit cupcakes scorch easily.

A simple lemon glaze would finish these off very nicely.

If you are Catholic, be Catholic . . .

I don't know how many times I have been chastised by 'Catholics' to vote 'with the times' and leave my religion at the 'door' when it comes to being a real part of the world. This excerpt from a recent posting from the Catholic Advocate Candidate Fund certainly dares to say it like it should be said.


"It may shock you to learn that right now (and going back for decades) less than half of the Catholics in Congress vote in accordance with Church teaching when it comes to unborn children and the institution of marriage. This is a disgrace, and we need to do something about it right now.

While some religions guide their adherents to live in a manner set apart from the world, Catholics are under no such obligation. In fact, our duty is the exact opposite. Catholics have an obligation to be involved in the political process in a way that defends our values. For too long, we've let "Catholic" politicians like Massachusetts Senator John Kerry take "the Catholic vote" for granted and use Catholic institutions (schools, hospitals, and parishes) as props, even as they wage aggressively secular campaigns and call attention to their dissent from Church teachings."

Fresh Plum Cake

As I mentioned, I baked several plum cakes, yesterday. I developed this liking for plum cakes on my first trip to Germany, many years ago. It was plum season and they showed up in sauces, stewed, and in a variety of cakes. Most of them used a yeast-based cake. I prefer this one because I want the plums to be the dominant taste with just enough cake to make it interesting.

Plum Cake

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 stick of butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of one lemon
1 cup all-purpose flour (or half white and half wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

12-15 Italian plums, pitted and each half cut in half again - four sections from each plum
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

This makes one cake. If you bake a lot, you probably have a tart pan or a spring form pan. If you are of a more basic frame of mind, you can use a couple of 8-inch round cake pans, or an oblong baking dish about 9x11-inches. Generously use vegetable oil spray on your pan. If you have parchment paper, you can use that and then respray the paper.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Whip in the eggs and vanilla, add lemon zest. Stir in the flour and baking powder. Spread the batter (it will be thick but sticky) into your pan(s) of choice. Arrange the plum quarter pieces with the skin side up on top of the batter.

Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the size pan(s) you used. Cool and remove to a serving plate while still warm. The plums can bake on sticky and make it hard to remove later.

Ideas . . .

Substitute fresh pitted cherries for the plums.
Try peeled and sliced peaches.
Scatter fresh blueberries over the batter.

Note: Italian plums are much smaller than the usual plums we put in the fruit basket. They have a bit less juice which works better for the recipe.

Quilting happened yesterday!

I actually kept to my personally proposed schedule, yesterday, and got a lot done. I already have a quilt pinned and started some initial quilting stitches on it. I cut out fabric for three baby quilts and one of them should be done, today. I try and get baby quilts done for pro-life so the mothers who are going through with their pregnancies have something special for the new one coming into their life. I must be in the summer mind set as one of my larger quilts is seashells in beach colors and the other one is in water prints and fish.

I kept my promise to children and husband and baked several plum cakes, yesterday. I'll post a recipe later. Whenever the Italian plums come into season, I go back into my German roots and bake plum cake. Finally found a recipe that appeals to me and my husband says that he likes the yeast dough version a bit better. Next batch!

Sigh . . . This is the last day of our pastor's four-part teaching series on the Mass. I still can't believe how much he has imparted to us that we didn't realize or know. Being a cradle Catholic, I guess I have become complacent in thinking I know it all and have been brought up short and lead into a new realization of how much more there is to our Faith. Our pastor is a terrific teacher and can offset the liberal factions that try to sidetrack him with kindness and exact points of fact they can check for themselves. He never judges but leaves the 'awakening' to happen through our own desire in connection with the teachings he presents. He said he would have another class in September and I'm already hoping and praying my schedule will be open.

Late start to the morning. My son developed a good habit on our recent vacation. Given the early hours we had to keep for getting on the bus and taking off for tours, he taught himself to nap on the long bus rides. I was always amazed to watch him down two or three expressos in the morning and fall directly to sleep once he sat down on the bus. It worked for him enjoying the tour as it helped catch him up on his sleep. However, he trained himself too well and no matter what comfortable seat he finds himself in, these days, he starts to doze off by habit . . . Not a good think when his seat is up at the altar and he is serving Mass! We are going with a iced coffee drink and a green tea capsule to see if that keeps him awake and focused today!

Government Fast Food Nannies . . .

It's just another way for the government to intrude into our personal lives. First, they ban certain oils for frying, then they require a calorie count on restaurant menus, and now they have a fast food place changing the 'attitude' of their happy meals. If I were still a kid and being treated to a fast food meal, I would very much resent having apples in place of French fries. What does the government think is going to really happen here?

First of all, the families that eat out constantly, are not going to lose weight because there are apple slices in their happy meal. They eat out for the convenience and the junk food. Yes, a few people might actually eat something nutritious but their ultimate goal in eating out was not in view of their health.

Some of the parents will certainly appreciate the change but you probably won't find such families eating out that often and their children already are eating right at home . . . without being harassed by the powers that be because they are the parents and they do what is right because they want to.

According to a report on the radio, people are not asking for these substitions in their fried food cravings. Some report said the fast food places are doing it because of customer demand yet statistics  show only eleven percent are asking.

It is amusing/sad/scary that our entire world is in constant flux over one thing or another and the government takes valuable time and money to 'govern' our food intake. The choices have always been available. People make their own choices. You constantly take away our ability to choose and you end up with a bunch of people who really do need a governmental nanny.