Lemon Mousse Mini Cup Cakes

Here are some more cupcakes for my tea party today.

Ingredients

(makes about 24)

For the cupcakes:

50g self-raising flour

50g caster sugar

50g margarine

1/2 tsp baking power

1 egg

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

For the lemon mousse topping:

50ml double cream

125g icing sugar

1/2 an egg white 

zest and juice of 1/4 lemon

2 drops of yellow food colouring 

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes in a large bowl until smooth.

Spoon into mini cupcake cases and bake for about 10 mins then allow to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the lemon mousse topping,

Whip the cream in a large bowl until it starts to thicken.

In a separate bowl measure out the icing sugar.

Lightly whip the egg white by hand and whip to the icing sugar.

Then whip in the lemon juice and food colouring into the icing sugar and egg white mix.

Whip the lemon juice, sugar, food colouring and egg white mix into the cream bit by bit.

Continue to whisk the mix until smooth and thick.

Spoon the mousse topping onto the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle a little lemon on zest on each.

Mini White Chocolate, Raspberries and Cream Cupcakes

Having some friends over for a tea party so I decided to make these.

Ingredients

(makes about 30)

for the cupackes

100g self-rasing flour

100g caster sugar

100g margarine

100g raspberries 

20g grated white chocolate

2 eggs

for the topping

100g white chocolate 

100ml double cream

70g rasberries 

About 30 whole raspberries

Method

The topping for these cupcakes needs to be made the day before you want to serve them as it needs to cool over night.

Whip the cream in a large bowl until it starts to thicken. 

Whip in the the raspberries until almost smooth.

Melt the chocolate until runny.

Fold the chocolate into the the cream and raspberries.

Place in the fridge to cool for at least 12 hours.

To make the cupcakes

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes in a large bowl until smooth.

Spoon into mini cupcake cases and bake for about 15 mins then allow to cool.

Once cool, ice the cupcakes with the cooled topping

Place a whole raspberry on top of each

My New Cookbook

I just bought a fabulous new cookbook, British Baking by Payton and Byrne. Not only is it very pretty to look at it has some great recipes very clearly laid out with beautiful shots of the finished product.

Healthy Mini Cherry Flapjacks

I have been continuing with trying to come up with more healthy treats. Here's my latest attempt.

Ingredients

(makes about 20)

200g low fat margarine

5 tbs dark agave nectar

200g cherries

150g oats

A little extra margarine for greasing

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Line a 18x12 cm high sided baking tray with tinfoil and grease the tin foil

Stone the cherries and cut into quarters.

Melt the margarine in a large pan with the agave nectar until liquid.

Stir the cherries into the butter and agave nectar and continue to heat gently until the cherries start to soften.

Stir the oats into the mix.

Then spoon the mix into your lined baking tray

Bake for about 20 mins

Turn out onto a plate and remove tin foil

Allow to cool then chop up into about 3 cm square 

Healthy Wholemeal Peach Cupcakes

I have been experimenting trying to develop a cupcake which is both yummy and healthy.

Ingredients

(makes 8)

100g wholemeal self-rasing flour

100g low fat margarine

5 tbs dark agave nectar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 firm peach

1 egg white

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes apart from the egg white and the peach in a large bowl until smooth.

Peel the peach and chop in half.

Cut half the peach into small chunks and the other half into 8 slices.

Add the peach chunks to the mixture.

Beat the egg whites into soft peaks.

Fold the egg whites into the rest of the mixture.

Spoon into cupcake cases and pop a peach slice on top of each.

Bake for about 15 mins

Lavender and White Chocolate Truffles

I had a bit of leftover white chocolate and lavender ganache, from the lavender and white chocolate mini cupcakes (see recipe) that had set in the fridge over a period of about 48 hours so I decided to roll it into truffles. I simply took a teaspoon full of set ganache and rolled it into a little ball then rolled it in some grated white chocolate.

Rose and Vanilla Cream Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients

(makes 20)

For the cupcakes:

50g self-raising flour

50g caster sugar

50g margarine

1/2 tsp baking power

1 egg

3 good pinches of edible rose petals

3 tsp rose extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp red food colouring

For the rose and vanilla cream:

100ml double cream

20g icing sugar

2 tsp rose extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

20 sugared rose petals

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes in a large bowl until smooth.

Spoon into mini cupcake cases and bake for about 10 mins then allow to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the vanilla and rose cream,

Whip the cream in a large bowl until it starts to thicken.

Add the icing sugar, rose and vanilla extract to the cream and whisk until thick.

Spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle.

Pipe the vanilla and rose cream onto the cooled cupcakes

Pop a sugared rose petal on top of each cupcake.

Lavender and White Chocolate Mini Cupcakes

These cupcakes were inspired by a programme on edible flowers and what you could do with them.

Ingredients

(makes 20)

For the cupcakes:

50g self-raising flour

50g caster sugar

50g margarine

1/2 tsp baking power

1 egg

10g grated white chocolate

3 good pinches of edible lavender flowers

2 tsp lavender extract

For the white chocolate and lavender ganache:

100g white chocolate

50ml double cream

1 1/2 tsp lavender extract

1/2 tsp red food colouring

1/2 tsp blue food colouring

a sprinkling of edible lavender flowers

Method

First make the ganache,

Melt the white chocolate in a bain marie until liquid then remove from the heat.

Quickly whisk the cream into the white chocolate.

Then whisk in the food colouring and lavender extract.

Once the ganache is made place in the fridge to cool and thicken.

While the ganache is cooling make the cupcakes

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes in a large bowl until smooth.

Spoon into mini cupcake cases and bake for about 10 mins then allow to cool.

Then spread the cooled ganache over the cupcakes and sprinkle with edible lavender flowers.

Pretty Patterned Pastel Cupcakes

I was inspired but this months vogue to create some polka-dotted and striped cupcakes.

Ingredients

(makes 12)

for the cupackes

100g self-rasing flour

100g caster sugar

100g margarine

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

for the topping

75g margarine

50g icing sugar

ready rolled royal icing

Food colouring

A little water

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C.

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes in a large bowl until smooth.

Spoon into cupcake cases and bake for about 15 mins then allow to cool.

Cut of the raised centre to level the cupcake

While the cupcakes are cooling make the topping:

First mix the margarine and icing sugar to create a butter cream.

Then cut out 12 circular disks from the the icing the size of the top of the cupcakes.

Divide the left over icing into two and use the food colouring colour one half pink and the other purple.

Make little polka dots from the purple and press into 6 of the disks.

Role out the purple icing and cut into strips.

Paint the water on the strips to stick them to the remaining 6 disks.

Finally spread the butter cream over the cupcakes and stick the finished icing disks on top.

Afternoon Tea at the Corinthian

Yesterday, to celebrate my fiancé's birthday we went for a very glamorous afternoon tea at the Corinthian Club in glasgow. Here are some pics.