October 30, 2013

Spooky Halloween Cupcakes

This delicious cupcake recipe is easy to whip up and makes a spooky treat for a Halloween party. Forget pretty and dainty, have fun making some that will bite back, look spooky and scary, but still taste divine and delicious.

Ingredients for chocolate cupcakes:

100g self-raising flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, at room temperature

120ml whole milk

1 egg

¼tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Put the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract together in a jug, then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture, beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed to get rid of any lumps.

Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the remaining milk mixture (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the sponge bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Ingredients for Frosting

115g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

225g icing sugar

Double piping bag

Method:

Put the butter, half the milk and the vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and blended.

Sift over the icing sugar and, with the mixer on a low speed, continue mixing until the icing is smooth and has a spreading consistency. If it is too stiff, beat in a little extra milk.

Instructions for spiderweb cupcakes:

Take a large spoonful of frosting and tint with black food colouring. Tint the remaining frosting with orange food colouring,

Spread the orange frosting over the tops of the cupcakes. Then using a piping bag with a small circular nozzle, filled with the black frosting, pipe 4 concentric circles. Pull a toothpick through the circles to make the spiderweb design. Add a spider for decoration.

Instructions for devils eye cupcakes:

Make up another batch of vanilla frosting. Colour half the frosting green and the other half purple. Using a double piping bag fill half the bag with the purple frosting and the other half with the green frosting. Slowly and steadily pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Then decorate with an eyeball sweetie.

 

There are many other ways to decorate and present your halloween cupcakes. Many supermarkets and cake shops will stock plenty of different and creative cases, decorations and novelties. I found these rather effective cupcake cases. I simply placed chocolate cupcakes iced with chocolate frosting and sprinkled with cake crumbs to give a furry appearance.

 

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October 28, 2013

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie and Oreo Fudge Brownie Bars

So while browsing though Pinterest the other day I came across the most ridiculous yet amazing layered cookie brownie treat! These dangerously chocolate chip brownie bars combine double-stuffed Oreos which are sandwiched between the best gooey chocolate chip cookie and warm fudge brownie.

These bars are to die for!! I will definitely be making them again.

Ingredients

150g soft unsalted butter

125g soft light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg from fridge

1 egg yolk from fridge

300g flour

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

326g packet milk chocolate chips

1 family packet of Double Stuffed Oreos

1 box of Betty Crocker’s chocolate fudge brownie mix

80g fudge/chocolate sauce

Preheat the oven to 170˚ C. Line a baking tin with baking parchment and grease it.Melt the butter and let it cool. Put the brown and white sugar into a bowl, pour the cooled melted butter over and beat together. Beat in the vanilla, the cold egg and egg yolk until the mixture becomes light and creamy.

Then slowly mix in the flour and bicarbonate of soda until just blended. Finally fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a lined baking tin.

Top with a layer of double stuffed Oreos.

Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 80 grams of fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos.

Cover with foil and bake at 170˚ C for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 15-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before cutting. The brownies may still be gooey in the middle when still warm, but will set perfectly once cooled. Enjoy!

Feel free to use a pre-made cookie dough mix to make this even easier!

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October 21, 2013

Cinnamon Swirl Buns

Cream cheese frosting, a cinnamon- flavoured filling and soft, fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth dough. I could honestly get through at least half a tray of these on my own. The bread dough is enriched with milk and butter. The filling of the dough is slathered in melted butter then covered in demerara sugar and ground cinnamon.

So why doesn’t anyone make cinnamon rolls? Because they’re complicated, difficult and time consuming. I’m not going to lie, this recipe is not the easiest or quickest but if you have some free time give it a go. Not only is it fun to do you will be so pleased with the results.

Ingredients for Buns:

450g strong white bread flour

7g fast-action yeast

10g sea salt

125ml full-fat milk

175ml tepid water

40g unsalted butter

1tbsp clear runny honey

12 hole muffin tin

Ingredients for filling:

100g unsalted butter, melted

100g demerara sugar

3tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients for icing:

100g unsalted butter

200g icing sugar

1tsp ground cinnamon

100g full-fat cream cheese

Tip the flour into the bowl of a free standing mixer fitted with a dough hook; add the yeast and salt and make a well in the centre.

Heat the milk, water and butter in a small saucepan until lukewarm and the butter has melted. Add the honey and pour into the dry ingredients.

Mix together until you have a soft dough. Knead in the mixer for 6 minutes or by hand for 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a large,oiled mixing bowl. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 90 minutes or until doubled in size.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 30 seconds to knock back the dough. Roll into a large, neat, 1cm thick rectangle and brush liberally with the melted butter.

