Cupcakes...

My father requested that I make cupcakes for him to share with his work colleagues. Well, of course I jumped at the opportunity to try out a new recipe... but then I was stumped. What flavours should I go for? What should go in the middle? What should they be topped with? I don't want to do something dull and boring, because, to be honest, baking generic, dull things is tedious and mind-numbingly boring, and extremely off putting. If I want to make something, I want it to be exciting! It has to be original, new, different, wonderful!... otherwise what's the point?
... I think I'm going to go with coffee and pecan.
Yes, yes, that's quite generic and so normal, quite a classic, I know, I know. But I have to take into consideration the recipients of said cupcakes, while they're not old, shrivelled up dried prunes that enjoy nothing more that looking down their noses at all thing experimental and new, they're probably not going to appreciate something crazy such as black pepper and honey, or earl grey and orange. And my father finds the colour of red velvet absolutely repulsive. same goes for blue velvet, purple, or green. He's not a fan of strange, or vibrant coloured food. (He once told me that the brown colour of chocolate ice-cream was off-putting, and therefore made it look unpalatable. I was left bemused and temporarily speechless.) But. Generic though the flavour combinations may be, I guarantee you my cupcakes will be opposite. (Fingers firmly crossed!)
I plan on making them tomorrow. For the cupcakes, I intend to loosely follow the recipe for the tiramisu cupcakes, adding into it ground pecans. After the cakes are done, I shall cut of some of the top and add a filling of coffee and chocolate crème. And as for the topping, well, I've not decided yet. Maybe I'll go for a mascarpone frosting, or a white chocolate frosting with a dash of coffee, topped with the classic pecan half? hmm. I don't want to add so much coffee so as to overbalance the taste of pecan, but then again, if its a coffee cupcake, it should really taste of coffee. I don't know. I'll wing it when the time comes!
So hopes on line for tomorrow! I shall post my results. And pictures...

UPDATE:
I decided to get an early start today; make the cakes, then pop to Asda while they cool for mascarpone and cream... so I prepped my ingredients, and put the butter and sugar in the Kenwood to cream... and then discovered I had no cupcake cases left, except garish pink ones with hearts and heels that are truly an eyesore. So a trip to Asda for five ingredients turned into an hour long trip that resulted in us coming back with half the week's shopping, and many other things besides.
Anyway, the cakes are done and cool, (and taste yummy according to my mother) and I'm just waiting for the crème to chill and set slightly, so I can finish filling and decorating the cupcakes. I'm sorely tempted to put the damn thing in the quick freeze, it's taking that long. I knew I should have done that first!
Aw hell, I'm putting it in the quick freeze. Fingers crossed it doesn't form ice crystals and turn into a gelato-sorbette hybrid.


UPDATE (LATER STILL..)
Whooooo they taste great! And they look pretty darn good too. I made 20 for my father's colleagues, as requested, and there were a few extra besides, which are all gone now. (Majority were scoffed by my younger siblings as soon as they returned from school.) All that's left to do is pack them up into individual cupcake boxes to be sent off tomorrow, but I've left that bit for morning, because I find that the cupcakes tend to absorb the smell of cardboard if left in the boxes too long.
Overall, they're a pretty darn good take on the classic coffee and walnut cake, if the reactions (and empty plates) are anything to go by. My momma has already requested that I make more so she can 'enjoy them with her cuppa.' I shall post the recipe tomorrow. Or whenever I can. Which will hopefully be soon...