Raspberry & White Chocolate Muffins

What a treat these are! I decided not to fancy them up with a butter-cream icing or anything similar as I used Fresh Raspberries I just wanted them to be simple, wholesome and delicious!! The are so yummy when warm especially with the white chocolate just a melted a little bit!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2C Self Raising Flour

100g Butter, Chopped

1C Caster Sugar

1C Milk

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1C fresh or frozen Raspberries

1/2 Cup of White Chocolate, Chopped

Icing Sugar to dust

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190 degree Celsius and line or oil spray a 12 muffin tin.

Place the flour in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until well combined.

Add the sugar, milk, egg, raspberries and white chocolate. Mix until just moistened. Spoon into the muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Dust with Icing Sugar.

Lemon Brownies

I saw this recipe doing the rounds on Facebook and thought man that sounds easy and delicious so I gave them a go! It really is a one bowl recipe! I ended up using the recipe from www.jennycancook.com and it was just so easy and a real winner with everyone who got to try some!

Ingredients:

1C All Purpose Flour
3/4C Sugar
1/4tsp Salt
1/4tsp Baking Soda
2 Eggs
1/4C Plain Yogurt
3Tbsp Canola Oil
Zest 2 Lemons
2Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a square pan with foil leaving the sides over-hanging for "handles"

Put all the ingredients listed about into a bowl and stir by hand until smooth

Spread the batter into the pan evenly and bake for 20mins

Cool in the pan for 10mins and lift out onto a flat surface.

Top with Glaze (see below).

Glaze:

1C Icing Sugar
Zest 1 Lemon
2-4 Tbsp lemon juice

Put the Icing Sugar and Lemon Juice into a bowl and add the lemon juice one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes - 2 Ways!

I found this chocolate cupcake recipe while looking at Salted Caramel Cupcakes. They are so delicious and moist! I made a batch of 24 (doubled the recipe below) and iced half of them with a Salted Caramel Icing and the other half with a Peppermint icing - DELISH!

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder

1 Cup Boiling water

1 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

125g Butter

2 Large Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Essence

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius and line muffin tins. OR as I did - cook in a cupcake baker! I love mine and they cook the cupcakes perfectly!!

In a small bowl, stir together cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until all incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined. Add cooled cocoa mixture and mix until incorporated.

Spoon into muffin cases and bake for around 18-20 minutes.

Caramel Buttercream:

225g Butter

2tsp Vanilla Essence

1tsp Salt

1/3 Caramel sauce

3 cups Icing Sugar.

Beat the butter until smooth then add the vanilla, salt and caramel. Beat until combined. Add icing sugar until desired texture is formed. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes and then drizzle with some extra caramel sauce.

Peppermint Icing:

25g Butter

Cold Water

Peppermint Essence

Icing Sugar

Yellow & Blue Food Colouring

Melt the butter completely and add to it the peppermint essence and icing sugar. Still until the butter has been mixed in then add the water until the desired consistency is achieved. I don't use a set amount of icing sugar it just depends how much I am making which is why I add the water last. Add the food colouring to make it a Pepperminty green :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip - My hubbys fave!

This meal is going to make the man in your life melt! The first time I made this for my hubby he had nooo idea what I was cooking but was AMAZED when he tasted this!! Now, he's always asking for it!

Perfect for an evening of sport with a beer or on a Sunday night with a fresh salad when you both just feel like sitting on the couch and picking at something yum!!

You need:
1 pottle of Cream Cheese
400g Shredded Chicken
HP Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Sweet Chilli Sauce
BBQ Sauce
Grated Edam Cheese
Ranch Dressing

About an hour before you want to cook this, put all the shredded chicken in a bowl and coat with the sauces (not the ranch yet!!)! I use the HP sauce the most!! Make it nice and saucy :-)

Use an oven proof baking dish and spread the pottle of cream cheese on the bottom. Add the saucy chicken on top then sprinkle with grated cheese and a bit of ranch dressing.

Bake at 175 degrees for about 25-30mins

Serve with corn chips and a salad! YUMMMM!!

Custard Fruit Tarts!

These were just some little treats I whipped up for my husband!

All I used was store bought short crust pastry, rolled it out and cut it into circles then blind baked it in muffin tins for about 15-20mins.

Let cool in the tin, remove & fill with vanilla custard and top with fresh or tinned fruit. I've also put some marshmellow frosting on a few but freshly whipped cream would be delish!!