Food

At Christmas I love baking, and this year is no exception.
So with a little inspiration from Pinterest and some cook books I have my version of Christmas ginger cookies!


Ingredients

3 cups (425g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
165g packed dark brown sugar
142g butter
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 1/2 cup honey
1 - 2 Tbsp milk


Preheat oven to 170°C


In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt.



Once all of the ingredients are combined set aside
Cream together sugar and butter until well combined, occasionally stopping and scraping down bowl.

 

Set aside the butter and sugar
Now you need to mix the egg yolk and vanilla extract.
Now you need to combine honey with 1 Tbsp milk.



Now it’s time to go back to your mixing bowl and slowly mix in the ingredients dough together.

Eventually it will look a little like this.





Divide the dough into two equal portions then roll each portion out evenly between the two sheets of baking paper.



The cookies now need to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes or until firm, and, then cut into shapes using cookie cutters.



Space the cookies about 1-inch apart, and bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until slightly set, I just kept an eye on mine as some thinner cookie took only 6 minutes.

Repeat process with remaining cookies.

Allow to cool on baking paper, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely when set.

Once cool pipe icing over cookies to decorate and add sprinkles if desired. Let icing set at room temperature.



Don't forget to come back next week Wednesday as well as Friday!


Until Next Time

Merry Christmas

Cera



I'm sooo so so sorry I haven't posted in soo long, but, I've just been so disorganised but I'm back now and organised!

So this week in at work it was one my colleague's birthday, so we had a mini office party, and, I even made a cake which went down a storm in the office so I thought I would share it with you. 

Very Berry Victoria Sponge



Ingredients

4 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
225g self raising flour
225g caster sugar
225g butter

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.


You will need your butter and sugar, you will need to cream these together in a bowl until fluffy.




Add the eggs to the mixture, I would recommend whisking them in a jug and then adding them a little at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.




Fold in the flour to create a batter of a soft consistency.



Divide the mixture between the cake tins and gently spread out evenly.


Bake for 20-25 minutes



Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, then remove from the tin.



This is where it gets to the exciting bit decorating the cake.

Firstly, get your whipping cream and whisk until you have stiff consistency.
Get your first sponge place it on a plate and then pipe your cream on into peaks and then add your mixed berries as much or as little you would like I put a good layer over the cream.
Then add your next layers of cake and pipe more cream and layer with even more berries and dust with some icing sugar when you are about to serve it.


If you try it let me know tag me on Twitter or Instagram 


Until Next Time

Cera







If your like me then you will have been watching The Great British Bake Off, if your not from the U.K you may not be familiar with it, but, simply it's amateur bakers competing in a marquee tent, in the hopes of becoming the next great British baker, when you explain it to someone it sounds odd if you haven't watched it, but it gets very tense and addictive to watch because if you love to bake you know sometimes it just doesn't go your way and the bake has another idea. 

This week in honour of bake off I though I would make lemon meringue cupcakes, now I do have to say I've never in my nearly 20 years of life have I ever attempted to make a meringue but I think it's all part of the learning curve here on my blog so here goes....

You are going to need:
Cupcake batter

125g lightly salted butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
150g self rasing flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemons worth of zest

Topping and filling 
2 eggs whites
100g caster sugar
4 tablespoons of lemon curd

Prep 
Preheat your oven at 180°C /350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Place all your cupcake mixture into a bowl and mix until light and fluffy.
Place in your cupcake cases.

Bake
Place in the oven for 20 minutes so that they have risen and are firm, don't worry they do take their time and be careful not to take them out too early as they may collapse in the middle.

Toppings prep
While your cupcakes are cooking it is a good time to prep your meringue.
What you need to do to make meringue is..
Get your egg whites in a very clean bowl and whisk until they start to peak and are fluffy at this point you want to keep whisking and add a 1 tablespoon of caster sugar at time eventually you will have a firm glossy meringue.

Final touches 
Get your cupcakes out the oven and turn the oven up to 230°C /450°F/Gas Mark 8 and let the cupcakes cool, once they are cool, scoop out a teaspoon of sponge out the cupcake and place a teaspoon of lemon curd back in.

Now you need to get your meringue mix and place a generous amount on each cupcake and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes this will cook your meringue.


Let me know if you try them I have to say my meringue didn't turn out amazing but it's all a learning curve as I said at the beginning, but they still taste great so it's all good.
  

Until Next Time

Cera





Summer Party!

So this week I had a little summer garden party full of lots of gorgeous summer foods! 
I also have a few pictures for you of the spread of the table and after you have had a browse I can tell you how to make some of the amazing treats!


















One of the things I made was the raspberry cupcakes!
So if you want to know how to make it then I will tell you!
This recipe is from the new Tanya Bakes book by Tanya Burr


What you will need:

For the Cupcakes
50g Butter
180g Caster Sugar
1 Egg
Splash of vanilla extract
160g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
160ml full-fat milk
raspberry jam

For the Icing:
250g butter
500g Icing sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pink food colouring
And of course raspberries to decorate

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then mix in the egg, vanilla extract, flour and baking powder.

Slowly add the milk a bit at a time so you get the correct consistency it should end up a nice smooth batter.


2. Spoon your mixture into your cupcake cases pop them into the oven for 18-20 at 180°c.


3. Once you have got them out and let them cool, cut a little hole out of the middle and put in a scoop of the raspberry jam to each cupcake.


