Community Corner

Easter Recipes: Almond Cupcakes with Rosewater and Fresh Blossoms

Finish Easter dinner off with a sweet, seasonal treat.

As Easter Sunday approaches and families scramble to round out dinner menus, Patch will share recipes from local chefs.

For the second day, Chef Matt Finarelli is sharing a recipe—and this time it’s a dessert. On Thursday, Finarelli shared a recipe for Bordeaux-Braised Lamb Shanks with White Beans.

Bringing seasonal garnish together with sweets, Finarelli has a recipe for Prosecco Almond Cupcakes with Rosewater and Fresh Blossoms. The recipe makes 32 cupcakes.

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Finarelli has been a chef since 2006, and since then, he has authored a cookbook, “Beyond the Red Sauce.” He operates his own personal chef business with clients in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, and also teaches cooking classes.

Here’s Finarelli’s recipe for a sweet finish to dinner.

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Ingredients:

4 cups                                    cake flour

2 tsp                                    baking powder

1 tsp                                    salt

4 sticks                  unsalted butter – softened

3 cups                                    sugar

8 ea                                    eggs

6 Tbsp                                    milk

¼ cup                                    Prosecco

2 tsp                                    vanilla

⅓ cup                                    slivered almonds – well chopped

1 recipe                   Rosewater Frosting

As needed                  Edible blossoms (e.g. pansies, marigolds, small roses, cone flowers, herb flowers, lilac, lavender – all pesticide free and well washed.)

Method:

-       Preheat oven to 350° F, line cupcake pan with papers.

-       Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

-       Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

-       Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

-       With mixer on low speed beat in milk, Prosecco and vanilla until just combined.

-       Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined after each addition.

-       Fold in almonds gently.

-       Bake until toothpick comes out clean – about 20 minutes.  Cool and top with Rosewater Frosting and then edible blossoms.

Rosewater Frosting

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) packages                                     cream cheese, softened

1¾ cups                                                       powdered sugar

1 tsp                                                                        fresh lemon juice

5 tsp                                                                         rosewater

Method:

-       Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.

-       Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated.

-       Add lemon juice and rosewater and beat until smooth.


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