彩蛋杯子蛋糕(有碗家傳菜書中食譜) Easter Egg Cupcakes (Recipe from my Book Rice Bowl Tales)

最難忘的一個復活節：我六、七歲那年，香港正爆發六七暴動。爸媽為了我們的安全，將哥哥、我和三弟帶離市區，安頓在較偏僻的鄉下，他們則是帶著四弟每天往返城市、早出晚歸地工作。

The most unforgettable Easter: During the time when I was about 6 or 7 years old, the city of Hong Kong witnessed senses of disruption as the force of the 1967 demonstrations caused chaos among citizens. My parents, concerned for the safety of the family, decided to move out to the country until the worst of the action was over. They needed to return to the city for work every day, so they took my very youngest brother with them, and returned late in the evenings daily.

那時村上有條小溪，由村頭連綿不斷地流貫至村尾，溪的盡頭是村上唯一的學校 －九華徑路德會小學。我和哥哥每天便沿著溪旁的小徑步行上學。我的英文老師很年輕，到現在我還一直記得她的名字是吳秀蓮老師。她知道我掛念著媽媽，所以常會帶些小點心，休息時讓我和哥哥分著吃。在爸媽不能回家的星期天，她會帶我上主日學。我總是被那些有著美麗圖畫的聖經故事書吸引。

The little village we stayed in during that time had a stream that flowed through the length of the village. At the end of this stream stood the settlement's only school, my brother and I walked alongside this stretch of water to the school and back every day. My English teacher was a very young lady at the time. To this day I can still remember her name clearly － Miss Sau Lin Ng. She knew I missed my mum terribly so everyday she brought me some small snacks or treats to cheer me up, which my brother and I would share at break time. As well as this, on Sundays when my parents couldn't return to the village Miss Ng would come and take me to the Sunday school. I loved those days, as I was always fascinated by the beautifully illustrated Bible stories that the school put out for the children to read.

當我們要返回市區時，我竟然哭著不願意走。老師便把她媽媽織給她的一件羊毛外衣和幾本聖經故事書送給了我。那年，就在復活節的主日學下課後，我依依不捨的離開了。之後我們搬了兩次家，和老師也失去了聯絡。長大後，家裡雖信奉道教和佛教，但我對聖經故事的回憶和興趣，始終不減，也特別喜愛與基督教故事有關的節日，對吳老師也是永遠地懷念。

When it was time for us to return to the city I found I was actually very upset and torn at the prospect of leaving. Miss Ng gave me some leaving presents to offer me comfort, a hand-knitted cardigan from her mum and a few illustrated books of Bible stories for me to take. That year after the special Easter Sunday School, I reluctantly left the school and the village with my family. After that we moved twice and I eventually lost contact with my teacher, but I cherished the memories I had of her to this day. As I was growing up, I followed Taoist and Buddhism practices as they are the religion observed by our family, but my interest in the Bible stories never faded from that early childhood days, I especially loved the festivals and holidays connected with the Christian faith, and continue to celebrate them with my family when each of them arrives.

復活節是最重要的基督教節日，慶祝基督復活。聖經上記載耶穌被釘在十字架上，死後的第三天復活升天。每年在教堂慶祝的復活節，是在西曆春分月圓後的第一個星期日，如果月圓那天剛好是星期天，復活節則要推遲一星期。因此復活節的降臨可能在3月 22日至 4月25日之間的任何一個星期日。

Easter is the most important date in the Christian calendar, as it commemorates the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Western calendar, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the Spring Full Moon. If the Full Moon happens to fall on a Sunday, Easter Sunday is pushed back by a week. Therefore, Easter can land on any Sunday between 22nd March to the 25th April.  

復活節前後人們通常會製作一種特別的復活節麵包，麵包上畫有十字架，稱為十字麵包 ，以紀念基督復活。在我每年則是和孩子們一起做十字麵包、巧克力復活蛋或杯子蛋糕。但他們最期待還是傳統的「尋找彩蛋」遊戲，方法是在指定時間找到預先藏起來的十多個巧克力彩蛋，找到最多的可以獲得頭獎。有時老公也會一起玩，但他找到的彩蛋多半會被孩子搶去。不過這個偏心的老爸會悄悄地將蛋偷回來，最後放進女兒的籃子裡去。

Around Easter time people usually make a special sweet bread to commemorate Jesus' Crucifixion - hot cross buns. In addition to this I liked to make Easter cupcakes or Easter eggs with my children, but rather than the food the event they most looked forward to was the Easter Egg Hunt. I would hide about a dozen Easter Eggs around the house, and whoever found the most was crowned the winner. Sometimes my husband would join in, but as soon as he found any they would be snatched away by the children. In spite of this, this sneaky father still managed to secretly drop an extra egg or two in our daughter's basket to help her win!

