GIRLS AND CHOCOLATE …

Girls and chocolate have been known to work together for years, if you have a cold a hot chocolate will fix you up, valentines day buy your girlfriend a box of chocolates and flowers, have a picnic strawberries and chocolate are always needed…Going on a diet just have dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. 

Chocolate is the cure for everything if you are a girl… you can even get chocolate face masks if you have bad skin !! But us girls have been known to love chocolate more than any other food. Why ?? Chocolate is known to raise you blood sugar levels in your blood and makes you feel good by increasing levels of serotonin in your brain. Research shows that chocolate has the same alkaloid compounds that make alcoholics addicted to alcohol…And chocolate is just too good which also is why so many girls crave chocolate so much…xx

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES …

This strawberry cheesecake cupcake recipe is one of my favourite summer cupcakes, the strawberry adds a fresh texture to the sweet treats, and I love the sprinkling of crumbled digestive biscuits on the top !

YOU WILL NEED:

-120g plain flour,

-140g caster sugar,

-1 1/2 g caster sugar,

-A pinch of salt,

-40g butter at room temp,

-120 ml whole milk,

-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract,

-1 egg,

-12 large strawberries chopped into small pieces,

-100-200g digestive biscuits,

-50g butter at room temp (for the icing)

-300g icing sugar,

-125g cream cheese (cold).

RECIPE

`First of all preheat the oven to 170c/325f/gas 3.

Then put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into a large bowl. With a electric whisk mix the ingredients until it looks like fine sand.

Next pour in the milk and vanilla extract, beat well until the ingredients are all combined. Scraping around the edge and under the mixture with a spatula. After add the egg and mix it all together.

Evenly divide your  strawberry pieces between your cupcake cases, and spoon the mixture on top. Bake the cupcakes for 20-25 minuets, until light golden. (To test if its cooked stab a fork into the centre, if it comes out clean then there ready if not place back in the oven, but keep checking on them.)  Once your happy with your cupcakes leave them to cool.

Whilst your cupcakes are cooling beat the icing sugar and butter together, (electric mixer is best). Next add the cream cheese all in one go and continue mixing. Turning the whisk up, beat for 5 minuets. You want the icing to be light and fluffy !

Roughly break up the digestive biscuits and place them in a plastic bag. With a rolling pin crust the biscuits until they it looks like fine sand. spoon on your cream cheese icing and sprinkle on the crushed biscuit for a finishing touch.

Enjoy with a cup of tea xxx

BLUEBERRY CAKE …

Blueberry’s always work amazingly in cakes, becoming juicy and sweet and adding a wonder full colouring. Perfect for summer baking !

YOU WILL NEED: 

-350g butter at room temp,

-350g caster sugar,

-6 eggs,

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract,

-450g plain flour,

-2 tbs and 2 teaspoons of baking powder,

-280ml sour cream,

-250g fresh blueberries + extra for decorations,

-600g icing sugar,

-100g unsalted butter (for icing),

-250g cream cheese.

RECIPE

First of all preheat the oven to 170c/325f/gas3.

Place the butt
er, sugar in a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy,(handheld electric whisk would be best).  Next add the eggs one at a time, mixing in-between and scraping around the edge of the bowl and under the mixture for each edition with a spatula.

After you want to mix in the vanilla extract, flour and baking powder until smooth. Then add in the sour cream and mix well until its light and fluffy !

With a wooden spoon gently stir in the blueberries until they are evenly spread out.
Pour the mixture into a cake tin (you could use cupcake cases or even a ring mould). Bake the cake for 40 minuets, until golden brown, (you want the sponge to bounce back when pressed).

Whilst the cake is cooling beat together the icing sugar and butter with and electric whisk until it comes together. Add the cream cheese in one go and continue to beat until thoroughly mixed in !  Turn the mixer up and continue to beat until the icing is light and fluffy.

When the cake is cooled spoon on your cream cheese icing, and use blueberries to decorate the top !! As an extra sprinkle some icing sugar on as well.

