The Light Side

It’s not like I don’t believe in people. I do.

I wouldn’t be here, if it wasn’t so — this thing I’m meant to do, this writing, is for others sake. I’m not an altruist because of this, but that’s not the point. The point is: people do help each other.

So what?

Yesterday, I had a bad day. I cried in anger because of my work, some frustrating stuff I don’t want to talk about. I came home and wrote about the light and the dark side of people, cursing myself for being so damn kind that people take advantage on me. Why do bad people always abuse of others goodness? That was my question, and was the wrong one.

We all have lightness and darkness in equal parts, there are no good people, nor bad ones. We can just choose between good or bad actions. Yesterday, I chose to be kind, and I’m not a fool because of this. Nor are bad people those who took some benefits from my help, even if it made me angry or sad.

So, I won’t complain, I won’t tell stupid things about bad people that allways win — there’s no battle, it doesn’t make sense. I’ll talk about the dark side next time — just because there is a dark side of ours and they have cookies in there! Today I choose light and I do it my way.

When I was at pastry academy, my teacher asked me why I wanted to be a baker. I answered — and I’m still proud of it: “Because desserts make people happy!”

I chose, I said, for today, to do something good and this was lemon cupcakes. Why them? They taste of dreams and childhood, they’re pale yellow and they remind me of sun.

I just baked them, and the oven did it’s magic: no bad thoughts are left, no anger, not now.

I said I believe in people. At least, I guess, I believe in cupcakes too…

… and I want you to do the same, so I’m giving you my recipe for the something good of today.

Lemon Cupcakes Recipe

You will bake about 20 medium sized cupcakes

What you need — for the cupcakes

• 180 g room temperature butter [ 3/4 cup ] • the grated peel of 2 lemons • 120 g caster sugar [ 2/3 cup ] • 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated • 100 g fresh lemon juice [ 1/2 cup — the juice of about 2 lemons ] • 280 g flour [ 2 cups ] • 2 tsp of baking powder

What you need — for the icing

• 1 egg yolk • 40 g caster sugar [ 3 tbsp ] • 30 g fresh lemon juice [ 2 tbsp — the juice of about a lemon ] • 90 g room temperature butter [ 1/4 cup ] • 240 g cream cheese [ 1 cup ] • 60 g whipped cream [ 1/3 cup ]

What you have to do

Preheat the oven to 180°C [ 356°F ].

Put the butter in a bowl and cream it together with the lemons grated peel and the caster sugar, using electric whisk. Add egg yolks one by one and continue whisking until you have a soft cream. Add lemon juice the same way.

Whisk egg whites separately.

Now add a little part of whisked whites, stir gently and add a part of flour sieved together with the baking powder. Continue alternating egg whites and flour until you finish them. NB. You have to start and stop with the egg whites and you have to stir the less you can: it will make your batter softer.

Spoon the batter into muffin cases and bake for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile…

… Whisk gently the egg yolk with the caster sugar and the lemon juice. Heat them in the microwave or in a water bath, being careful not to cook the egg (you don’t want to do an omelette!). Than let the mixture cool down a little bit and had the butter, mixing till it’s melted. Put it in the fridge for half an hour, add cream cheese and whipped cream, stirring very gently. Put it in the fridge until it’s cool and dense.

Pipe the icing on a swirl on the top of the cupcakes and decorate as desired.

Offer them to family and friends and dream all together…

PS. I wrote this article yesterday and today I am bringing my dream cupcakes with me at work, as a gift for my collegues which made me so angry two days ago. This is what I mean when I say “I chose the light side and I do it my way”. This is Cindy’s way.