My Most Perfect Chocolate Brownie!!

We all know how to make Chocolate Brownies right??

This time I really think I nailed it, that crisp crust and the gooey, but not too gooey centre oh yes!

How do you make yours?

Tiramisu Cupcakes

These Tiramisu cupcakes taste divine!

One evening while out for a meal my father pushed a dessert spoon of his Tiramisu in my direction and told me to try it........ I was instantly hooked.

When I spotted a recipe for these cupcakes I was overjoyed, however I couldn't find the perfect Tiramisu recipe so like I do I took the parts I liked best from three different recipes and joined them together to make this cupcake!

Ingredients

80g butter

280g sugar

240g plain flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 eggs

240ml milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

250ml coffee

50ml Kahlua

3 tablespoons sugar

400g mascarpone cheese

300ml double cream

50ml Kahlua

30g icing sugar

In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, butter, salt and baking powder until you achieve a fine breadcrumb texture, like so:

In a jug whisk the two eggs, add the milk and vanilla essence

Then add a little into the dry mix at a time, mixing as you go.

when the batter is mixed you are ready to spoon into cupcake cases.

Cook for 18-20 minutes

While the cakes are cooking, place a saucepan on the hob and add Kahlua, coffee and sugar, bring to boil then simmer till reduced by half and a thick syrupy type texture, place on one side to cool.

I used Camp coffee essence, but you just make up an expresso coffee!

Whip the double cream in a bowl until stiff, add icing sugar.

In a separate bowl whip mascarpone with Kahlua 

Fold double cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Hopefully you didn't forget about the cupcakes in the oven and they have gone a lovely light brown colour and are cooling on a rack,

Now make a hole in the middle using a small knife, I like to cut out a conical shape which leaves a small well.

With a teaspoon pour a little syrup into the well, it will soak into the sponge, 

then also with a teaspoon add a little of the cream and mascarpone topping and place in the well.

I then place the lids (bit you have cut out of sponge) back on top to close the small hole.

Now pipe the cream on top!

To finish I sprinkle a little cocoa mixed with sugar (otherwise a little bitter)

And Voila................ Tiramisu cupcakes!

Cherry Coke float Cupcakes in My Opinion.............'

I have been looking at many different Cherry Coke Float cupcake recipes after seeing them on the `Brown Eyed Baker` website (this site is fabulous, do check it out!)

I wanted the whipped cream topping but hate the American conversion process.

So I found a great recipe adapted from the Nigella Lawson's version and was well away!
This recipe requires Buttermilk which i was a little concerned about, but low and behold there it was next to the milk in my local Tesco, Yay!!

So here it is................... please try it they are delicious!!!!

Turn your oven on ready to 180 oc

You Will Need :

7oz                      Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon       Bicarbonate of soda
8.8oz                  Caster Sugar
1/4 teaspoon       Salt

Weigh this all out and place together in a bowl, sieve flour,

1                      Egg
125ml              Buttermilk
1 teaspoon       Vanilla Essence

In a jug whisk the egg then stir in buttermilk and Vanilla Essence, and place to one side.

Grab a non stick saucepan and place these ingriedients inside

4.4oz            Butter
175ml           Coke (full fat)
2 tblspoons   Cocoa powder

place on the hob and heat slowly until all butter is melted and it looks a little like this :

Get your pretty cupcake/muffin holders out and fill 3/4 to the top, remembering these cakes are made with plain flour so will not raise like cakes made with self raising!

After 15 minutes you should have cakes that look like this!

So while the cakes are cooling you will need to whip up your cream and make a glaze!


For the Glaze

8oz icing sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Coca cola
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

How to make the glaze:

Sieve the icing and place to one side, in a saucepan place the butter, coca cola and cocoa, heat slowly and stir until butter has melted.
Remove from the heat and add the vanilla essence, add the sieved icing sugar beating as you go until you are left with a thick but still runny glaze.
Pour a little of the glaze on top of each cupcake.

And now for the cream frosting!

Double or whipping cream?  
It is up to you? I really don't know much about which is the best cream, I used Extra Double cream which was thick already and then whipped it up!
  
Be careful not  to over whip the cream!

(if you do over whip you can add another couple of table spoons of cream to rescue the cream!)

You can also add some caster sugar to the cream just a little bit, this may hold the cream better for piping, but too much will be too sweet, so take it steady!

Pipe cream onto the cupcakes using a piping nozzle.

Some recipes suggest using cherry pie filling in the centre, I thought this looked fabulous and when i first made them I made a well and filled the centres, however on tasting i found it was way too sickly and really took away the taste of the Coke flavoured sponge, so instead i used the syrup to decorate the cupcake topping, giving a hint of cherry flavour.
I sieved the cherry pie filling then put into a piping bag, then drizzled over the cream, then to finish i placed a cherry on top!

I also found the flavour of the coke intensifies over time, so make a day before then make cream topping on day of eating!

Thank you and happy baking!

Petit Fours

Petit fours are just amazing, they are bite size moments of heaven , I had a million and one ideas but time was against me I was invited for lunch my parents and so had to knock up something quick!!
I made these in two hours!