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Sweet pea cupcakes with Swiss meringue frosting

Sweet pea cupcakes with Swiss meringue frosting

6
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Prep
35 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Moderate
Don't settle for your average dessert: These actually get their intensely moist texture and natural sweetness from sweet peas! For a beautiful presentation, serve with sliced strawberries and fresh mint, or take an elegant turn and top them with edible flowers. If you choose to use flowers, be sure to they are edible ones and not sprayed with pesticides not meant for consumption. When you serve the cupcakes, see if people can guess the secret ingredient.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

4 spray(s)

All-purpose flour

1 cup(s)

Baking powder

1 tsp

Sea salt

½ tsp, fine variety

Uncooked peas

2 cup(s), fresh English variety (or 10-oz bag frozen English peas)

Unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup(s)

Lemon zest

1 Tbsp, finely grated

Egg

3 large egg(s), separated

Sugar

1 cup(s), divided

Egg whites

2 large

Cream of tartar

½ tsp

Vanilla extract

½ tsp

Sea salt

1 pinch(es), fine variety

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and 1⁄2 tsp salt.
  3. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave peas on High until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain peas; rinse under cold water. Drain again; transfer to a blender. Add applesauce, lemon zest, and egg yolks; purée until smooth, about 90 seconds.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 3 egg whites until soft peaks form. Increase speed; gradually add 1⁄2 cup sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
  5. Over whipped whites, pour pea mixture; gently fold together. Over top, sift flour mixture; gently mix together. Among prepared muffin cups, evenly divide batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  6. Meanwhile, to make frosting: In clean stand mixer bowl or other large metal bowl, place 2 egg whites, cream of tartar, and remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar; set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.
  7. Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or use an electric hand mixer to beat the egg white mixture, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Then beat in vanilla and a pinch of salt.
  8. Use an offset spatula or piping bag to decorate each cupcake with about 2 tbsp frosting.
  9. Serving size: 1 cupcake

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