Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe from the book 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery.'

Ingredients

110g (4oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

225g (8oz) caster sugar, preferably golden 

2 large eggs, free-range or organic 

150g (5½oz) self-raising flour, sifted 

125g (4½oz) plain flour, sifted 

120ml (4fl oz) semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature 

1tsp good-quality vanilla extract 

For icing:

110g (4oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

60ml (2fl oz) semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

1tsp good-quality vanilla extract 

500g (18fl oz) icing sugar, sifted 

Few drops of food colouring (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C (fan)/gas 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray or 3 x 12-hole mini muffin trays with cupcake cases. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition. 

In a separate bowl, combine the two flours. Put the milk into a jug and add the vanilla extract. Add one third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one third of the milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour and milk have been added. 

Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, filling them to about two thirds full. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (regular size) or 15 minutes (mini size) until slightly raised and golden brown. To check they are cooked, insert a skewer in the centre of one of the cakes - it should come out clean.

For icing
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and half the icing sugar until smooth. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat until the buttercream is smooth and creamy. 

If you want to colour your buttercream, always start with one drop of colouring and beat. This will be all you need to achieve a very pale pastel hue. Add carefully, drop by drop, and beat after each addition to build up to your desired shade.

And there you have it, what are you favourite flavour of cupcakes to make?

Chloe

Mexican Cheese Steak Melt

Today I tried out the Mexican Cheese Steak Melt recipe from Rosie (The Londoner) who honestly has one of the best blogs I have ever seen! I made this for myself and my sister, and we both agreed it was so delicious. I will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients 

Steak

Cheese

Guacamole 

Salsa

Garlic butter

Sourdough Bread

Method

1.) Heat a griddle pan, when it starts to smoke put in the steak and cook for a couple of minutes on both sides.

2.) Leave the steak to rest.

3.) Get a slice of sourdough bread, cut up the steak in slices then place the steak onto the bread.

4.) Spoon some salsa over the top of the steak pieces, after that add the guacamole and cheese.

5.) Add another slice of sourdough bread to complete the sandwich.  Then heat a frying pan with some garlic butter, and fry your sandwich on each side for 2 minutes.

And there you have it, I recommend this recipe to everyone it's so amazing, if you try it let me know what you think!

Mary Berry's Fish Pie

Ever since watching the Mary Berry story on the BBC, I have been desperate to try out this fish pie recipe. It looked simply sumptuous when Queen Bezza (as I like to call her) was showing how to make it in her own kitchen. For extra flavour I also added some prawns to the pie, which aren't included in the recipe.

Ingredients

75g/3oz butter, plus extra for greasing

1 large onion, roughly chopped

50g/2oz plain flour

570ml/1 pint milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

350g/12oz fresh haddock, cut into 1cm/½in pieces

350g /12oz smoked undyed haddock, cut into 1cm/½in pieces

4 hard-boiled free-range eggs, roughly chopped

900g/2lb potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces

8 tbsp hot milk

50g/2oz butter

Preparation method

1.) Preheat the oven 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a shallow 2.5 litre/4½pint dish with butter.

2.) Melt the butter in a pan on a high heat and fry onion for few minutes. Lower the heat, cover and leave to soften for 15 minutes.

3.) Remove the lid and increase the heat to remove any moisture. Sprinkle in the flour and then add the milk gradually, stirring well and allowing the sauce to thicken until all the milk has been added.

4.) Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add lemon juice and the raw fish and cook for couple of minutes, stirring continuously until the fish has just cooked. Stir in the smoked haddock. Pour the mixture into the buttered dish and leave to cool. Top with the hard-boiled eggs.

5.) For the topping, boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until tender. Drain, tip the potatoes back into the pan, add milk and butter and mash until lump-free. Use a ricer to get smooth mash. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

6.) Spread the mash over the top of the sauce and fish in the dish and score with a fork.

7.) Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is crisp and golden-brown.

And there you have it the perfect fish pie recipe, I love the fact this fish pie contains egg as well, it just adds the extra bit of flavour, and it works superbly with the fish. I can see why this is a firm favourite in the Berry household. 

Queen Bezza I salute you!

Cheese and Chive Scones

I've been hooked on watching The Great Comic Relief Bake Off, and when I saw Kirsty Wark making some cheese & chive scones I just had to give them a go. My Grandmother was the best at making cheese scones so I dedicate these to her.

Ingredients

510g/1lb 2oz plain flour, plus extra for flouring

                                                 Generous pinch salt

2¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp English mustard powder

65g/2½oz unsalted butter, plus extra for serving

380g/13oz strong cheddar

4½ tbsp fresh snipped chives

300ml/10fl oz milk

1 free-range egg, beaten with a little milk for glazing

4 russet apples

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Lightly flour a baking tray.

2. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and mustard into a bowl.

3. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

4. Grate half of the cheese very finely, and roughly chop the other half. Stir into the flour mixture with the chopped chives.

5. Gradually add milk to make a soft but not sticky dough (you may not need all the milk).

6. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead lightly, then roll the dough out into a thickness of just less than 2.5cm/1in. Use a 6cm/2½in cutter to cut the scones, re-rolling the off-cuts as necessary. Handle the dough as little as possible to keep it light.

7. Put the scones onto the floured baking tray, allowing at least 2.5cm/1in between them and glaze with the egg and milk mixture.

8. Bake for 10 minutes or until risen and golden brown.

9. To serve, finely slice the russet apples and fan half a dozen slices on the plate with the cheese scone and a small pat of butter.

And there you have it, so who is your favourite contestant on the The Great Comic Relief Bake Off? For me it's definitely Warwick Davies!

Chloe xo