Enjoy xxx

LAVENDER CUPCAKES …

This is a great lavender cupcake recipe for the summer, and will always look gorgeous x

YOU WILL NEED
-120ml whole milk,

-3 tbs dried lavender flowers,

-120g plain flour,

-140g  caster sugar,

-1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder,

-40g butter at room temp,

-1 egg,

-12 small sprigs of lavender (decoration).

ICING:

-25ml whole milk,

-1 tbs dried lavender flowers,

-250g icing sugar,

-80g butter at room temp,

-purple food colouring.

RECIPE

Put the dried lavender flowers and milk into a jug and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Do  the same for the milk and lavender flowers for the frosting.

First you will need to preheat the oven to 170 c/325 f/gas 3.

Place the flour,sugar, baking powder and butter into a large bowl and mix (handheld electric whisk would be best) until it looks like sand.

Next strain the lavender milk (for the cupcakes) and slowly pour into the mixture, constantly mixing gently together. Then add the egg and beat well, scraping around the bowl and under the mixture with a spatula.

Gently spoon your mixture into paper cases until two thirds full, bake for 20-25 minuets. To test if the mixture is cooked spear a fork into the centre of each cupcake if ready it should come out clean, if a little mixture is on the fork place cupcakes back in for another 5 minuets then repeat this stage.

Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, beat together the icing sugar, butter and couple of drops of food colouring into a large bowl, and mix (handheld electric whisk is best) until the mixture comes together and is smooth. Turn the mixer down to a low speed and strain the lavender milk, then slowly pour it into the mixture. Turn the mixer up high and continue mixing until its light and fluffy. (the longer its beaten the lighter the icing).

When the cupcakes are cooled, spoon the icing on and decorate with sprigs of lavender, silver balls or edible glitter. Then enjoy your new summer cupcakes xxx

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES …

Whats more yummy than warm chocolate chip cookies and a cold milk …

For this recipe you will need:

-225g butter at room temperature,

-350g soft light brown sugar,

-2 large eggs,

-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract,

-400g plain flour,

-1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda,

– 225 g dark chocolate chunks.

MAKES 24 COOKIES

First off all preheat the oven to 170 c/325f/gas 3.

place the butter and sugar into a large bowl (use a hand held whisk) whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add each egg slowly mixing in-between and scraping any additional mixture form the sides in the process. Next mix in the vanilla extract.

After add the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda and mix throughly until no bumps in the dough. Then with a wooden spoon stir in the chocolate chunks.

space the cookies out evenly on each tray, and set a timer for 10 minuets (until golden brown). place the cookies on a wire rack and sprinkle icing guar on the top for the finishing look!

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk xx ❤

VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE

This is a cake fit for any occasion and one of my favourites ! Just follow my  seven simple steps. Enjoy x

YOU WILL NEED :

-200g of self raising flour,

-200g of margarine,

-200g of golden caster sugar,

-3 eggs,

                                                                                                     -Baking powder,

-Icing sugar,

-Strawberry/raspberry jam,

-Double cream.

RECIPE

1. First of all you need to set your oven to 180c/350f/gas 4.

2. Then in a large bowl measure out your flour, baking powder and sugar, When they look like sand, add the margarine, And mix well !

3. Next crack your eggs in a separate cup (incase of any egg shells) Then add them to the flour,sugar and margarine. Be careful not to over mix, you want it to be a light colour, with no lumps. Get a spatular and scrape around the edge of the bowl, and under the mixture, making shore no butter is left on the sides.

4. Once you are happy, trace around both of you cake tins with grease proof paper. cut out the stencilled circles and rub butter on the base and sides of both your tins. And finally place the greaseproof paper on the base of your tin.

5. Next gently add half your mixture in each tin, making shore you don’t squash any of the air in the mixture. Place in the oven, setting a timer for 25 mins.

6. To check your cake is cooked stick a fork in the centre of each cake if it comes out clean then your cake is ready, if mixture is stuck to the fork keep it in for another 10 mins, repeating this step until the fork comes out clean !

7. Gently take your cakes out of tins, leaving the greaseproof paper on the bases. when cakes are cooled, six the double cream until it holds its shape, and gently smooth across the surface, you will ant quite a lot of cream on the cakes. Then add your jam and place the other sponge layer on top.

EXTRA – To finish off sprinkle a little icing sugar on top, it always makes it look amazing !