Things I Cannot Bake

Added to the list today.... fudge and cookies

I HATE when I can't get something right *cries* Clearly I should just stick to cupcakes!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

What's better than mint and chocolate? Nothing, that's what!!!!!

Chocolate cupcakes + mint frosting + crushed glacier mints = heaven!

Fruity Adventures

Mmm, fresh raspberries and strawberries, you can't beat them! So I've used them as inspiration for two cupcakes - white chocolate & raspberry and strawberries & cream. Delicious!

For the strawberry cupcake I added a load of mashed up strawberries into a normal cupcake mix and upped the flour content. When they had cooled I whipped up some double cream and piped it on top of the cupcake and topped it off with half a fresh strawberry. Yummy!

For the raspberries ones I made normal vanilla cupcake mix, then swirled in some raspberry jam. After baking I made a white chocolate butter cream (normal vanilla butter cream, half a large bar of melted white chocolate and a couple of tablespoons of double cream) and spread that on top, and finished them off with two fresh raspberries on top.

Mothers Day Adventures

For Mothers Day I made two batches of cupcakes, one for my mum and one for my mother in law :)

The first batch were lemon cupcakes, with lemon icing and sugar paste flowers and the second batch were chocolate cupcakes with butter cream swirls (some chocolate, some vanilla) and a chocolate on top!

You can't see the cases in this photo, but they were pastel colours with while polka dots - super cute! I matched the colour of the icing to the colour of the cupcake case. 

Christmas Baking Adventures - Mini Bakewell Tarts

Bakewell Tarts


Make the pastry as for the Lemon Curd Tarts

For the filling:

• 1 jar raspberry jam
• 3oz ground almonds
• 3oz caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 3oz butter
• 2 eggs

Method:

• Preheat oven to gas mark 6
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time
• Stir in the ground almonds
• Roll out the pastry and cut into rounds. Grease a 12 hold cupcake tine with butter or spray
• Place a round into each hole and add half a teaspoon to jam to the bottom of each one
• Cover the jam with a teaspoon of the almond mixture
• Bake for 15-20 minutes then cool on a wire rack

Christmas Baking Adventures - Jam Tarts

Jam Tarts:


Recipe is the same as for the Lemon Curd Tarts, but with jam instead of lemon curd! Delicious!

Christmas Baking Adventures - Lemon Curd Tarts

Lemon Curd Tarts:


Ingredients:

• 6oz plain flour
• 1/2 oz icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1 jar of lemon curd

Method:

• Mix the flour and icing sugar together, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Mix in the egg yolk and the water until a dough is formed
• Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes
• Pre-heat oven to gas mark 6
• Roll out the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds using a cutter
• Grease a 12 hole cupcake tray with butter or spray and place a pastry round into hole. Lightly press down
• Place a teaspoon of lemon curd into each of the pastry cases
• Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown
• Place on a wire rack to cool