Margarita cupcakes with a Lime glaze.

Boozy cupcakes for adults, had fun making these.
Taken and adapted from an American lass called Gail Wagman.

You will need..
150gms S.R. Flour. (sifted)
125gms unsalted Butter (room temp)
150gms Sugar.
3 Eggs.
1 tablespoon finely grated Lime rind.
2 tablespoons Tequila.


Lime Glaze
2 tablespoons fresh Lime juice.
150gms Icing Sugar.
1 tablespoon Tequila.
Green food colouring.
Coarse Salt and Lime slices for decoration.


Method....
Preheat oven to 180c
Cream the butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time and beating well each time.
Add the lime rind and Tequila.
Fold in the flour until it is all absorbed.
Fill the cupcake cases 1/2 full or a little over. (We need room to put the glaze on later)
Place the cupcake trays in the oven for 20-25 minutes, when touched they should spring back.
Allow to cool, while you make the glaze.


In a bowl, put the icing sugar, lime juice and Tequila and mix until totally smooth. Now add the green food colouring to the desired green and mix well.
Spoon over the cupcakes and smooth a little. This will level out itself in a few minutes.
Decorate with lime slices and a straw for fun. Sprinkle the coarse salt over the top, not too much now.
Makes between 15-18 cupcakes (depending on their size)

Cinnamon and Sultana Cakelets.

A delightful little cake to have with a cup of tea.

You will need..

1 cup of black tea (no sugar)

1 and 1/2 cups Sultanas.

2 Eggs.

1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground Cinnamon.

1 and 1/2 cups S.R. Flour.

1/2 cup Milk.

125gms unsalted Butter (room temperature)

155gms Raw Caster Sugar (or normal caster sugar)

Cinnamon Sugar (to finish)

Method..

First up, make the black tea and put the sultanas and tea in a bowl to soak, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180c and place cases in little cake tray.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and creamy, add 1 egg at a time and mix. Now put in the milk.

Sift the flour and cinnamon together and fold in to the butter mix. Drain the tea from the sultanas and mix gently in to the batter.

Spoon in to the cases until 3/4 full. Place in the now hot oven for 20 minutes or until cake skewer comes out clean.

While still hot from the oven, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top of each one and allow to cool.

Enjoy at any time of the day with a cup of tea.

Madeleines (3 sorts)

I have been wanting to make these for such a long time, and finally last week I managed to buy the proper baking tray. Then it was a hunt through Google to find that perfect recipe, and I found it finally on http://www.taste.com.au Thank you Dixie Elliott.

Ingredients...

3 Eggs
1/2 cup Caster Sugar
1 Lemon, rind only, finely grated
1 large Lime, rind only, finely grated
3/4 cup plain Flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
60g unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
Icing Sugar, to dust

Method...

Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 12-hole Madeleine baking pan. Place eggs, sugar, lemon rind and lime rind into bowl. Using an electric hand beater, beat mixture until thick, pale and doubled in volume. Gently fold in flour, baking powder and butter using a metal spoon.

Place tablespoons of mixture into prepared Madeleine moulds. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden and cakes spring back when pressed in the centre. Cool slightly before removing from moulds. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar. This is for the Citrus Madeleines.

For the chocolate Madeleines, I left out the lemon and lime rind. I replaced 1 tablespoon of flour with Cocoa powder and added some grated cooking chocolate. Then when cooled I dipped the Madeleines in melted chocolate.

And for the Cinnamon Madeleines, again I left out the citrus and added 1 teaspoon of Cinnamon and when cooled I dusted with Cinnamon sugar.

Chocolate Madeleines dipped in
Chocolate.













Cinnamon Madeleines.













Citrus Madeleines.

