Cupcakes

Just thought I'd share 
some pictures of cupcakes I've made recently, most of them you can see the recipes on the blog....

Whats your favourite? 

Chocolate Orio 

                                       Caramel Frosting

  

Toffee with M&Ms

Chocolate Orange

Carrot Cake

 

Raspberry

Lemon

Blackberry and Vanilla

Chocolate and Tiramisu  

Delicious Caramel Filled Profiteroles

I was inspired watching Masterchef USA the other day, and decided I would try making profiteroles, something I've never got round to making before, OMG I'm so glad I did!
These were easier than I thought.
They are filled with caramel cheese cream, and topped with caramel.
This recipe made about 4 trays, I filled half of them, and the spare shells were frozen.

For the pastry:

6oz Butter
7 1/2oz P Flour
6 Eggs (beaten)
3/4 pint of water (400mls)

For Filling:

large tub of mascarpone 
1 dessert spoon of milk
1tbsp icing sugar

1 sml tin of Nestles caramel

Draw 1" circles onto parchment paper, the turn over and place on baking tray, dampen slightly with water.

Cut the butter into small pieces and put in large pan with the water.
Heat gently until butter melted, then bring to boil quickly, remove from heat immediately.
Beat in sifted flour until the mixture is smooth and leaves the side of the pan.

Allow to cool...

Then beat in eggs a little at a time, keeping the mixture stiff.

Put in large piping bag with large plain nozzle, and pipe onto marked parchment.
Press down any peaks gently with damp small brush.

Bake in oven Gas 6 until risen, golden brown and has a crispy shell.

Don't take then out the oven too soon, as they will deflate.

For the filling, beat together mascarpone, milk and icing sugar, (add 1tsp caramel flavouring if you wish).

As soon as profiteroles are cool, poke small hole in bottom, and pipe filling in, making sure they are filled.
Dip top in caramel.

Spare shells, allow to cool, the freeze, also the finished profiteroles can be frozen, place flat on tray with parchment, and place in freezer, once frozen, you can put then in bags or boxes, and back in the freezer.

Enjoy!

Caramel Cupcakes

This is another version of my standard cupcakes, 

For cakes:

4oz Margarine
4oz Castor sugar
4oz SR Flour
2 Eggs (beaten with 2tbsp milk) 
1tsp Baking powder

For frosting:

8oz Double cream
4oz Mascarpone
1 tbsp Icing sugar

Make cupcakes by creaming margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg mixture a little at a time along with the caramel flavouring, and continue beating, ( add a little flour at same time to prevent curdling mix).
Scrape down bowl, then fold in rest of flour, baking powder.

Divide into 12 paper cases in muffin tray.
Bake Gas 6, aprox 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool,
(This is good time for a cup of tea!) 

To make frosting, whisk cream and mascarpone until thickens a little, then add icing sugar and whisk until thick and creamy.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes in design of your choice,

I put little caramel in centres of cakes before decorating with flowers and piped leaves, then drizzled a little caramel over tops, and added some caramel sprinkles.

Enjoy!

Caramel and Apple Cupcakes

Thought I would use the caramel up left from doing the cheesecake, and oh my word! I'm glad I did, these cupcakes are yummy!

For cakes:

4oz Margarine
4oz Castor sugar
4oz SR Flour
2 Eggs (beaten with 2tbsp milk)
1tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp chopped dried apple pieces
1 tsp caramel flavouring

For frosting:

8oz Double cream
4oz Mascarpone
1 tbsp Icing sugar
Nestles Caramel and peanut M&Ms for decoration

Make cupcakes by creaming margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg mixture a little at a time along with the caramel flavouring, and continue beating, ( add a little flour at same time to prevent curdling mix).
Scrape down bowl, then fold in rest of flour, baking powder and apple pieces.

Divide into 12 paper cases in muffin tray.
Bake Gas 6, aprox 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool,
(This is good time for a cup of tea!) 

To make frosting, whisk cream and mascarpone until thickens a little, then add icing sugar and whisk until thick and creamy.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes in design of your choice, and add M&M in middle, then drizzle a little caramel over tops.

Enjoy! (I certainly did lol )

No Bake Rolo Caramel Cheesecake

This is so scrummy! A firm favourite if your having family or friends around, they won't believe you've made it...

For the base:

300g Digestives
120g Butter

For filling:

500g Cream Cheese
100g Icing Sugar
300 ml Double Cream
1tsp vanilla essence

For decoration:

sml bag or tube of Rolo's


Melt butter in pan and stir in crushed digestives.
Place in 8" loose bottomed cake tin, and place in fridge to cool.

In large bowl, whisk double cream till thick but not too stiff.
Add cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla, and continue to whisk until mixture is thick and creamy.

Put filling on top of biscuit base, smoothing out, then make swirls on top.
Decorate with Rolo's and drizzle a little caramel over top.

Chill in fridge before releasing from spring form tin.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread

This is one of Mums recipes handed down, and a firm favourite with everyone!

For the Shortbread:

9oz Plain Flour
3oz Castor Sugar
6oz Butter

For the Toffee:

4oz Butter
4oz soft brown sugar
Small tin of condensed milk
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 large bar good quality milk  chocolate


To make shortbread put flour, sugar and butter in large bowl and rub all ingredients together until crumbly mixture.

Place in greased and lined tray bake tin, press down evenly and firmly.
Bake in oven, Gas 5 until light golden, aprox 20 mins.

Leave to cool.

For toffee:
Add butter, brown sugar, syrup condensed milk and vanilla in to heavy bottom pan, bring to boil (stirring), and simmer for 7 minutes.
Pour toffee over shortbread. Allow to cool.

Break chocolate down into squares and place in bowl, which is placed over pan of simmering water (do not let water touch bottom of bowl), allow chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally, then pour over cooled toffee.
When chocolate is partially set, you can make swirls with a fork.
Allow to set completely before removing from tin and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Giant Caramel and Honeycomb Biscuits/Cookies

Oh my word, the smell from these when you open the tin is incredible! and they taste gorgeous too...

4oz butter
2oz castor sugar
6oz plain flour
1tsp caramel food flavouring
1tbsp small honeycomb pieces

Cream together softened butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then mix in flour, flavouring and honeycomb till combined, do not over mix though.

Roll out on well floured surface and cut out with your preferred cutter.
Bake on greased tray well apart, Gas 5, for aprox 10/15 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before place on wire rack to cool completely.

mmmmm...

Enjoy

Poached Caramel Pears

For this recipe I used 3 pears, but you can do as many as you like, ideal for showing off when you have friends over for dinner, and so simple..

Soft pears
Red wine
Nestles caramel covering
Chocolate
Coconut or chopped nuts

Firstly peel pears keeping stalk and slice a little from the bottom of the pear ( this helps them to stand up).

Put about 1/3 of a bottle wine in saucepan with pears and simmer for 20 minutes, keep turning so they get equal coverage.
Remove and let drain on kitchen paper.

When cool cover with caramel and place on grease proof paper.

Melt a little chocolate in bowl over pan, or in microwave, and dip pears in to cover bottom half, then immediately dip in coconut or chopped nuts.

Hope you  enjoy these as much as I did!