Cupcakes again. Rewarding.

I'm happy. Relieved. And relaxed.
Second semester's just got over and it feels like a super-powerful whirlwind just threw me out of its belly.
Forty-eight hours of no sleep and the reward: and enormously satisfying final presentation.
I can now look forward to working towards my dissertation.
Wow. Dissertation. The word sounds so alien to me. Foreign and uncomfortable.
I was 18 when I left home for college. I wasn't prepared to face what architecture school demanded. Staying up late, sometimes for days and nights......and then facing comments that would squeeze out every bit of confidence even from the most surest of all people. There were those times I gagged at the thought of a Masters degree. Why do I need one, I would ask. I can get on in life with a B.Arch.

Six years later, Im ready to work on a dissertation.
Even as I'm typing the word, I feel this urgent gurgle rising up my throat.
I could burst out into uncontrollable giggles at the thought of me producing a legitimate piece of serious work on Architecture. Do I know enough about the subject?

Anyways, Let's just concentrate on some more cupcakes for now. They're distracting, rewarding and strangely addictive.

Fairy cakes with streaky chocolate cream icing.





The recipe was adapted from the one over at Joy of Baking.

Chocolate Cream Frosting whip about a cup of double cream till it can hold stiff peaks (the frosting's a little stiffer than the regular buttercream variety). Melt 125gms of dark chocolate bits in a baine marie and pour it into the whipped cream. Fold in gently leaving streaks behind. At this point, I should mention that by the virtue of not having much of a sweet tooth I usually don't add sugar to the frosting, but if you'd rather then go ahead and add in half a cup of castor sugarwhile whipping the cream. Spoon the streaky frosting over the cupcakes (after they've cooled). Sprinkle on sprinkles and consider it a reward for your efforts.