Ginger Crunchies

These actually come from NIGELLA EXPRESS and have been made by Coby from
http://vipantrywedonthaveablogblog.blogspot.com/ So she asked the question about rice malt syrup, which is used in the original recipe. "Yes," was the reply from NIGELLA, "You can use Golden Syrup instead." Yay, that's two people that are happy now down under, as we can't get Rice Malt Syrup. I also left out the quick cook oats as I didn't have any and upped the amount of cornflakes and rice bubbles. And another twist, I added crystallised ginger finely chopped. To give a more adult feel and taste to them. Here is the original recipe..http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?key=L&rid=157
And here is what I used.
50g Milk Chocolate.
150g Golden Syrup.
55g Butter.
80g Rice Bubbles.
50g Cornflakes.
75g Sesame Seeds.
75g Crystallised Ginger.

Method.

Melt the chocolate, syrup and butter gently in a heavy-based saucepan.
Add all the other ingredients, turning to coat everything well.
Using your hands (encased in latex CSI gloves)(I didn't, wanted to lick my hands and the bowl once I had finished), shape the mixture into walnut-sized balls. You should get about 25; you could also make this using 2 x 12-bun muffin tin lined with muffin papers to get 24 cupcakes.
Let them set in the fridge for an hour or so, and they will keep quite happily in there for a week of treats.
As you can see, I made them into little cupcake treats and got 24.
Now, a funny story.
My hubby is a coal miner, each Thursday night shift the men have a little party to celebrate the end of the week. So at *breaktime* there are these fully grown great lumps of men in the *crib* room, all in their very dirty overalls, head gear and lamps on, sitting around a table eating the goodies of the day. Some take in soft drink, or crisps, sausage rolls and chocolates. My hubby is taking in these tonight (Ginger Crunchies) Hope you enjoy them guys.
Please remember I said Coal Miners. So they are underground about a kilometre down. Can you imagine it? Scare the poo out of me!

Chocolate Fudge Baskets

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes made into little baskets for Easter. Coloured pipe cleaners got from a craft shop have been used. So easy and loads of fun. Ingredients..
140g Butter (softened)
140g Caster Sugar.
3 medium Eggs.
100g S.R. Flour.
25g Cocoa (sifted)
Method..
Preheat the oven to 170c, and place cases on a tray, I got 18 out of this mix. Cream the butter and sugar together in your mixing bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix in well. Sift the flour and cocoa together and put into bowl. Fold in the flour until well combined. If at this stage, you think it is a little dry, add a small amount of milk. I added about a tablespoon full.
Put the mix into the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes. Then cool on a wire rack and start on the fudge icing.

For the Icing.
85g Milk Chocolate (broken in to small pieces)
85g Butter (soft, also broken in to small pieces)
140g Icing Sugar.
Put the chocolate in to a glass bowl and melt the choc over simmering water.
Cream the butter and icing sugar together. Then beat in the melted chocolate.
When the cakes are cooled, spread on the fudge icing.







Decorate however you like. I used small chocolate Easter eggs covered in foil. But you could use Maltesers, candy type eggs or make a nest with coconut that is shredded and place an egg in the middle. Last, cut the pipe cleaners to the required length and bend to form a handle. Poke two little holes either side of the cake and put in your *handle*.

Dressing up the cake stands.

Recently, I showed you my collection of cake stands and plates. I have been storing them in cupboards and on shelving, and I thought it was time to show them off properly. But I think a cake stand looks so sad with no cakes on them. Can't always keep a supply of my cake baking just for this, as they would go stale.
Last weekend, I visited my parents and my Mum wanted to take me to a shop she had found called Country Interiors. What an Aladdin's cave this shop is. Full of beautiful French furniture, Shabby Chic, bedding, cushions, ornaments, paintings, china and glass ware.
Amongst all these treasures, I found quite a few *Imitation cakes* so beautifully made. Each cake is made of foam and then *iced* in a soft plastic. Sounds dreadful doesn't it? But look how cute they look on the cake stands.

I just hope that no one eats one, as that Pavlova slice in the picture above, looks mighty real to me. So now my lovely collection of cake stands can be show off in the dining room.