Iron Cupcake: Earth Cranberry Challenge

This is my recipe for this month's Iron Cupcake Earth competition. The chosen ingredient was Cranberry. Since cranberries are very rare here I had to use the dried ones. Well, they were dry no more after being soaked for 2 days in cherry Brandy, whisky and tea. In fact they ended quite plump and nice looking :) I think I ll make these cupcakes again for Christmas since I really liked their red colour and they were delicious.

The main ingredients of these cupcakes are cranberries and almonds. A marzipan ball is inserted in the middle of each cupcake . Such a nice surprise !!! Then they are topped with some candied cranberries, again boiled in some cherry brandy syrup and finished off buy some marzipan Christmas holy.

This month's Iron Cupcake: Earth prizes are from Etsy artists Lollipop Workshop, Cookie Sunshine, Lots of Sprinkles and Cakespy. Corporate prizes are from Fiesta Products, Hello, Cupcake, Jesse Steele, Cupcake Courier, and Taste of Home. For this month only we have an added bonus from Sweet Cuppin Cakes Bakery and Cupcakery Supply. Iron Cupcake: Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers.

Voting starts Nov. 30 at http://mkecupcakequeen.blogspot.comBrandy Cranberries, almond cupcakes with marzipan filling topped with candied cranberries

Cupcakes
¾ c plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
60g butter
60gr brown sugar
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mandarin zest
½ tsp lemon rind
1 ½ tbl golden syrup
1 egg
50g crushed almonds
50g ground almonds

Brandy Cranberries
2bl cherry brandy
1 ½ tbl whisky
100gr cranberries
100ml cranberry tea

Candied cranberries
50g cranberries, chopped
1 tbl icing sugar
2 tbl water
1 1/2 tbl cherry brandy

Marzipan Balls
100g ground almonds
100g icing sugar
enough water to form a dough
red food colouring


Brandy Cranberries
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and leave to soak at least overnight. (I left them for about a day and a half)

Marzipan balls
In a small bowl mix the ground almonds and sugar together. Add food colouring to enough water, and add it to the mixture to form a dough. Taking a teaspoon form marzipan balls.

Cupcakes
In a bowl sieve the flour, salt, spices, baking powder and baking soda. Add the ground and crushed almonds. Set aside.
In another bowl beat the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until well combined. Add the golden syrup and the mandarin and lemon rinds.
Add the flour mixture till well combined. Fold in the soaked cranberries and any remaining liquid.

Fill seven cupcakes with some of the mixture. Place a marzipan ball in the centre and divide the rest of the batter between the cupcakes.
Bake in a preheated oven till they looked fully cooked and are light golden. Let cool.

Candied cranberries
Combine all the ingredients in a small pot and boil till cranberries are plump and the syrup is slightly thickened.

Decorate the cupcakes with a teaspoon of the candied cranberries and spread the remaining syrup on the cupcakes.