One of the not-so-fun things about baking is that sometimes the mistakes made during the recipe-inventing stage are irreparable. As a result, not-so-tasty and nearly toxic treats, like my vanilla fig basil cupcakes, get thrown in the trash and (while giving off a putrid aroma) get shunned even by Oscar the Grouch himself. You may think I am exaggerating, but this is exactly what happened with my vanilla fig basil cupcakes!
This month, basil is the Iron Cupcake Challenge secret ingredient. I don't know how other folks are putting their cupcakes together using such a potent herb, but I can't seem to formulate a recipe that includes basil and doesn't leave me gagging. One bite of those vanilla fig basil cupcakes and I was convinced they were far from salvageable. There was no way I could convince them, not even in the least bit, to taste like something worth calling a cupcake. Jose was nice enough to just say they tasted like sweet focaccia bread; I begged to differ and felt they tasted more like a green, furry, and long ago forgotten about something or another that can inhabit a back-of-the-fridge Tupperware...you know what I'm talking about!
Now, moving on to a less grotesque topic, let's hear about the Almond Butter Banana and Honey Pudding! Well, I'll be honest with you, I meant to make muffins. BUT Because I forgot to add XANTHUM GUM (a very cool word and incredibly significant gluten-free baking ingredient), the muffins fell into themselves. Yes, it was as if they were excited to come out of the oven after baking, but then (as if engaging in an act of rebellion) deflated upon realizing they were xanthum gumless!!! Oh, but they were tasty! I grabbed a big ol' spoon and dove right in...then it hit me!!! They taste like banana pudding!
Ah! What a relief. Thankfully, these xanthum gumless muffins were salvagable! Who knew muffins could be transformed into a bread pudding?! It worked out great because I just so happened to add the right amount of wet ingredients, so they didn't come out dry at all. I actually plan on replicating this recipe again some time in the future :). Oh, but don't get me wrong, I certainly won't forget about the xanthum gum the next time around ;)!
Further reading: BBC Good Food baking guidance.