Cassis Cupcakes

I got this recipe from the Cupcake Queen at 52 cupcakes.....

http://www.accordingtolayla.com/pdfs/wk42kirroyalecupcakes.pdf

I missed out the champagne, and just topped them with normal buttercream - they turned out really pretty, with a delicate blackcurrant flavour...

Orange Ginger Muffins

This recipe was adapted from an allrecipes recipe I found...If you haven't got american cup measurements - you so need to get some! they are really easy to cook with...

2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
DIRECTIONS
Combine flour, baking powder, bicarbonate, salt, white sugar and grated orange peel. Stir in orange juice, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs
Pour into 12 muffin cups.
Blend 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve hot.

Creme Egg Cupcakes

****************************************************************************************************************************

**************************************************
*******************************************************************

**************************************************

1 packet of mini creme eggs

2 real eggs

4oz sugar

4oz butter

4oz SR flour

2oz cocoa

4oz icing sugar

yellow food colouring

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until soft.

2. Add the 2 eggs

3. Sieve the flour and cocoa in to the bowl and mix it all together

4. Spoon one teaspoon in to a paper cup, lie an unwrapped creme egg on top , then spoon another teaspoon on top.

5. Bake at 180C for 15 mins

6. When cooled, make up icing with the icing sugar and enough water for a fairly thick consistancy. Dye 1/3 of the icing yellow. Put a dollop of white on top of each cake, then a little drop of yellow on top to resemble an egg...

Mustard Chicken

This was something I made up, from store cupboard stuff, as I had only 2 chicken breasts to feed 31/2 people! It would be nice with diced pork too. I served it with whole grain rice, but it would work with mash too. Have some veg of choice with it too.

Feeds 3
olive oil
2 Chicken breasts or diced chicken
1 onion or a couple of shallots
1/2 pint chicken stock
1 glass white wine
2 teaspoons mustard ( whole grain or dijon, a mixture of both is nice)
100ml cream ( single, creme fraiche or double)


1. Chop the onions finely and fry in the oil until soft and a little brown.
2. Dice the chicken and brown off until cooked through.
3. add the glass of wine and reduce off
4. add a little stock at a time, then when that has reduced off, add some more.
5. add the mustard and stir in. Add black pepper too.
6. When is all the stock is used and reduced off, so you still have some liquid in the pain, take off the heat and add the cream. heat through until a little thickened.
7. Serve up ;-)

Red and Blue Muffins

I adapted these from a blueberry muffin recipe, they have bran in so you can pretend they're healthy!

75g butter
200g plain flour
75g wheatgerm
1/2 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
75g caster sugar
100g yoghurt
100ml semiskimmed milk
1 large egg
100g blueberries
100g cranberries
2 tbsp maple syrup

Melt the butter and leave to cool. Preheat oven to 200 C.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and in a measuring jug beat together the yoghurt, milk, egg and melted butter. Cook the cranberries over a low heat with the maple syrup for 10 minutes or until the cranberries start to go a little soft. Using a wodden spoon, pour the wit ingredients in to the dry and mix gently to combine. Don't worry about lumps, the important thing with muffins is that the mixture isn't over worked. Fold in the cranberries and maple syrup, and the blue berries. You can add orange zest here as well. The mixture should be quite sloppy, loosen with a little milk of orange juice if it is too claggy. Spooon in to muffin cases, overfilling more than for fairy cakes so they puff up over the top of the cake case.Sprinkle with a little of a mixture of caster sugar and wheatgerm in desired. Bake for 15-20mins until golden.

Cheese and courgette muffins

These are fantastic for toddler lunches, my daughter loves making them too...

300g (10oz) Self-raising Flour
3 Tsps Baking powder
75g (3oz) Grated Cheese
1 Courgette about 200g
150ml (5floz) Natural yoghurt
3 Tablespoons Oil
3 eggs
3 tbsp Milk
1/2tsp mustard (optional)
a few leaves of basil (optional)
black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven 220C (gas 6)
Put flour, baking powder and cheese in a mixing bowl. Grate Courgette and add to bowl along with yoghurt, oil, eggs, milk and optional ingredients ( if desired). Fork together until just mixed.Spoon in to paper muffin cases, two-thirds full. Put a little grated cheese on top. Bake for 15 mins until golden.

Cheese scones - adapted from Nigella's Lily's Scones recipe

These are great - once you've made scones with cream of tartar you will never not again! My little girl loves these for lunch.

500g Plain flour
2 teaspoons bicarb
4 and a half teaspoons cream of tartar
75g salted butter diced
300ml milk
150g cheese
round cutter
baking tray

Preheat oven to 220 degrees C
Sift the flour, bicarb and cream of tartar into a large bowl.Rub in the butter til it goes like damp sand. Add milk all at once and100g of the grated cheese,mix briefly and then turn out on to a floured surface and knead lightly to form a dough. Roll out to about 3cm thickness. Stamp out the scones with the cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet, egg wash if you want, sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese and bake for about 10 minutes uptil risen and golden.