Chocolate Chip Muffins

Hi Everyone!

I decided to make some muffins today! I love muffins but they aren't really something that I make all that often as I have never really found a recipe that I was happy with until now! This recipe is so easy and makes a delicious batch of muffins!

INGREDIENTS:

250g Plain Flour

100g Caster Sugar

3 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

175ml Milk

75ml Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

125g Chocolate Chips

3 tbsp Caster Sugar

2 tbsp Soft Brown Sugar

METHOD:

1. Pre heat oven to 200C/ Gas Mark 6 and place 12 muffin cases into a muffin tray.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, 100g caster sugar and chocolate chips together mixing well.

3. In a separate bowl mix the milk, oil and egg together, blending well.

4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet all at once and stir together until the dry ingredients are moistened (the batter will be a little lumpy).

5. Divide the mixture up between the muffin cases and sprinkle with the caster and brown sugars.

6. Bake for 20-25 until golden brown in colour. Insert a skewer into the centre of one muffin to check that they are thoroughly baked.

7. Allow to cool in the tray for 5 minutes before removing and allowing to cool thoroughly on a wire rack.

These muffins are so tasty and an ideal size! They are much lighter than those bought from a shop and don't seem to stick to the back of your throat like many shop bought ones seem to either!

I found this recipe on All Recipes

Maz x

Apple Frangipane Tart

Hi Everyone!

I decided to have a go at making a Frangipane tart today after having one at a restaurant! The tart is comprised of a pastry base with an almond sponge filling topped with slices of apple. Here's how to make it:

INGREDIENTS:

200g Plain Flour

100g Butter, chilled and diced

100g Butter, softened

Pinch of Salt

100g Caster Sugar plus another 1 tbsp

2 Large Eggs

100g Ground Almonds

1 tbsp Finely chopped Lemon Zest

4 Eating Apples

METHOD:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the 100g of cold diced butter to it almond with the salt. Rub the mixture together between your fingers, or pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Next add 1-3 tbsps of cold water to the mixture until the dough begins to stick. Knead it into a ball then wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Pre heat the oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4.

3. Roll out your pastry and fill your tart tin. Bake the pasty blind for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.

4. While the pasty is baking, add the 100g of softened butter along with 100g of Caster Sugar to a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Next beat in one egg at a time. Now fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest and use this mixture to fill the pastry case.

5. Peel and core your apples and then slice them finely. 'Plant' the apple slices into the tart, brush with some melted butter and then dredge with the 1 tbsp of caster sugar.

6. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes in the oven until the Frangipane is puffy and golden. You can know brush over the apples with apricot jam if you wish then return to the warm oven (switched off) with the door ajar for 15 minutes.

This tart is so tasty and fairly straight forward to make. It does take quite a bit of time to make but I feel that it's worth it!

I found this recipe on the Waitrose website.

Maz x

White & Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Hi Everyone!

I have been busy baking today and decided to make these white and dark chocolate cupcakes. They are made up from a dark chocolate sponge with a white chocolate frosting. Here's how to make them:

INGREDIENTS:
100g Self Raising Flour
20g Cocoa Powder
145g Golden Caster Sugar
40g Butter
120ml Whole Milk
1 Large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Instant Coffee dissolved in 1 tsp Hot Water

Frosting:
280g Butter
280g Icing Sugar
200g White Chocolate, melted and cooled

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4 and place 12 cupcake cases in a cupcake tin.

2. Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz on a slow speed for 1 minute until you have a sandy consistency.

3. Gradually pour in half of the milk and beat until just incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl whisk the remaining milk, egg, vanilla and coffee together.

5. Beat the two mixtures together until smooth.

6. Divide the mixture up between the 12 cases and bake for 20 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

8. To make the frosting tip the butter and icing sugar into the food processor and beat until combined.

9. Remove this mixture from the mixer into a large bowl and fold in the cooled, melted chocolate.

10. Pipe or spoon the frosting onto each cupcake and decorate (I used milk chocolate buttons).

 

These cakes are gorgeous, light and so chocolatey! The addition of the coffee into the mix really brings out the flavour of the chocolate in the sponge and the white chocolate frosting is so tasty! Give them a go!

I found this recipe on the Good Food Channel website.

Maz x

Malteaser Cupcakes

Hi Everyone!

This is a recipe that I have wanted to make for a while now and today I finally did! These cupcakes are made from a sponge cake containing malteasers and topped with a rich butter cream with crushed malteasers. Here's how to make them:

INGREDIENTS:

Sponge:

200g Softened Butter

150g Caster Sugar

50g Brown Sugar

2 drops of Vanilla Extract
4 Medium Eggs
200g Plain Flour
10g Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt

80g Malteasers

Butter cream:

250g Butter

500g Icing Sugar

2 drops of Vanilla Extract

55g Malteasers, roughly crushed

METHOD:

1. Pre heat oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4 and place cupcake cases in tray.

2. Cream the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

3. Add the vanilla followed by one egg at a time, whisking well.

4. Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder and salt.

5. Stir in the malteasers.

6. Divide the mixture up evenly between the cupcake cases and bake for around 25 minutes.

To make the butter cream:

1. Whisk the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

2. Spoon or pipe the butter cream on to the cakes and decorate with the crushed malteasers.

 

These cupcakes are gorgeous! The addition of the brown sugar in the sponge makes it even tastier and also gives it a more caramelised flavour. They are quite sickly and rich though so best left to the occasional treat!

I found this recipe on the UK TV website. The recipe states that it makes 12 cakes but I found I had extra mixture left over for another 3!

Maz x

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Biscuits

Hi Everyone!

I fancied doing some baking today but wanted something pretty quick and straight forward to make so I chose to make chocolate chip shortbread biscuits. I haven't made shortbread in a long time but this recipe is great and is definitely one I'd use again!

The recipe makes around 12-18 biscuits depending on how big you make them!

INGREDIENTS:

225g Plain Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

225g Unsalted Butter

100g Caster Sugar

125g Chocolate Chips

60g Chopped Walnuts

METHOD:

1. Pre heat oven to 150C/ Gas Mark 2 and line 2 baking trays with non stick paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and then gradually add the flour mix.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

5. Form walnut sized balls of the mixture and place them onto the baking trays and press down slightly. Make sure to leave a gap around each one.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown in colour.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the trays for around 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool thoroughly.

These biscuits are great! They are really rich and buttery just how a shortbread biscuit should be! Give them a go!

I found this recipe on All Recipes

Maz x

Cherry & Oat Biscuits

Hi Everyone!

It's been quite a while since I last did a bit of baking so I thought that I'd break myself back in gently by baking some simple biscuits! I love cherries and oats together so I picked this biscuit recipe! Here's how I made them:

INGREDIENTS:

3oz/ 75g Plain Flour

1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

2oz/ 50g Glace Cherries, chopped

65g Caster Sugar

3oz/ 75g Rolled Oats

4oz/ 112g Butter

1 tbsp Golden Syrup

1 tbsp Milk

METHOD:

1. Pre heat oven to 150C/ 300F/ Gas Mark 2 and line a baking tray/ sheet.

2. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together into a mixing bowl.

3. Add the cherries, sugar and oats and mix thoroughly.

4. Put the butter and syrup in a small saucepan and heat until the butter has melted. Stir in the milk and remove from the heat.

5. Pour the butter mix into the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.

6. Place the mixture into the fridge for around 5 minutes.

7. Divide the mixture into 12 balls and place onto the baking tray, pressing down slightly.

8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking tray for around 5 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool thoroughly.

This biscuits are delicious! They are crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle plus they are quick and easy to make too!

I found this recipe on Cook it Simply

Maz x