Cupcakes (plain sponge)

This, really simple, basic recipe is gluten-free (although can, of course, be made using normal flour too) and will also make Fairy Cakes and Victoria Sponge cakes.

The cakes can be iced however you like to suit any event or just your preferences!



Easter Cakes: Iced with Butter Cream and
topped with Mini Eggs

   

    Ingredients:

    100g Margarine/ Soft Butter

    100g Caster Sugar

    150g Gluten-Free Flour

    2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder

    2 Large Eggs

    1 Tablespoon of Milk

Method:

As with all my recipes I like to measure out all my ingredients first and pre-heat the oven (180'c), I would also suggest lining a cupcake tray with cases ready for the mixture.

Now this couldn't be much more simple, it's what my mum calls the 'All-in-One' method: add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with an electric whisk - all done!

All you need to do now is spoon the mixture into the cases (this mixture will fill 12 large muffin cases or 18 small cake cases) and put them in the oven - approximately 15minutes.

Once cooked, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool before icing.

Iced with Butter Cream and topped with
a star cut from fondant icing

Icing:

Butter Cream:

I tend to do this by estimation, but it tends to be 2 parts icing sugar to every 1 part butter - but if in doubt give it a taste and add sugar or butter accordingly.  

To add to the decoration, flood colouring can also be added without effecting the recipe.

Glace Icing:

For smooth glace icing all you need is icing sugar and water, again I tend to do this by estimation but it works out around 1tablespoon of water per 100g of icing sugar. If you are adding food colouring the amount should be taken out of the water (i.e. if you add half a tablespoon of colouring only add half a stablepoon of water).

Fondant Icing:

Buy, roll out, cut to shape - all done! The only thing I would add is either a bit of jam or a bit off butter cream onto the sponge, under the icing, to help it stick.





Easy Peasy Pancakes

So the photo isn't great but these pancakes are really easy to make and very tasty - so it would be a shame to only make them once a year!

Ingredients:

110g plain flour (sifted)
Pinch of salt
2 Eggs (Beaten)
200 ml Milk
75ml Water
2 Tablespoons of Melted Butter (I find Flora Cusine works well)

 

Method:

Using a hand whisk (not electronic) beat the flour slat and eggs together, it will look like a lumpy mess and stick to the whisk but its ok!

Then measure the milk and water into a jug and gradually pour into the mixture - whisking as you go, this will make a thin batter.

Next add in the butter/flora cusine and whisk again so that little bubbles appear.

Now it's time for the cooking! Heat a small pan (approx 7inches) and add some more butter/flora to grease the pan.

Laddle the mixture into the pan and swirl until it fills the base of the pan - heat until golden brown on both sides. Don't forget to flip it (or use a spatular to turn if you dont think you can manage the flip - this is what I do!)

Serve with lemon and sugar for a traditional taste, or ice-cream and maple syrup for a real treat!

I tend to cook all the pancakes at once (using baking paper to seperate them on a plate) and then re-heat (5min in a warm oven) so that everyone can enjoy them together. Alternatively you can re-fridgerate any excess mixture to cook later.

Cookies!

I am a little bit of a cookie monster. I have always loved a proper cookie - by which I mean American style, soft centred chocolate chip cookies (the bigger the better of course).

So, it's taken me a while, but I finally found the best cookie recipe!

 

Ingredients:

125g (4.5oz) Butter
185g (6.5oz) Soft Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (or essence)
1 Egg (lightly beaten)
1 Tablespoon Milk
215g (7.5oz) Plain Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
250g (9oz) Chocolate Chips (I prefer white chocolate, but that's just me!)

Method:

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180'c, and using baking paper to line a few baking trays (15 cookies tend to take up 3 trays but you don't have to cook them all at once). I also prefer to measure all my ingredients out before doing anything else, but it isn't necessary so whatever works best for you.

Chop up the butter into manageable pieces and add into a mixing bowl along with the sugar. Then cream the butter and the sugar using an electric whisk (this tastes really good so you can be excused for having a little taste!).

Mix in the vanilla  extract and then gradually add in the beaten egg, mixing as you go along.

After stirring in the milk, sift the flour and baking powder into the mixing bowl and fold into the mixture using a metal spoon (helps to keep the air in the mixture).

Finally add in the choc chips and stir well.

Now this bit is a little messy but you do get to lick your fingers (and the bowl) at the end!

Use a tablespoon to spoon the mixture onto the covered baking trays, leaving a decent gap between each spoonful allowing the mixture to spread out in the oven - I tend to put 5 cookies on a tray (obviously depending on the size of the tray).

Squash the cookies down a little using a floured fork, and place in the oven.

The cookies take about 15minutes but I tend to check them after 12minutes before deciding whether they need anymore time (if you are putting in a second batch its likely they wont take as long but once again there is no harm in checking along the way - nobody wants burnt cookies!).

This gives you just enough time to lick to bowl, clean up and set out a wire rack for cooling the cookies.

When they are cooked (look golden brown but still soft to the touch) place them on the rack to cool. Once they are cool I suggest putting them straight into an air tight container so that they stay nice and soft.

Now its time to enjoy! They taste best when warm, but you can heat them up just before eating (30 sec in the microwave does the trick) so you don't have to eat them all immediately.