Zumba is a fun way to keep active and get into shape - I LOVE IT! :)
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Staying Fit & Healthy!
Although I am not the fittest or the healthiest person around I still like to make sure I am active and work out 2 - 3 times a week. One way I make sure of this is I am a Zumba Instructor! It's heaps of fun AND I am lucky enough to take the classes with a very good friend of mine at the Latin Dance Studio her and her husband own - CHECK IT OUT www.salsamoves.co.nz.
Zumba is a fun way to keep active and get into shape - I LOVE IT! :)
Zumba is a fun way to keep active and get into shape - I LOVE IT! :)
Apple Crumble & Cinnamon Cupcakes with a Marshmellow Frosting and Dulce deLeche Caramel
These cupcakes I put together/designed myself! I had a craving for a Apple & Cinnamon recipe but really wanted to try this Marshmellow Frosting I had came across so I decided why not make a dessert cupcake?!
This creation is a basic Apple & Cinnamon Cupcake recipe topped with a rolled oats crumble then once almost cooled I topped them with a Vanilla Marshmellow Frosting and Dulce deLeche Caramel - DELISH!
CUPCAKES:
2 Cups Plain Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
2 Medium Apples (the original recipe said Granny Smith but I just used Braeburns)
125g Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare your ingredients.
Sift the plain flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. The baking powder acts as a raising agent and will help give the muffins a light texture. Stir in the brown sugar and apples until well combined.
Whisk together the butter or margarine, eggs and milk until well combined. Blending the wet ingredients before adding them to the flour mixture makes it easier to evenly combine the two.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large metal spoon until just combined. It is important that the ingredients are only just combined. If the mixture is over-mixed, the cooked muffins will have a tough texture.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin pans and sprinkle with the Crumble Topping (recipe below)
Bake the muffins in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. To test if they are cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of one - if it comes out clean, it is ready If not, cook for a little longer before testing again. When cooked, remove from oven and stand for 2-3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Letting them stand makes them easier to remove from the pans. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
CRUMBLE TOPPING
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon of cinnamon, mixed spice, or flavour required
3/4 cup brown or white sugar
75 g cold butter (cubed)
Mix the top 4 ingredients in a bowl then add the butter and rub in until it is a crumb like mix. You can also do this in a processor but I find doing it with your hands works just as well and doesn't take long at all!
MARSHMELLOW FROSTING
1 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 tsp Cream of Tatar
2 Egg Whites
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Gradually add the sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Pipe the Frosting onto the cupcakes once almost cooled and then top with the caramel sauce of your choice!
I use the Dulce de Leche from this website http://www.dulceas.co.nz/dulce-de-leche/dulce-de-leche-milk-caramel-3.html - it's just sooo yummy!!!
This creation is a basic Apple & Cinnamon Cupcake recipe topped with a rolled oats crumble then once almost cooled I topped them with a Vanilla Marshmellow Frosting and Dulce deLeche Caramel - DELISH!
CUPCAKES:
2 Cups Plain Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
2 Medium Apples (the original recipe said Granny Smith but I just used Braeburns)
125g Butter
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
Preheat oven to 180°C. Prepare your ingredients.
Sift the plain flour, baking powder and cinnamon together into a large bowl. The baking powder acts as a raising agent and will help give the muffins a light texture. Stir in the brown sugar and apples until well combined.
Whisk together the butter or margarine, eggs and milk until well combined. Blending the wet ingredients before adding them to the flour mixture makes it easier to evenly combine the two.
Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large metal spoon until just combined. It is important that the ingredients are only just combined. If the mixture is over-mixed, the cooked muffins will have a tough texture.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the muffin pans and sprinkle with the Crumble Topping (recipe below)
Bake the muffins in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. To test if they are cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of one - if it comes out clean, it is ready If not, cook for a little longer before testing again. When cooked, remove from oven and stand for 2-3 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Letting them stand makes them easier to remove from the pans. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
CRUMBLE TOPPING
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon of cinnamon, mixed spice, or flavour required
3/4 cup brown or white sugar
75 g cold butter (cubed)
Mix the top 4 ingredients in a bowl then add the butter and rub in until it is a crumb like mix. You can also do this in a processor but I find doing it with your hands works just as well and doesn't take long at all!
MARSHMELLOW FROSTING
1 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 tsp Cream of Tatar
2 Egg Whites
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Gradually add the sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Pipe the Frosting onto the cupcakes once almost cooled and then top with the caramel sauce of your choice!
