Lamb and Apricot Stew: How to Come Up with Cupcake Ideas

How to Come Up With Cupcake Ideas

Sometimes people ask how I come up with the ideas for my cupcakes. Absolutely any flavor you enjoy can become a cupcake. One of the reasons I like participating in Taste & Create is that it forces me to choose a dish to make from a particular blog. If that blog doesn't have any cakes or cupcakes that appeal, I'll make a main dish and use it as cupcake inspiration.

This month, I was paired with Ruth's Kitchen Experiments. Ruth had a ton of tasty dishes to choose from. The dish that most caught my eye was the lamb and apricot stew. She originally posted a recipe for it back in January. Then, more recently, she posted a revised version. I figured that if she took the effort to refine the recipe and write about it twice, it had to be pretty special.

How did Lamb and Apricot Stew Inspire a Cupcake? I'm Scared!

The cupcakes inspired by this dish will be coming soon. No worries - I haven't made more meat cupcakes. The cupcakes do not feature lamb, but they do contain apricot, honey, and some of the same spices as the stew. Also, the stew is topped with almonds so I topped my apricot cupcakes with almond butter.

How was the Lamb and Apricot Stew Recipe?

Wow - this was a recipe I would highly recommend! Let's remember that I VERY rarely cook. We're talking 5 times a year max. I bake all the time, but I do not cook. This dish was worth one of my 5 times. It made the house smell unbelievable for a full day and it had a rich, complex flavor. The apricots dissolved into the stew for the most part, but occasionally I would get a sweet apricot bite.

Lamb and Apricot Stew Recipe

I am reprinting the recipe from Ruth's Kitchen Experiments with my notes.

• 2 T oil (I used olive oil)
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t ground cinnamon
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 lb (400 g) boned leg of lab, cubed
• 14 oz can (400 g) of chopped tomatoes
• 1 C (1/2 pint) of water
• 10-14 dried apricots
• 1 dried chili, finely chopped (I didn't have any on hand so I used 1 t hot sauce)
• 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped (We had some growing in our backyard. I was excited to get to use it. I used several sprigs.)
• 1 t clear honey (I used a regular non-clear clover honey)
• Chopped toasted almonds to garnish (I didn't toast them)
• Salt and pepper (It didn't need it)

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the ground cinnamon and cloves. Fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the lamb. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Stir until browned.
4. Add the tomatoes, water, apricots, chili, rosemary, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil.
5. Cover the pan. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Stir in the honey and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the lamb is tender.
7. Serve garnished with some chopped almonds.

More Taste & Create

Check out the other food I have made for Taste & Create.