Mix together the demerera sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough.

With the longest side of the rectangle nearest to you, roll the dough away from you into a tight spiral. Brush the end with a little melted butter to seal.

Trim off the ends and slice into 9 equal portions.

Pop the muffins into the buttered muffin tin, cut side upmost, cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave to prove for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 200˚ C. Bake the buns on the middle shelf of the oven for 20-25minutes until well risen and golden brown.

Cool for 10-15 minutes in the tin and then turn them out onto a wire rack. Make the icing by whisking together the butter, icing sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy.

Add the cream cheese but be careful not to over whip or the icing will split. Drizzle the icing over the buns and leave to set.

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October 15, 2013

Frosted Cherry Rings

These shortbread type biscuits are studded with candied cherries and drizzled with a sweet glaze, they did not disappoint! I was quite pleased at how the red from the cherries gave a marbled effect in the biscuit dough. The dough for these biscuits is rather dry and crumbly until you work it with your hands, it then comes together into workable dough. I have made these biscuits before using lemons however this time I wanted to try another citrus fruit so I went for limes. Both work very well in this recipe.

Ingredients:

120g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

80g golden caster sugar

1 egg yolk

finely grated zest of 1/2 a lemon or lime

200g plain flour

50g finely chopped glace cherries

Ingredients for Icing:

80g icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tbsp lemon or lime juice

Preheat the oven to 200°C . Lightly grease two baking trays. Cream the butter and the caster sugar until pale and fluffy.

Beat in the egg yolk and lemon/lime rind. Sift in the flour, stir and then add the glade cherries, mixing with your hands to a soft dough.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick.

 

Stamp out 8cm rounds using a biscuit cutter. Then stamp out the centre of each round with a 2.5cm cutter and place the rings onto the prepared baking trays. Re-roll any trimmings and more biscuits.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, until firm and golden. Allow to cool on the baking trays for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. For the frosting mix the icing sugar to a smooth paste with the lemon/lime juice. Drizzle over the biscuits and leave to set.

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October 9, 2013

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

The tart, tangy flavor of the fresh raspberries make these delicious cream cheese brownies a lovely treat. Cake-like around the edges with a fudge-like middle, swirled with a sweetened cream cheese makes such a fabulous combination of textures and flavors.

Brownie Ingredients (from Alton Brown):

225g caster sugar

225g light brown sugar

150g coco powder

75g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

225g melted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Raspberry Cheesecake Ingredients (from Bakers Royale):

225g cream cheese

80g caster sugar

170g raspberry jam or fresh puree raspberries

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons plain flour

Handful of raspberries

Directions for chocolate brownies:

Heat the oven to 175°C . Line a baking tray with baking parchment and grease it. Place both sugars into a food processor and plus to combine, set aside in a bowl.

Sieve the coco powder and flour and add to the bowl with sugar. Then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the eggs at a medium speed until they become light and fluffy.

Now add in the vanilla and the rest of the dry ingredients. Beat until incorporated then slowly pour in the melted butter until all is combined.

Set aside while you make the raspberry cheesecake layer.

Directions for raspberry cheesecake layer:

Add all ingredients to your mixer which should be fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until it its light and fluffy.

Pour 3/4 of the brownie mixture into your lined baking tray, spread until even. Then pour the raspberry cheesecake layer on top. Next pour the remaining brownie mixture over the cheesecake layer.

Using a fork or knife gently swirl the two mixtures together. Sprinkle some fresh raspberries on top.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 30-40mins until a skewer or toothpick is inserted into the centre of the brownies and is removed clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the baking try for 10-15mins.

Then carefully remove from the baking tray and peel of the lining. Cool for a further 40mins. Cut the brownies once cool.

 

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October 6, 2013

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe will not disappoint. They are simple to make and only take 10 minutes to bake. If you are a lover of Nutella like me then these cookies are just for you! Along with chunks of chocolate with every bite, the gooey Nutella middle makes them even more delicious. Its combination of chocolate and hazelnuts is just divine.

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

110g butter

150g golden caster sugar

100g light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

180g chocolate chips

200g Nutella

Preheat oven to 180° C. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla, continue to beat until well combined. Don’t worry if the mixture looks as though it has split. It will come together once the flour is added.

Place flour and baking powder into a bowl; mix to combine then add slowly to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips.

Scoop a large spoonful of dough and flatten it into the palm of your hand. Gently place a tablespoon of Nutella into the middle. Then fold cookie dough back up so that it seals and covers the Nutella entirely.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. No longer otherwise you will not achieve the Nutella gooey middle. Remove and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

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