Want an unusual dessert? Try swapping out some of the flour for couscous in a cupcake batter. You’ll be amazed at the result.
A major complaint about couscous sometimes is the lack of flavor but this is where having it as dessert comes in handy. Incorporating apricot puree and spices into the couscous batter gives the cupcakes an amazing flavor and texture.
Couscous, the justly celebrated masterpiece of Moroccan cooking, is actually a pasta, though it`s often mistaken for a grain.
Couscous (pronounced ‘koos-koos‘) is now widely available in packaged form in most supermarkets. Couscous are the yellow granules of semolina made from durum wheat. Durum is the hardest variety of the six classes of wheat and has the highest protein content of all wheat. Because of this, it’s ideal for making high quality pasta and is used by both American and Italian manufacturers. It’s also used to make couscous in America and Latin America. If these pastas were made of the softer white wheat flour that egg noodles use, they would lose their shape.
There are three types of couscous:
- Moroccan couscous -Fine, used for savory as well as dessert couscous.
- Israeli couscous – Medium, used for savory dishes also called pearl couscous.
- Lebanese couscous – Coarse, more difficult to work with, used for savory dishes.
Adding some cream cheese frosting topped with apricot puree and sprinkled with couscous rolled in cinnamon takes this dessert to the next level!
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- 1 cup water
- 1 cup Moroccan couscous (should equal 2 3/4 cups cooked)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 250 gm dried apricots, chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups cooked & cooled to room temperature (reserve a small amount for garnishing cupcakes)
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp EACH ginger & cardamom OR to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter,
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup apricot puree (reserve 1/4 cup for topping)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 pinch salt for egg whites
- 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 250 gm cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Ingredients
Couscous
Apricot Puree
Cupcakes
Frosting
Topping
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- In a saucepan, bring 1 cup water & 1/2 tsp salt to boiling. Add couscous, cover & remove from heat. Allow to sit 5 minutes then fluff with a fork & set aside to cool.
- Place water, sugar & apricots in a saucepan. Bring to a boil & simmer until soft. Place in a food processor & pulse to make a puree.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 cups cooled couscous (reserve a small amount for topping), flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices & salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar. Add 1 cup apricot puree & whip until light & fluffy. Add vanilla & egg yolks; whip well.
- Gradually add couscous mixture then buttermilk & combine only until blended. Whip egg whites until frothy, adding a pinch of salt. Using a spatula, blend egg whites into the batter.
- Bake 12-15 minutes or until testing with a toothpick & it comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
- Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese & butter until completely smooth, about 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down sides to ensure that the mixture is mixed evenly.
- On low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar. Once combined, scrape down sides of bowl & increase the speed to medium, beating just until well combined & creamy.