Those are the best of the moments which I spend with my family. And it has doubled up the fun when I have taken off from work completely. I am almost re-living my summer vacations of school days. Though that one month long vacation has squeezed into one week, but experiencing the similar feelings back again has actually compensated for the shorter duration.

This is the time when most of schools in north India are closed due to summer vacations and kids get most of their pampering from parents. Or rather, when parents have to cater to their kids’s tantrums, demands more frequently, all day long.

I remember those days, when we used to complete our summer assignment from school during the first week of vacation itself, so that we could save the next three weeks for full time fun and enjoyment. There used to be two main rituals which we did almost every year; visiting our sweet grand mother followed by a short out station trip to mountains in north. Because of lack of time, that out station trip had to be snipped off and visit to grand mother’s place has been converted to my parents visiting me along with my whole big family, including the sweet grand mother of course. With time things have taken a new form completely {oops…sorry for this cliche}.

Time is flying so high, that I didn’t realize that it’s almost about to end.  Almost each day, I baked/cooked one new recipe, when everyone else except kids was having a nap after lunch and surprised them with these goodies with afternoon tea when they woke up. There was so much to do but I managed to take some shots for posting here later.

I started with these wonderful and colorful vanilla bean cupcakes {some more recipes would follow soon}.  I baked these especially for my niece, who dots on cakes and cookies. Her face got brightened up when she saw me cutting these marzipan flowers. She would come by and sneak out a flower or leaf out of my sight a couple of times. And I enjoyed pretending to ignore her. It was so much fun I must say.

Ingredients

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

100 gm butter, softened
100 gm sugar, powdered
1/2 vanilla bean
2 eggs
125 gm plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp milk

Whipped Cream Frosting

1 tsp unflavored gelatin
4 tsp warm water
1 cup low fat cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Liquid food color of choice

Marzipan

100 gm pealed and blanched almonds
50 gm powdered sugar
Liquid food color of choice

Instructions

1. For cupcakes, beat butter, sugar and vanilla bean scrape together until pale and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by flour, baking powdered and milk.
3. Divide the batter into 8 paper cups and bake in a 180 degree Celsius preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
4. Let cupcakes cool completely.
5. For marzipan, grind the almonds in food processor, until very soft and they start to release their oil. They’ll pinch together once hold with fingers.
6. Add sugar and pulse in food processor briefly. Take out and knead with hand until pliable.
7. Add liquid food color one drop at a time. Roll out between the two sheets of cling wraps and cut flowers of different shapes. Let stand for some time.
8. For the frosting, sprinkle gelatin over water and let it dissolve for 5 minutes.
9. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until slightly thickened. While beating at slow speed, gradually add gelatin to whipped cream mixture. Whip at high speed until stiff.
10. Add color and mix well.
11. Apply frosting over cupcakes with spatula and stick flowers and leaves and let them dry for few minutes in refrigerator.