Carrot and Ginger Cupcakes.. with walnuts !!

I was having a play around with a basic carrot cake mix and came up with these......

Carrot and Ginger Cupcakes ( makes 12 )


100g Light Muscovado Sugar
175ml Vegetable oil
2 large eggs
225g Plain Flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
2 tsps Ground Ginger
pinch of salt
zest of 1 Orange
150g grated Carrots ( about 2 medium ones )
100g Chopped Walnuts
For Icing
125g Cream Cheese ( Philly best )
300g Icing Sugar, sieved
2 tsps Orange juice
12 Walnut Halves

Method

Preheat oven to 190 oc / 180 o C fan
line the muffin tin with 12 cases
Beat the sugar and oil together until sugar dissolves, then add eggs and beat.
Add the flour, bicarb,ginger,salt and zest, then fold in the grated carrot and walnuts.
Spoon the mix evenly into the muffin cases and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
When cool, beat the cream cheese till smooth and softened and beat in the icing sugar and then the orange juice to taste.
Cover the cupcakes with icing and top with a walnut half.

Think kids and adults will like .....

ENJOY XX

'Orange Cake Suzette' - well it was Pancake Day !!

Every where I looked yesterday - papers, tv, twitter - reminded me that it was Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday officially !! Then I remembered I saw someone on television last week making Crepe Suzette and this idea sprung to mind - a moist, boozy orange cake - hence Cake Suzette !! Look what I found at the back of the cupboard ...... Orange Jelly Slices .... takes me back to childhood !! so retro !!

250g Soft butter

250g Caster sugar

3 eggs (large)

250g Self raising flour

Zest 1 Orange

Juice of 1/2 Orange

2 tsps Orange extract

300ml Double Cream

60 ml Cointreau

Zest 1/2  Orange

Dessertspoonful Caster Sugar

Thin cut Marmalade

300g Icing Sugar

Enough Juice from Orange to make a dropping consistancy

Method

Preheat oven to 190 o C / 180 o C fan.

Grease and line 2 cake sandwich tins.

Cream butter and sugar until really light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat well.

Add zest, juice and extract and then fold in the flour. 

Divide the mix between the 2 tins and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until risen and golden.

Allow to cool and then turn out on to a rack.

Whip cream,sugar,cointreau and zest to form peaks.

Split the 2 cakes and fill with marmalade, then sandwich them together with the cream.

Make up the icing and spread over the top.

Decorate with the jelly oranges  !!!

Really Orangey and Boozy !!













 

Rosewater Cream with Pistachio Shortbreads

My old toddler group girlfriends came round for lunch last week - we still meet up regularly even though the kids are nearly 12. There was still snow on the ground here so I made a really warming Chickpea and Chorizo stew with homemade bread and salad followed by Rosewater Cream with Pistachio Shortbreads. This idea came from the dessert I made when my family and I appeared with Gordon Ramsey on The F Word. The rosewater cream was very similar but we made puff pastry pinwheel biscuits ( that's a mouthful) with pistachios and raisins in them.

Rosewater Cream (makes 8 small glasses)

Couldn't be simpler

500ml double cream
Essence of rosewater ( about 1 dessertpoonful ) but to your own taste
1 dessertspoonful caster sugar
Crushed pistachios to decorate

Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks.
Spoon or pipe into glasses and sprinkle with crushed pistachios

Pistachio Shortbreads

100g unsalted butter (soft)
50g caster sugar
130g plain flour
50g finely chopped pistachios

100g plain chocolate
Whole pistachios

Preheat oven 180 o C / 170o C fan

Cream butter and sugar until really light and fluffy
Then mix in the pistachios and finally the flour to form a dough - don't work it at all - tip out onto surface (best to use a piece of greaseproof paper) and just bring together.
Roll out on the paper ( prevents sticking) and using a 2 inch diameter round cutter make the biscuits.
Use a palette knife to transfer them to a baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicon baking sheet on and bake for 8 - 10 minutes until cooked through but not coloured.
Allow to cool
Meanwhile melt the plain chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave for a couple of minutes taking care not to burn it.
When the biscuits have cooled, dip the ends into the chocolate and place on to another piece of greaseproof or on the silicon sheet.
Decorate each with 3 pistachios and allow to set in the fridge.

Really simple and quick !!

Coconut Iced Fingers

I've adapted this recipe from an old one my Grandma Holden used to make when went round to play. They are crumbly and a bit chewy and now have the addition of icing and more coconut on top. Lovely with a cup of tea!!

