Eggs Benedict Cupcakes
I spent awhile the other day googling breakfast themed cupcake recipes. I wanted to make a bacon cupcake, but that just seemed so played out and my bacon was frozen. I did have some Canadian bacon though in the refrigerator and at first thought about candying the Canadian bacon until what I assume was an angel whispering a secret to me. That secret? Eggs Benedict Cupcakes.
Ingredients & Directions:
- 3/4 C Butter, room temperature
- 1 C Sugar
- 1 1/2 C Flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder (not pictured)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Milk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- Canadian Bacon
- Hollandaise Sauce (recipe below)
- Poached Eggs (one per cupcake, make fresh)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line the muffin pan with paper cupcake liners. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Raise the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula.)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and vanilla, and also set aside.
Add the egg yolks to the creamed butter one at time (set eggs whites aside), waiting for each one to be fully incorporated before adding the next. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Alternate adding the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next (scrape the bowl down occasionally). Raise the speed to medium and mix briefly until a smooth batter is formed. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
Clean the bowl of the mixer and put the egg whites inside. Whip the egg whites on high speed, using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks are formed.
Fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches, until just incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the cups in the muffin pan.
Bake, rotating the pan once, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
While the cupcakes are cooling, make your poached eggs. I have a poached egg pan that I use occasionally and it makes a perfectly shaped egg. A regular poached egg would work just as well (I sound like Ina Garten!).
Pan fry the Canadian bacon or prepare to your liking.
Hollandaise Sauce:
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 1 T Water
- 1 T Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
- 12 - 16 T Butter, softened
- Salt & Pepper
Put the yolks in a heat-proof bowl. Add lemon juice & water to the egg yolks. Whisk until thick and pale. Set up a double boiler (I used a smaller pot inside a bigger pot) and fill bottom pot half way with water & bring to a boil. Bring the heat down to low and continue to whisk, move pan out of water if the eggs seem like they are cooking too much. Once the mixture is smooth & thickened remove from heat. Add the butter, whisking constantly to incorporate the butter into the egg mixture. Season with salt & pepper and whisk to combine.
Now, to put the cupcake together. Cut the top off the cupcake.
Stack the Canadian bacon, poached egg, and cupcake top.
Pour warm hollandaise sauce over the cupcake and serve immediately. This was seriously one of my best ideas ever.
(Steven)
