Chai cupcakes - recipe

My little sister loves Chai, so I think I'll bake these for her.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcake

Chai Spice Mix

• 2 teaspoons fennel, whole
• 2 teaspoons cloves, whole
• 1 tablespoon cardamom, ground
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 2 teaspoons ginger, ground

1. With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
2. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

• 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cacao
• 3 sticks butter
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 8 eggs
• 1-1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 teaspoons chai spice mix
• pinch of salt

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons chai spice mix
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: Everyone's personal preferences differ. With frosting, the flavor is up to you. If you are unsure of how much of a chai flavor you want, start light on the spices and add a teaspoon at a time until you get to a flavor you like. Same goes for the sugar. It's a matter of taste and what consistency you want to work with. Experiment until you get at what works for you.

Assemble

• Frost the cooled cupcakes.

Recipe from here.

Cookies and milk and...cupcakes

Oreo cupcakes. Can't go wrong.

Marie Antoinette

All these gorgeous Macaroooons make me want to watch Marie Antoinette.

CAMDEN cupcakes

They had some pretty cupcakes in CAMDEN last weekend. Click click with the camera. But we went for the gorgeous fresh doughnuts instead! Chocolate for me, Caramel for my man, Sugar for my best friend and Chocolate for his dad. Yum!

Macarooooons in the morning lalaaa

So colourful!

Rainbow cake - recipe link

See recipe here!

Cupcake coffee butter frosting - recipe

Coffee Butter Frosting
Recipe from Cupcakes by Susannah Blake

• 3 sticks plus 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 6 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 8 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso, dissolved in 4 tablespoons boiling water
• Grated bittersweet chocolate for garnish

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, dissolved coffee or espresso, and half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Colourful Doughnuts

Gorgeous. Donuts are among my favourite baked goods, together with cookies and cupcakes.

Super easy! Bailey's Cookies - recipe

BAILEY'S IRISH CREAM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. Bailey's original Irish cream
• 2 1/4 c. cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter, sugars and egg until fluffy. Add vanilla and Bailey's Irish cream. Mix dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Add nuts and chips. Drop onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes - recipe

Cupcakes
26 regular-sized cupcakes / 350 degree oven

7 ounces (200 grams) Valrhona 85% cacao (or any bittersweet chocolate)
3 sticks (343 grams) butter
2-1/4 cups (445 grams) sugar
8 eggs
1 cup + 4 tablespoons (90 grams) flour, all purpose
2 tablespoons (30 grams) + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1,5 baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Chop the chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add the butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate melts and the butter is combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. Measure out the flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt into a small bowl.
5. Transfer the cooled chocolate/butter mixture to the electric mixer and beat for 3 minutes.
6. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 10 seconds between each.
7. Sift the flour into the bowl and mix to combine.
8. Scoop into cupcake cups only 2/3s full. Bake all the cupcakes at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Salted Caramel

4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. *** This is the dangerous part *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
9. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes.

Pour leftover caramel onto a small plate covered in aluminum foil and greased with vegetable oil. Transfer the plate to the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then chop the caramel quickly into squares (its starts to get soft) and top each cupcake with a square.

Salted Caramel Frosting

2 sticks butter
8 ounces or 1 package of Philly cream cheese
5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup salted caramel

1. Bring butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
3. Sift 3 cups of powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
4. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
5. Sift 2-3 cups of powder sugar, in 1 cup increments and beating between each, until you arrive at the thickness and sweetness you desire. I used 6 cups. The frosting wasn’t super thick, but it was starting to get pretty sweet.

Assembly
1. Frost cooled cupcakes with a generous amount of frosting.
2. Sprinkle each cupcake with sea or kosher salt. I ground some rock sea salt onto each.
3. Top with a caramel candy, homemade or otherwise.

baked New York

Picture from BAKED in New York. Looks like a cute little place.

my birthday

Today is my birthday! :) I'd like one of these!

Red Velvet Cupcakes - recipe

Magnolia Bakery's red velvet cake with creamy vanilla frosting (about 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

Cakes:

• 500g plain flour
• 165g unsalted butter, softened
• 500g sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tbsp red food colouring
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ tsp salt
• 330ml buttermilk
• 1½ tsp cider vinegar
• 1½ tsp baking soda

Frosting:

• 6 tbsp plain flour
• 440ml milk
• 450g unsalted butter, softened
• 450g sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4. In a small bowl, sift the plain flour. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Whisk together the red food colouring, ­unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
3. Stir the salt in with the buttermilk and add to ­the batter in three parts, ­alternating with flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are fully ­incorporated, but make sure you do not overbeat.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda and add to the batter and mix well.
5. Divide the mixture into cases, then bake each tray of cakes for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
6. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 ­minutes. Remove from the tins and cool ­completely on a wire rack before mixing together the frosting ingredients and applying the icing.

Mini cupcakes - you can eat these

Mini cupcakes are so cute. I like them because you can eat more of them, and have room for different kind of flavours. Plus anything in miniature is great.

Non-edible mini cupcakes

Cute, but you can't eat them. Mini cupcake earrings, bath bombs and lipgloss.

illustration

M&M’s Cookies - recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 12-ounce package M&M’s Chocolate Mini Baking Bits or just M&Ms
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in M&M’s. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft. Do not overbake.
3. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

baked

Another baking book for my wishlist. There's so many cute pretty books out there.

macarons

I've never eaten or baked macarons. But I will! They are among the prettiest things you can bake. And I want this book. The cover is fantastic.

double cookies - recipe

Cookies:

• 120 grams dark chocolate
• 120 grams butter
• 300 grams sugar
• 3 eggs, whisked
• 120 grams flour
• 1,5 tsp baking powder
• 120 grams cocoa
• 120 grams milk chocolate in small pieces

Filling:

• 150 grams peanut butter
• 50 grams icing sugar

1. Heat oven to 170 degrees
2. Melt the dark chocolate with the butter and let cool
3. Stir in sugar and eggs. Add flour, baking powder and cocoa. Mix well and add the small milk chocolate pieces
4. Roll a spoon of the dough to a ball with your hands. Put on a baking sheet on an oven tray and flatten slightly. Continue with the rest of the dough. Make sure there’s about 5cm in between the cookies
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cookies cool on a rack.
6. Mix peanut butter and icing sugar. Spread onto half of the cookies and make the other half the lids. Press gently so that they hold together. Serve with coffee or as a dessert with some vanilla ice cream.