Gorgeous Chocolate Cupcakes

It's my dear boyfriends birthday tomorrow! Very excited as we will be celebrating next weekend however he's having to go to work tomorrow rather than spending his birthday at home or out and about, so I thought as usual I would make him some cupcakes to take in to work! He works in a very masculine office, therefore I made some manly chocolate cupcakes, although I decorated them just the way I'd like them! 

Gorgeous Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

300g self raising flour

300g granulated sugar

300g butter

2 tbsp. Baking soda

3 tbsp. Cocoa

4 eggs

Splash of milk

300ml double cream

250g cream cheese

200g icing sugar

1 sachet chocolate angel delight.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200oc

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

3. Using an electric whisk, gradually add one egg at a large.

4. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cocoa, then gradually add to the wet ingredients. If the cake batter is a little stiff, add a splash of milk.

5. Load into cupcake cases (24) and bake for 12-15 minutes.

6. Whilst the cakes are baking, it's time to whip up the icing. Using an electric whisk, combine the cream and icing sugar until it starts to thicken, now add the cream cheese and whisk.

7. Add the sachet of chocolate delight, then load into a piping bag ready to decorate.

8. Once cool pipe the icing onto the cakes and decorate!!

Enjoy!

Crumpets

Such an amazing recipe, a recipe which is so under-rated, however the results are fabulous and scrummy!

Crumpets

Ingredients

225g Strong plain flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. yeast

1 tsp. sugar

275ml milk

55ml water

Method

In a small saucepan heat up the milk until it is slightly warm.

Then add the water, then the yeast. Leave for 15 minutes until the yeast mixture is froffy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredient's and make a well.

When the wet ingredient's are ready, gradually add to make a batter.

Once combined, leave for 1 hour.

Well grease your crumpet rings and heat a saucepan with a small amount of oil of a medium heat.

Add 2 tbsp. of mixture to each ring and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Flip the crumpets once they have had adequate time.

Cook for 1 minute. Remove from pan.

Cheats Butterscotch & Cashew Mille Feuille

This recipe is the ultimate cheat recipe, its a little bit naughty but I was in desperate need of a dessert to take to a girls dinner party which was arranged very last minute and being the baker of the group it was down to me to supply something naughty and delicious. I had been planning on experimenting with Mille Feuille, which I still did but I did take a couple of shortcuts involving puff pastry! Ooops!

Butterscotch & Cashew Mille Feulile

Ingredients

Just Roll Puff Pastry

300ml double cream

250g cream cheese

100g icing sugar

1 packet Butterscotch Angel Delight

50g Cashews

Garnish of choice

Method

Start by preheating the oven at 200oc and lining 2 baking trays with grease proof paper.

Dust the work surface with icing sugar and roll out the pastry ever so slightly, then cutting out equal rectangles, then transferring to the baking tray.

Once you've cut out all of the rectangles, dust well with icing sugar. Bake for 15 minutes.

Whilst the pastry is in the oven: in a large mixing bowl, combine the cream, cream-cheese and butterscotch Angel Delight, then load into a piping bag, if that is the effect you intend for.

Once the pastry is cooked and cooled, pipe the filling onto the pastry and layer. To finish I gave the Mille Feuille a dusting of crushed cashews and freeze dried raspberries for colour.

Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Peanut Cookies

Another immense cookie recipe... I swear they just keep getting better!

Triple Chocolate Peanut Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

100g white chocolate chunks

100g dark chocolate chunks

100g milk chocolate chunks

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

Method

Preheat the oven to 200oc and greaseproof 2 baking trays.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the sugar and baking powder until combined.

Add the peanut butter and ensure it is incorporated well before adding the chocolate chunks. Place the mix in the freezer for 15 minutes, then using teaspoons or an ice cream scoop, place 6 lumps of dough on each tray before baking for 12 minutes in the oven.

Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before removing them.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies are my partners favourite and as I have mentioned before, he is a big lover of peanut butter, so seeing's as I'm the best girlfriend, I decided I would whip him up a mid-week batch. I usually experiment and play around with the flavours and these ones contain dark chocolate and some sea-salt to bring out those rich flavours!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. sea-salt

100g dark chocolate chunks

Method

Preheat the oven to 200oc and greaseproof 2 baking trays.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the sugar and baking powder until combined.

Add the peanut butter and ensure it is incorporated well before adding the cocoa and chocolate chunks. Place the mix in the freezer for 15 minutes, then using teaspoons or an ice cream scoop, place 6 lumps of dough on each tray before baking for 12 minutes in the oven.

Leave the cookies to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before removing them.

Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Tart

Dark chocolate and raspberries are such a magical combination, they work so well: delicate sweet raspberries paired with bitter yet brilliant, smooth dark chocolate, definitely a match made in heaven, without a shadow of a doubt. I would recommend using fresh raspberries so that you get a real moistness about the raspberry layer.

Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Tart

225g plain flour

110g butter (room temperature)

80g sugar

1 egg

1 Punnet of Raspberries

300g Dark Chocolate

300ml double cream

Cocoa for dusting
Freeze Dried Raspberries

Method

Start by making the pastry: place the butter and flour in a food processor and whizz until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

Add the sugar and whizz again until incorporated.

Crack the egg into the food processor to bring the pastry together. If the pastry is too crumbly, add a splash of milk to moisten.

Once a dough is formed, place in the fridge for 10 minutes, then well oil a pastry case.

Roll out the pastry to a 1cm thickness and lay into the pastry dish. Ensure the pastry is pressed into the case firmly and bake with baking beans for 20 minutes until light brown in an oven heated to 190oc. Once baked allow the pastry to cool completely.
On a medium heat, heat the double cream until it starts to bubble, whilst its heating up, break the chocolate into chunks in a medium bowl. Pour the heat cream directly over the chocolate and stir continuously until the chocolate is entirely melted.
Place the raspberries in a bowl and lightly mash, then line the bottom of the pastry case.
Then directly pour the chocolate ganache over the raspberries and place in the fridge to set. Once firm, dust with cocoa and freeze dried raspberries.

Seeded Challah Bread

Adore this recipe, now an even better seeded version! This was a recipe I found on Pintrest originally, It is one which I have adapted and made easier over time. If you are looking to bake a bread which is gorgeously crusty on the outside and beautifully soft inside, this is one for you. This recipe is easy to follow and the result is absolutely delicious, this bread is visually pleasing, with a shiny and crisp crust. Challah bread is a special Jewish braid bread eaten on Jewish holidays. This bread is perfect for a celebration. 

Challah Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work tops
1 sachet of  instant dried yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs & 1 egg yolk (don't throw away the left over white!)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup water, at room temperature

50g Mixed seeds or seeds of choice

In a bowl combine all of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

In another bowl combine 2 of the eggs and the egg yolk, mix thoroughly with the water and the melted butter.
Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring constantly. If the mixture becomes too sticky, add up to 1/4 cup of flour to even it out.
On a lightly floured surface, start to knead the dough until it the dough is smooth and elastic. Aim to knead the dough for about 5 minutes.
Shape the dough into a ball, place in a bowl and cover. Let the dough rise for 1.5-2 hours, at least until it has doubled in size. Meanwhile stir the left over egg white in a bowl and place in the fridge.
Once the dough has doubled in size, press on the dough and deflate, then allow to double in size again for 40-60 minutes.
Take the dough out of the bowl and roughly divide into 3 portions (one should be larger than the other two. I divide the dough into 4 then combine 2 of the portions).
You will repeat this next part of the recipe with all 3 portions: Take a portion and divide into 3 again. Roll the dough in your hands until you create a 12-16 inch sausage, repeat 3 times. Create a plait with the 3 sausages by pinching the dough together at the top, plaiting then pinching the bottom to seal. Place on  tray.
Repeat this with the smaller portions of dough, then drape the smaller plaits over the larger one. This creates a more beautiful and visually interesting bread design.
Brush the bread with the egg white and sprinkle evenly with seeds.
Bake at 180oc for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.