Vanilla bean cupcakes with fairy floss

Babiche Martens

Who says cupcakes are just for kids? These grown-up vanilla bean-flavoured treats will delight the whole family.

Ingredients

120 g	Butter
1 tsp	Vanilla extract
½ cup	Raw sugar
2	Eggs
½ cup	Ground almonds
½ cup	Self raising flour (Main)
¼ cup	Milk
1 to decorate	Fairy Floss, Persian, available from gourmet food stores (Main)

Icing

2 cups	Icing sugar
1 tsp	Butter, softened
1	Vanilla pod (Main)
2 Tbsp	Water, boiling, approximately

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line muffin tins with paper cases.
2. Cream butter, vanilla and sugar until pale, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Fold in the almonds and then the flour. Gently stir in the milk until all ingredients are combined.
4. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Put the icing sugar in a bowl and add the softened butter.
6. Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the bowl (add the dried pod to your sugar container).
7. Add the boiling water and mix to a smooth consistency, adding a little more water if necessary.
8. Ice the cooled cupcakes and top with a little fairy floss.