Death by chocolate flop?

Being over worked and very tired, getting home a bit late and realizing I still have to bake about 24 cupcakes, my body kicked into over drive mode. It was almost as if my body was just moving, but my mind was already asleep. So it was a friends last day at work and she wanted something chocolate, she loves chocolate, so the baking cogs starting turning and my mind went on a whirl wind of ideas.

Naturally I make a killer chocolate icing, so that has to top this cupcake, and in the middle a creamy chocolate filled ball, and little chocolate chips inside this beauty and I thought, bob’s you’re uncle. But being so tired I totally forgot to add baking soda to a very trusted chocolate cupcake recipe. And to top it off I added twice the amount of baking powder. And as I put these beauties in the oven I realize this crucial fact. Oh boy now I start stressing, thinking my word am I going to stand here the whole night? Now I have to remake and re-bake more cupcakes. So I pour myself a glass of wine and wait for 20 minutes to be over.

With bated breath I pull them out of the oven, they look perfect, almost oozing chocolaty goodness. This being form the chocolate chips in the batter which created little pockets of chocolate. I let them cool, and immediately try one...surprise surprise, they are thick, moist and crunchy on the outside. My word it tasted like a love affair between a cupcake and a chocolate brownie! YES it’s a brownie cupcake, pure perfection, from what was supposed to be a complete flop...

Champagne celebrations!

It’s been a while cupcake lovers! Things have been hectically busy, with Christmas looming around the corner...eeek! So much planning to do, so little time. And not to speak of all the red velvet I have been making. Please can this fad pass, I have red velvet coming outa my ears!

Well I have been dying to make champagne cupcakes for ions and finally got the opportunity to try. I found a lovely recipe and all I can say these are indeed scrumptious, bubbly filled cupcakes that are worth a try. I opted for white and pink champagne, going into a strawberry filled cupcake and a chocolate stuffed vanilla cupcake. The recipe calls for lots’ champagne so get your bottles ready, and I found it said you will have one glass left after all the cooking is done...mmm I had a few more, hiccup! I tried to make a strawberry chip for the top of my one cupcake, but it takes 3 hours in the oven to dry ;-(. And I had a lot of champagne and was feeling incredibly sleepy twelve o'clock at night. So mine was slightly floppy and very sticky, but still nice ;-)

Remember to always borrow a bit here, create a new cupcake and love what you do! Recipes to follow soon!

The cookie madness continues...

Crazy crazy times, work is so hectic that I have little to no time to get ito the kitchen and bake :-( But I prevailed and with a tired body, I ventured into my kitchen and set the baking fires alight.

It seems that the cookie monster has taken over my life. Oh boy…he is every where I go, on tv, on radio, in the office! Eeeeekkk, so I decided it is high time I created a cupcake for the cookie monster. My friends daughters birthday is coming up soon, so these blue gems where a perfect idea. And ideally her daughter is also obsessed with the cookie monster. BONUS!

So I baked yummy choc chip cookies, made electric blue icing, got some chocolate disks and made these adorable looking cookie monsters! Everyone enjoy!

Marshmallow mumbles

Work work work has been so busy, so blogging has been left behind :-( but I'm back again and with these lovely little babies…so appropriate for a baby shower. A dear friend contacted me asked she wanted chocolate and pink, and whala, marshmallow mumbles appeared. These delectable treat is one of my trusted chocolate cupcakes recipes, stuffed in the middle with a soft and squishy marshmallow, and topped it off with lovely marshmallow flavoured meringue icing. I added a lovely pink daisy and a few pink crystals…yes it is for a beautiful little baby girl!

I made a nice pink icing as well a lighter pink icing, I actually ate a lot of icing…mmm meringue is my favourite icing in the world. 

C is for cookie...2!

So the cookie addiction has not ended! These cupcakes, where also to die for. And the chocolate chip cookie recipe, well lets just day I have been making cookies almost every night this week. Tiny little mini goodness that are oh so crispy, crunchy and chocolaty all at the same time. And the cookie dough frosting, fists will fly when you whip out this batch! So the recipe will follow next week meanwhile, feel free to drool over the photos so long, and as usual there is always a surprise inside this little gem :-)

Sticky Chocolate Brownies

Yummy is all I can say about the recipe that follows. I am actually as you all know a cupcake makers, but I believe I’m not to shabby in other areas in the kitchen. These brownies are very renowned in my circle of friends, so I decided to share them with you all.

The only warning I give with these brownies...is that you must love chocolate, and lots of it, and butter, sugar.

8 big brownies/ 12-15 smaller brownies

170g                butter

280g                castor sugar

200g                brown sugar

125g                plain chocolate

125g                dark chocolate

2tbsp               golden syrup

4                      eggs

2tsp                 vanilla extract

200g                flour

2tbsp               cocoa powder

1tsp                 baking powder

250g                pecan nuts (chopped)

pinch of salt

Pre heat oven to 180 °C.

Place butter and both chocolates in pan and melt.

Slowly add sugars and the syrup until the mixture become s smooth.

Remove form heat and allow to cool.

Beat eggs and vanilla together.

Whisk into cooled chocolate, sugar and butter mixture.

Sift flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.

Fold carefully into the chocolate, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla mixture.

Fold the pecan nuts into the mixtures

Spoon mixture into a lined/greased pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is crispy and the edges start to shrink away from the sides.

The inside of the cake will be soft and gooey and soft to touch.

Place extra chopped pecan nuts on top of the brownies.

Leave the brownies to cool completely. Cut into squares.

Dreamy Oreo Cupcakes

Cupcakes (12-15 medium sized)

Ingredients:

1 cup               buttercream

½ cup              cocoa

1 ½ cup            flour

1tsp                 baking soda

¼ tsp               baking powder

125 g               butter

1 cup               white sugar

2                     eggs

½ tsp               vanilla extract

1 cup               dark chocolate chips

12-15               oreo cookies

pinch of salt

Pre heat oven to 180 °C.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a separate bowl.

Add vanilla extract and eggs (one at a time) mixing well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture slowly.

Beat on medium until the batter appears light and fluffy.

Fold in dark chocolate chips.

Place a oreo cookie at the bottom of each cupcake liner.

Scoop mixture into cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes. Check with a toothpick/stick at 18 minutes. If it comes out clean, remove cupcakes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

250g                cream cheese

125 g               white butter

2 cups              icing sugar (sifted)

8-12                 oreo cookies

In a food processor, puree strawberries.

Beat the salt, butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Slowly add icing sugar.

Beat until well combined.

Crush the oreo cookies, fold into the cream cheese icing.

Decorations:

12-15              mini oreo cookies

            oreo cookies

Place each small oreo cookies ontop of cupcakes. If you can’t find mini one’s just cut large ones in half and place them ontop.