Savoury Zucchini Cupcakes - Baking the Stress Away

Well... I'm absolutely stressed out, constantly nervous and panicking... and in no mood to write anything sciency... Too bad, because all the deadlines are rapidly approaching... As I'm trying to focus all my energy on my dissertation, I didn't post any of my stress-relief baking creations, but this one really deserves it. I'm, however, going to omit all the scientific jibber-jabber today.

Cheesy Zucchini Cupcakes with Chives and Bacon

Ingredients (makes for about 10 cupcakes)

     Cupcakes
50 g bacon (cooked crisp and crumbled)
1 cup plain flour
3/4 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup whole milk
1/8 cup butter (melted)
1/8 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
0.75 tbsp. baking powder
0.5 tsp. baking soda
1 large egg
1 clove garlic (shredded)
1 handful of chives (cut)
1 handful of pumpkin seeds

    Cream Cheese Frosting
200 g cream cheese
50 g bacon (cooked crisp and crumbled)
0.5 tsp. salt
1/2 spring onion (the green part)

Directions
      Cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Whisk together the melted butter, egg, milk, zucchini, chives and garlic
3. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk thoroughly until smooth
4. Fold in the cheddar and parmesan cheese, and bacon
7. Line a cupcake/muffin pan with cupcake cases and fill each one about 3/4 full
8. Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with a few pumpkin seeds
9. Bake for about 20 minutes (toothpick inserted in the centre should come out mostly clean)

     Cream Cheese Frosting
1. Combine the cheese with crumbled bacon and finely chopped spring onion
2. Add salt to taste
3. If too thick, add a little milk

Crying in the Kitchen - Caramelized Onion Quiche

I cried last week... It was a long week, exhausting and tiring... But it wasn't the sleep deprivation that made me cry. It was onion.

A relatively volatile compound, propanethial S-oxide, is a lachrymator (not a nice word at all). Upon meeting the cornea, it is detected by the nervous system and triggers response from the tear (lachrymal) glands. The burning sensation is caused by the contact of the vapours with the moist surface of the eyes that results in the formation of sulfuric acid.

However, onions do not contain propanethial S-oxide. They only produce it when damaged, and its primary purpose is not to make humans cry, but to protect the plant from herbivores. The irritant is a product of a series of chemical reactions. When the onion is cut, its cells are broken open and this releases an enzyme called alliinase and water, both of which react with S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide forming a variety of products. These are precursors of different compounds which form the flavour of onion. They also include 1-propenyl sulfenic acid that reacts with an enzyme named lachrymatory-factor synthase (yes, I'm nearly finished), and gives rise to the evil propanethial S-oxide.

Well, the crying was worth it, my onion quiche was yummy...

Caramelized Onion Quiche with Cheese and Bacon

Ingredients
     Dough
300 g plain flour
125 g butter (softened)
100 ml water
pinch of salt

     Filling
150 g grated cheese (gouda/chedar/...)
150 g diced bacon
6 big onions
2 eggs
4 tsp. herbs de Provence
3 tbsp. brown sugar
olive oil
pepper
salt

Directions
1. Mix flour, butter, water and salt, and knead them into dough. Let the dough cool in the fridge while you prepare the filling.  
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
3. Slice the onions, and slowly fry them in olive oil. When lightly browned, add the sugar and let caramelize a bit. Add the bacon and continue frying until the onion is soft and sweet.
4. Put the onion into a large bowl and let cool for a while.
5. Roll out the dough and line an oiled pie pan with it. Save the unused dough in the fridge.
6. Mix the eggs, cheese and herbs with the onion and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour the filling into the lined pie pan.
8. Use the leftover dough to make a lattice top for the quiche crust.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes until the dough is golden-brown.