4. Now its time to make the icing! Cream together the butter and icing sugar until well incorporated, Then add the vanilla extract and few drops of pink food colouring!

5. Final step then you can have your cupcakes!! All you need to do now is pipe the icing on to the cupcakes and a raspberry on top and then sprinkle some edible glitter on to give it a twinkle! 


Let me know if you make them on here or on my social media!


Until Next Time

Cera



Chocolate orange cupcakes!




Helloooo! 
This week I thought I would share with you how to make my favourite chocolate orange cupcakes, yes they are as nice as they sound.

What you are going to need:
A mixing bowl
A spoon
Weighing scales
Piping bag and nozzle
Grater
Cupcake tin
Pan of hot water
Heatproof bowl
Cupcake cases
An oven(obvs)
Electric or olden days whisk 

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes;
125g lightly salted butter
125g caster sugar
2 free range eggs
125g self-raising flour
25g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 orange

for the icing and decorations;
100g of plain chocolate
100g unsalted butter
125g icing sugar
2 table spoons of cocoa powder
1 orange
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar

Let's get started!

Put your oven on to pre-heat at 180°C / 350°F / Gas mark 4

1. Measure out your ingredients and place your egg, flour, caster sugar, slightly salted butter, cocoa powder and baking power into your mixing bowl.

2. Grate your orange on the zest side of your grater to get all the zest off it, you want to keep grating until you get to the white and you will need the whole orange. (yes I know it's soo hard, have brake afterwards)

*brake time*

3. Place your orange zest in with the rest of the ingredients and it will look a little something like this.


4. Now get your electric or hand whisk and whisk it until it gets to a creamy moose like texture. (it does take a few minutes)

5. Get your Cupcake tin and place your cases into it, I have found this mixture makes about 12 cupcakes.

6. Place your mixture into the cases, one scoop in each case at a time so you don't spill it or run out of mixture. (Remember they will rise)

At this point it should be looking a little something like this.


7. Place your tins in the oven on the same shelf so they cook evenly for about 10-14 minutes depending on how fast your oven cooks things.

The icing and decoration

 While your cupcakes are baking you can be making your icing.

1. You first need to start off by melting your 100g of chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a hot pan of water.

2. While your chocolate is melting place your unsalted butter into a mixing bowl with the icing sugar and cocoa powder and mix together until it's all combined.

3. Your chocolate should be melted now so put it to one side to cool down to room temperature.

*Remove your cupcakes from the oven about now. *

If you want to buy candied orange slices then you pre buy and just skip to step 8 but if you are making everything from scratch then continue on 

4. You need to start by slicing your orange round so you get just the skin and a bit of piff and then slice it into the size you would like on your cupcakes.

5. You now need to boil the orange slices in water for 10 minutes this is to remove any bitterness from the orange.

6. Remove the orange from the pan and empty the water out and replace with one 1 cup of warm water and 1 cup of sugar mix this on heat until the water becomes clear and the sugar has dissolved.

7. Now heat until boiling and place your orange slices in for 10 minutes.
Once they have been in for 10 minutes remove and place on wire rack to cool for about 1 hour. Coating them in sugar after about 30 minutes.

8. Whilst your oranges are cooling down let's go back to the icing place your melted chocolate in with the rest of the icing mixture and mix until everything is combined.

9. Now it is time to ice the cupcakes, get a piping bag and nozzle and fill with your icing mixture and pipe on to the cupcakes.


10. Once your orange slices have cooled place them on the cupcake pushing them slightly in the icing to make them hold in place.


Ta-daa my orange slices are slightly on the large side but you can make yours smaller if you want.

Hopefully you will enjoy these delicious cupcakes and you can share them with all your friends and family or you can just eat them all yourself!

Let me know if you make them on here or on my social media!


Until Next Time

Cera



Vegan smoothies!

One of my friends is a vegan and I wondered what there is, as there is only certain ingredients you can experiment. 
This is why I thought why not try and eat more green and clean, so, I decided to try out a vegan smoothie by substituting vegetarian options for vegan ones.


Ingredients:
Handful of Blueberries
Handful of Raspberries
  5 tablespoons(ish) of Alpro yogurt (or another vegan plain yogurt)


1. Wash all your fruit so its clean....

2. Now the fruit is clean put it in your blender.

3. Once you have put the fruit in, put your yogurt in with it.

4.  Now everything is in the blender ... blend it all up!

Voilà!


The final result is, its really nice, and it tastes like any other breakfast fruit smoothie and a plus being that the plant yogurt has a less sugar than other regular dairy yogurts.

I have bought the food out of my own money and the views are my own not of anyone else.

Until Next Time
Cera



                                                      Breakie from this morning
So I decided to have a healthy kick before I go back to school next week. However I do admit that it will probably last like a week ... ok maybe like 2 days ..but its the thought that counts right... :)



Anyway so this morning to start it off I had a nice fruit salad made up of raspberries, blueberries, melon and mango which has growingly become my favourite fruit and I also had a nice ice cold glass of mango juice, which you can also probably guess as I love mango it self is another one of my fruit filled addictions.

                                                                      ♥
 
                                                                  Until next time
                                                                          Cera 
                                                                       ♥                             
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