Strawberry and Chocolate Ganache Mini Cucakes

Ingredients
(makes about 50)

Chocolate Ganache
150ml whipping cream
150g dark chcoclate
50g jam
60g butter
30ml Creme de Cassis

Strawberry Sponge
200g self raising flour
200g sugar
200g soft butter
1egg
1tsp vanilla essence
60g of strawberries finely chopped

Slices of strawberries to decorate

Method

1.     First make the chocolate ganache, heat up the cream to a boil

2.     Add the boiling cream to chocolate, honey and butter and mix until everything is melted

3.     Allow to cool then add the crème de cassis

4.     Scrape down the sides of the bowl and refrigerate.

5.     Next make the cupcakes, pre-heat the oven to 180 C

6.     Cream the butter and sugar

7.     Add the egg and vaniila

8.     Mix in the dry ingredients.

9.     Mix in the chopped straberries

10. Spoon the cupcake mix into mini cupcake cases

11. Bake for about 15 mins then allow to cool.

12. Fill a piping bag with a star tip with ganache

13. Pipe onto each cupcake

14. Decorate with a sliced strawberry

Mini Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Meringues

This recipe is relatively easy but looks very impressive when served to your guests.

Ingredients:

(Makes 25)

For the meringue:

100g caster sugar

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

For the raspberry and dark chocolate coating:

60g raspberries

200g dark chocolate

Method:

First make the meringues:

Pre-heat the oven to 120 C

Whisk the egg whites and vanilla into soft peaks.

Then slowly add the sugar and whisk until stiff.

Using a star piping nozzle pipe small stars of meringue mix (about 4cm diameter) onto a non-stick baking sheet.

Bake in the oven for 45 mins

 

Once the meringues are baked and cooled make the chocolate coating:

Melt the chocolate over a bain marie until runny.

While the chocolate is melting cut up the raspberries into small pieces.

Add the raspberries to the melted chocolate while it is still over the heat an stir until you have a smooth runny mix.

Holding them by their tops, dip bottom of the meringues into the chocolate coating and place on a non-stick sheet.

Pop the finished meringues in the fridge so the chocolate can cool and set.

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.

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 

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.

Vanilla and Jam Mini Tea-Time Cupcakes

Ingredients

(makes 12)

100g self-rasing flour

100g caster sugar

100g low fat margarine

1 tsp baking powder

4 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

A little butter of greasing

strawberry jam to spread on cupcakes

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C

Grease a mini cupcake tin

Separate the egg white form the egg yoke

Mix together all the ingredients of the cupcakes apart from the egg whites in a large bowl until smooth

Beat the egg whites into soft peaks

Fold the egg whites into the rest of the mixture

Spoon into cupcake cases

Bake for about 10 mins

Remove the cup cakes form the tin and place on a plate upside down

Spread some jam on the underside of each cupcake