Coconut Iced Fingers

175g    Butter (softened)

175g    Caster Sugar

225g     Self raising Flour

50g       Desiccated Coconut

250g     Icing Sugar

              Extra Coconut for decoration

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 o C, 170 o C fan

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the coconut and gradually mix in the flour to form a stiff dough.

Tip out of the bowl onto a large piece of greaseproof paper, this prevents the dough from sticking to the work top.

Don't work the dough too much.

Roll out to 1cm thick.

Cut out finger shapes 2cm by 7cm.

Place on a lined baking tray or a silicon sheet.

Leave a good gap between as they will spread while baking ( about 8 to a tray ) you may need to bake in batches.

Bake in oven for 8 - 10 minutes until just turning golden.

Leave to cool a little on tray first and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Make up icing with a little water until you have a dropping consistency.

Spread over the fingers and sprinkle with lots of coconut.

Enjoy xx

Chocolate Sponge for friends - jealous, I wanted a slice !!

I made this sponge as a thank you to the mum of one of Gracie's friends and almost kept it for us as it smelt so chocolatey when it was finished !! Just a basic sponge with melted chocolate and cocoa added - filled with fresh cream and blackcurrant jam and topped with chocolate icing and choc chips !!
Naughty but Nice !!!!

And a bit closer .......

Maybe I should have kept it !!! x

White Chocolate and Lavender Shortbread - Calming ???

I love the smell of lavender and I've been wanting to incorporate it into a recipe for a while now. Always wondered if eating it would have the same calming effects that smelling it are supposed to have !! ( probably not with all the sugar involved !!)
I think they are delicious but some may say it is an acquired taste !!
Give them a go and see what you think - they do look reallt pretty next to a pot of tea!

White Chocolate and Lavender Shortbread ( makes 12 biscuits)

100g Unsalted Butter ( soft )
50g   Caster Sugar
150g Plain Flour
1 tsp Lavender ( organic cooking type - I use Steenbergs )
100g White Chocolate
Extra Lavender for decorating

Method

Preheat oven to 180 o C / 170 o C fan.

Cream butter and sugar together until really light and fluffy - I love my Kitchenaid for this !!
Then mix in the lavender and finally the flour to form a dough - don't work it at all - tip out on to surface ( best to use a piece of grease proof paper ) and just bring together.
Roll out on the paper ( prevents sticking) and using a 2 inch diameter round cutter make the biscuits.
Use a palette knife to transfer them to a baking tray with greaseproof paper or a silicon baking sheet on and bake for 8 - 10 minutes until cooked through but not coloured at all.
Allow to cool.
Meanwhile melt the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave for a couple of minutes taking care not to burn it.
When the biscuits have cooled , dip the ends into the chocolate and place on to another piece of grease proof or the silicon sheet.
Sprinkle a little lavender on the chocolate and allow to set in the fridge.

On the tray waiting for the chocolate to set

Finally finished ......

So pretty and crumbly !!

And close up !!

YUM xx

Rocky Road Brownies - just an idea !!

I've had a project in my mind for a while now and finally have found the time to get it up and started. Can't reveal too much but it involves the land of cakes and puddings and lots of adventures - hoping something will happen with it !!!
On that note - I had a handful of ingredients and wondered what I could put them in. Brownies have been popping up everywhere around me for the last few weeks so I had the idea of incorporating the two. Rocky Road Brownies came to light !!

Rocky Road Brownies (makes 16 squares)

200g Dark chocolate (min 54% cocoa solids)broken up

200g Unsalted Butter

3 Large Eggs

300g Caster Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

125g Plain Flour

Pinch of Salt

60g Glace Cherries (halved)

60g Digestive Biscuits (broken into approx 1 cm pieces)

60g Mini Marshmallows

60g Raisins

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 o C / FAN 170 o C / Gas Mark 4

Grease and line a 23cm square baking tin with greaseproof paper (just push it into shape all in one piece as it will be easier to pull out the brownies from tin when cold).

Melt the butter and chocolate either in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or gently in the microwave for a few minutes.

With an electric hand whisk (or by hand if you are very strong), beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until they are lovely and thick and creamy.

Mix in the melted butter and chocolate.

Fold in the flour and salt.

Finally, stir in the cherries, biscuits, raisins and marshmallows.

Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 30 minutes until the top is cooked and starting to crack and the centre is just set.

Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out and cutting into 16 squares.

They really were 'melt in the mouth' - and the added ingredients brought in great textures.

ENJOY !!!!! xx