Read Online Christmas At The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jenny Colgan
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walls and the floor were dark mahogany. The smell of coffee and baking cakes made Austin nearly tearful with homesickness. He pushed open the door, and it clanged just like Issy’s did.
‘Well, hello there,’ said a friendly voice from behind the counter. The back wall was entirely lined with red and green twisted candy canes. ‘What can I get you today?’
Chapter Five
Polar Bear Cupcakes
Theselittle cakes are irresistible. Cut the liquorice into tiny eyes and a little nose, and use white buttons for the ears. Or if, like me, you hate liquorice, use chocolate chips. Try not to feel too sad when you bite into them; let’s face it, anyone who can eat a jelly baby can eat a coconut baby polar bear.
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
125g sifted self-raising flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp milk
For thisrecipe you need two different sizes of cupcake tin, one smaller than the other.
Preheat oven to 190°C/gas mark 5, and put paper cases in the tins.
Beat butter and sugar together, then add eggs, flour, vanilla and milk and beat until the mix drops slowly off the spoon (add more milk if it won’t).
Spoon into paper cases, put in oven. Check with a toothpick after 12 minutes – if it comes out clean, we’re ready.
For the topping
125g unsalted butter
250g icing sugar, sifted
1tsp coconut extract (you can also use Malibu, if you’re feeling frisky!)
splash of milk
desiccated coconut
chocolate chips, large and small
white chocolate buttons
Beat the butter and add the icing sugar, then add the coconut extract and the milk until you have a light frosting.
Spread the frosting all over one small and one large cupcake, then stick them together so the little cake makes the polar bear’s head. Carefully roll the bear in the desiccated coconut.
Addchocolate chips to make the eyes and the nose, and the white chocolate buttons to make the ears – and voilà! Polar bear cupcakes!!!!
Merry Christmas!
‘So we’re going full Christmas,’ said Pearl in a resigned tone of voice.
‘They’re polar bears,’ said Issy. ‘Polar bears are for life, Pearl, not just Christmas. Anyway,’ she added, ‘it’s the first of December today! It’s Advent! It’s all official! Ta-dah!’
She unveiled her
pièce de résistance
from her shoulder bag: a huge Advent calendar. It was in the shape of a traditional snow-coloured village, and the brightly coloured windows of the houses formed the numbers of the calendar.
‘First child every morning gets to open a door. Except for Louis.’
Louis looked up from where he was sitting engrossed in a book about frogs.
‘Do you have your own calendar?’ she asked.
Louis nodded gravely.
‘Grammy did give me one. It has sweeties. I get chocolate every day! And Daddy gave me one too.’
Issy looked at Pearl.
‘Don’t look at me,’ said Pearl, who had some trouble watching Louis’ weight. ‘I told them both,’ she said. ‘I took one of them away.’
‘Forthe poor children,’ said Louis gravely. ‘Poor, poor children. I kept Grammy’s because I ate that first.’
‘OK, good,’ said Issy. ‘Don’t open this one, if you don’t mind. You can open the big doors on Christmas Eve.’
Louis studied it carefully. ‘Issy!’ he said urgently. ‘It has no chocolate left, Issy!’
‘Not all Advent calendars have chocolate, Louis.’
‘Yes! They do!’ said Louis. ‘I think a robber came.’
‘Well, I’m glad I’m not going to have too much trouble keeping you away from it,’ said Issy.
She unfolded the calendar on top of the fireplace. It looked lovely, but wouldn’t stay up.
‘Hmm, I wonder what would keep that up?’ she said. ‘Oh, I know. Perhaps this long rope of holly I just happen to have in my bag.’
Pearl snorted. ‘Yeah, all right,’ she said. ‘You’ve made your point.’
‘Did you know who started with the holly and the ivy?’ said Issy cheerfully.
‘Baby Jesus!’
‘Well, hello there,’ said a friendly voice from behind the counter. The back wall was entirely lined with red and green twisted candy canes. ‘What can I get you today?’
Chapter Five
Polar Bear Cupcakes
Theselittle cakes are irresistible. Cut the liquorice into tiny eyes and a little nose, and use white buttons for the ears. Or if, like me, you hate liquorice, use chocolate chips. Try not to feel too sad when you bite into them; let’s face it, anyone who can eat a jelly baby can eat a coconut baby polar bear.
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
125g sifted self-raising flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp milk
For thisrecipe you need two different sizes of cupcake tin, one smaller than the other.
Preheat oven to 190°C/gas mark 5, and put paper cases in the tins.
Beat butter and sugar together, then add eggs, flour, vanilla and milk and beat until the mix drops slowly off the spoon (add more milk if it won’t).
Spoon into paper cases, put in oven. Check with a toothpick after 12 minutes – if it comes out clean, we’re ready.
For the topping
125g unsalted butter
250g icing sugar, sifted
1tsp coconut extract (you can also use Malibu, if you’re feeling frisky!)
splash of milk
desiccated coconut
chocolate chips, large and small
white chocolate buttons
Beat the butter and add the icing sugar, then add the coconut extract and the milk until you have a light frosting.
Spread the frosting all over one small and one large cupcake, then stick them together so the little cake makes the polar bear’s head. Carefully roll the bear in the desiccated coconut.
Addchocolate chips to make the eyes and the nose, and the white chocolate buttons to make the ears – and voilà! Polar bear cupcakes!!!!
Merry Christmas!
‘So we’re going full Christmas,’ said Pearl in a resigned tone of voice.
‘They’re polar bears,’ said Issy. ‘Polar bears are for life, Pearl, not just Christmas. Anyway,’ she added, ‘it’s the first of December today! It’s Advent! It’s all official! Ta-dah!’
She unveiled her
pièce de résistance
from her shoulder bag: a huge Advent calendar. It was in the shape of a traditional snow-coloured village, and the brightly coloured windows of the houses formed the numbers of the calendar.
‘First child every morning gets to open a door. Except for Louis.’
Louis looked up from where he was sitting engrossed in a book about frogs.
‘Do you have your own calendar?’ she asked.
Louis nodded gravely.
‘Grammy did give me one. It has sweeties. I get chocolate every day! And Daddy gave me one too.’
Issy looked at Pearl.
‘Don’t look at me,’ said Pearl, who had some trouble watching Louis’ weight. ‘I told them both,’ she said. ‘I took one of them away.’
‘Forthe poor children,’ said Louis gravely. ‘Poor, poor children. I kept Grammy’s because I ate that first.’
‘OK, good,’ said Issy. ‘Don’t open this one, if you don’t mind. You can open the big doors on Christmas Eve.’
Louis studied it carefully. ‘Issy!’ he said urgently. ‘It has no chocolate left, Issy!’
‘Not all Advent calendars have chocolate, Louis.’
‘Yes! They do!’ said Louis. ‘I think a robber came.’
‘Well, I’m glad I’m not going to have too much trouble keeping you away from it,’ said Issy.
She unfolded the calendar on top of the fireplace. It looked lovely, but wouldn’t stay up.
‘Hmm, I wonder what would keep that up?’ she said. ‘Oh, I know. Perhaps this long rope of holly I just happen to have in my bag.’
Pearl snorted. ‘Yeah, all right,’ she said. ‘You’ve made your point.’
‘Did you know who started with the holly and the ivy?’ said Issy cheerfully.
‘Baby Jesus!’
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