I use the Dulce de Leche from this website http://www.dulceas.co.nz/dulce-de-leche/dulce-de-leche-milk-caramel-3.html - it's just sooo yummy!!!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
2013 - A year FULL of excitement :-)
I'm very VERY excited right now as last we weekend my husband and I finally booked our trip to Europe YAAAAY! For 6 weeks in August/September 2013 we will be tripping around seeing the sights Europe has to offer :-)
We are starting in Scotland then after driving around and seeing family we make our way Paris (eeeeeeee!) via London! After a couple of days in the city of LUURRVE we start a 14 day tour from Paris to Rome visiting the most AMAZING places on the way ( looking fwd esp to Monacco and the Swiss Alps)!
After an extra couple of days in Rome its off to Venice then we end our trip with a relaxing week around the Greek Islands (OMG!).
Now you see why I'm excited right? Only 184 Days to go :-)
We are starting in Scotland then after driving around and seeing family we make our way Paris (eeeeeeee!) via London! After a couple of days in the city of LUURRVE we start a 14 day tour from Paris to Rome visiting the most AMAZING places on the way ( looking fwd esp to Monacco and the Swiss Alps)!
After an extra couple of days in Rome its off to Venice then we end our trip with a relaxing week around the Greek Islands (OMG!).
Now you see why I'm excited right? Only 184 Days to go :-)
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Double Chocolate Fudge Brownies
This recipe is from one of my favourite and most trusted cook books - Jo Seagar's All Things Nice!
These brownies turned out amazing! So moist and delicious especially when warm... mmmmmm yum!
You will need:
250g Dark Chocolate Melts or Chips
2 cups Chelsea Caster Sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
3/4 cup flour
1/4 self raising flour
1/2 cup Cocoa
extra 125g Dark Chocolate Melts (chopped)
Icing Sugar to decorate
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Paper line a 20 x 30cm sponge roll tin.
Melt the first measurement of chocolate melts (I use a double boiler but microwave is fine). Beat the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla in a food processor or with a hand held mixer.
Add the melted chocolate, flours and coca. Stir in the extra chopped chocolate.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes until firm. Cool in the tin and cut into small bars or chunks.
Store in an airtight container. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
These brownies turned out amazing! So moist and delicious especially when warm... mmmmmm yum!
You will need:
250g Dark Chocolate Melts or Chips
2 cups Chelsea Caster Sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
3/4 cup flour
1/4 self raising flour
1/2 cup Cocoa
extra 125g Dark Chocolate Melts (chopped)
Icing Sugar to decorate
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Paper line a 20 x 30cm sponge roll tin.
Melt the first measurement of chocolate melts (I use a double boiler but microwave is fine). Beat the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla in a food processor or with a hand held mixer.
Add the melted chocolate, flours and coca. Stir in the extra chopped chocolate.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes until firm. Cool in the tin and cut into small bars or chunks.
Store in an airtight container. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Whittaker's Peanut Slab Cookies
These cookies were my first ever attempt and biscuits and I was very impressed as to how easy the recipe was and as to how they turned out just perfect!
Here is the recipe, it is from the Whittaker's Passion for Chocolate cook book - they have AMAZING recipes inside!
You will Need:
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 1/2 cups Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 Whittaker's 50g Peanut Slabs
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan bake). Line a baking tray with paper of lightly spray with oil.
Beat together the butter, sugar, golden syrup, milk and vanilla essence until soft and fluffy. Sift in the flour and the baking powder over the beaten ingredients.
Roughly chop the peanut slabs into chunks and add to the mixture. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to form a dough. Roll into walnut sized balls and plane on the baking tray. Flatten.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.
Makes 18
Here is the recipe, it is from the Whittaker's Passion for Chocolate cook book - they have AMAZING recipes inside!
You will Need:
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 1/2 cups Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
3 Whittaker's 50g Peanut Slabs
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 fan bake). Line a baking tray with paper of lightly spray with oil.
Beat together the butter, sugar, golden syrup, milk and vanilla essence until soft and fluffy. Sift in the flour and the baking powder over the beaten ingredients.
Roughly chop the peanut slabs into chunks and add to the mixture. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to form a dough. Roll into walnut sized balls and plane on the baking tray. Flatten.
Bake for 15 minutes, until golden.
Makes 18
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)