彩蛋杯子蛋糕  Easter Egg Cupcakes

材料：

( 做 22 - 24 個 )

杯子蛋糕：

• 雞蛋 4 個 ( 約 260克 )
• 自發麵粉 260克
• 白砂糖 260克
• 室温軟化無鹽牛油 ( unsalted butter ) 260克
• 香草精 vanilla extract 1 茶匙
• 杯子蛋糕紙杯 24 個

奶油乳酪霜：

• 糖粉 300g
• 室温軟化無鹽牛油 ( unsalted butter ) 55克
• 奶油乳酪 113克
• 香草情 1/2 茶匙
• 無糖椰絲 1 小碗
• 巧克力碎 1 小碗
• 蛋形、管狀糖果或巧克力4

Ingredients:
( makes 22 - 24 )

For the cupcakes

• 4 eggs ( about 260g )
• 260g self raising flour
• 260g caster sugar
• 260g room temperature soften unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 cupcake cases

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 300g icing sugar
• 55g room temperature soften unsalted butter
• 113g cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• A small bowl desiccated coconut
• A small bowl chocolate shavings
• mini eggs, tube shape and all sorts of different type of candies of your choice

做法:

1.)  烤箱預熱 170C。將 260克無鹽牛油和白砂糖以電動打蛋器打 2 分鐘直到變淺色。蛋逐次加入快速打勻，放入香草精再次拌勻。

1.)  Pre - heat oven to 170C. In a large bowl use a hand held electric mixer to beat the butter and caster sugar for about 2 minutes until pale. Next, add the egg in gradually, then drop in the vanilla extract and mix it all together.

2.)  自發粉過篩加進步驟 1，用橡膠刮刀小力攪勻。把麵糊放進烤盤上的紙杯內約 8 分滿，用 170 C 烤 15 分鐘，用竹籤插入中央部份，抽出時沒黏著物就完成了。小蛋糕放網架上待涼。

2.)  Add the sieved self - raising flour to the egg mixture, and use a spatula to fold it in carefully until it is well mixed in. Using a spoon, divide the mixture evenly in the cupcake cases and put in oven to bake for 15 minutes. To test insert a skewer into the center of the cupcakes; if it comes out clean then they 're done. Take them out and leave on a rack to cool. 

3.)  用電動打蛋器將 55 克的室温無鹽牛油打至軟化，再加入奶油乳酪，繼續打至軟滑。打蛋器調至低速，加進香草精和逐少許加進的糖粉，並把碗邊的乳酪霜撥到碗中央，打至輕而厚軟。

3.)  In a bowl, use the electric hand held mixer to beat the 55g butter until soft. Add the cream cheese and continue to beat till well blended. With the mixer on a low setting, add the vanilla extract and the icing sugar a little by little and continue mixing until  all ingredients are incorporated. Scrape the frosting from the sides of the bowl into the center, and carry on beating the cream cheese frosting until it has formed a thick but soft consistency.

4.)  把椰絲、巧克力碎放進不同的碗中。用抹刀、湯匙把奶油乳酪霜均勻地塗抹在杯子蛋糕上，再倒著轉動沾上碗裡的椰絲或巧克力碎，最後再用蛋形糖果裝飾。

4.)  Use the back of a table spoon or a spatula to coat each cupcake with the frosting. Then hold the cupcake upside down to dip it into the bowls of coconut or chocolate shaving. Finally, decorate the cupcake with the mini eggs and other candies.

5.)  也可用剪刀把管狀糖果剪開，用手彎成 U 形插在蛋糕上，成為裝著彩蛋的籃子蛋糕。

5.)  You can cut open a candy tube lengthwise and insert into the cupcake to form the handle of a basket.

Tips: 

• 做海綿蛋糕/ 杯子蛋糕確保輕軟好吃的方法：將蛋連殼放在電子秤上量重量，若 4 個蛋是 260 克，就用等量的 260 克牛油、自發麵粉和白砂糖來做海綿 / 杯子蛋糕；即是說以蛋的重量作衡量單位。
• 只要將 125 克中筋麵粉、 1 小匙蛋糕發粉和 1/2 小匙的鹽混合再過篩两次，在家也可以自己製作「自發麵粉」。
• A foolproof method for making the perfectly soft and moist sponge cakes : Measure the eggs in their shells on the digital scale. If 4 eggs weigh 260g, then use exactly the same weight (260g) of butter, self - raising flour and caster sugar to make the cupcakes; that means using the weight of the eggs as the measuring unit for the butter, sugar and flour.
• You can make your own self - raising flour by mixing 125g plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt together, then sift the flour through a strainer onto a bowl, do that twice to get a batch of self - raising flour.