Floral Cupcakes

Just a quick post on a basket of floral cupcakes I made for a dear friend.

One of my closest friends weirdly doesn't like being given flowers as a gift, so I came up with the idea of giving her edible flowers instead. Much more interesting and tasty if you ask me.

I think its such a wonderful idea to give someone something like this for a special occasion. They look like they took hours to make but intact don't take much time at all. Who doesn't love home made gifts?

All four of these cupcakes were decorated with the Wiltons 104 pipping nozzle which creates beautiful rose petals. There is no set rule as to how you create the petals. Make sure the thinnest part of the nozzle is facing the top and just create curves around one another. You can make the rose petals very close together as if it hasn't fully bloomed or further apart to create the effect of a fully bloomed rose. 

Heres the recipe for the vanilla cupcakes:

Cupcakes:

175g Butter

175g Caster sugar

175g Self raising flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

3 Large eggs

Buttercream:

500g Icing sugar

250g Unsalted butter (not margarine)

Colouring of your choice 

1. Preheat your oven to Gas-mark 4

2. Line a muffin tray with 12 cases

3. Using the all in one method, mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl

4. Beat until light and fluffy and even, roughly a minute or two but be careful not to over mix 

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cases and bake for 20-25 minutes

6. Whisk the butter until creamy and fluffy

7. Slowly add the icing sugar and beat until combined

8. Pipe to your hearts content, or simply just spoon on a dollop of the buttercream

Happy birthday C!!!

XOXO

A.Corn 

Ultimate GOOEY Chocolate Brownies

Hello everyone!!!

Are you longing to find the ultimate brownie recipe but keep finding ones that are too healthy, dry or not chocolaty enough? Well look no further my friend, I think I have found the one!!

These warm, gooey, mouthwatering brownies, are quite possibly the nicest I've ever had. I could eat these all day every day if I didn't put on an insane amount of weight haha. Although i'm not going to lie, I probably have about 4 of these a day and I don't quite understand why I haven't yet put on the lbs. Maybe its yet to come!!! But who really cares anyway. We should love our bodies for what they are no matter what shape or size. 

This is the ultimate comfort food if you're sad, stressed or just having a bad day. They are obviously good regardless of your mood :)

Enough rambling, i'm sure you're itching to make them. Heres the recipe......squeal!!! 

350g Plain chocolate

250g Unsalted butter

100g Flour

1 tsp of baking powder

3 Eggs

250g Dark brown sugar 

Pinch of salt

Line a rectangular or square based tin with grease proof paper

Pre heat oven to gas mark 3

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water

2. Mean while, whisk the eggs and then slowly whisk in the sugar. You don't need a whisk for this, just      use a fork

3. Add the egg mixture to the melted chocolate and butter

4. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into the egg and chocolate mixture and then fold in the flour

5. Transfer to the tin 

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes. After 40 minuets they are still very gooey so there is no need to take them out any earlier. 

7. Leave for 10 minuets and then cut in to your desired size and transfer to a rack to cool.

8. Lastly, eat to your hearts content :)

If you're feeling extra adventurous, you could add chopped nuts, raisons or chocolate chips.

xoxo

Acorn

Delicious FAT FREE oat cakes

I know so many people who diet or are trying to eat healthy, struggle to find snacks that satisfy their sweet craving. Well look no further my friends, these oat cakes are moist, sweet and utterly scrumptious and at roughly 65 calories per cake, you really cant go wrong. 

Although they wont quite hit the spot that a chocolate chip cookie would do, they do a good enough job of satisfying that sweet tooth. 

I've been really into eating porridge for breakfast recently and as I chomped down on some porridge this morning whilst watching ugly betty, I realised how full it made me feel. I had also noticed it made me feel fuller for longer than eating a piece of toast, which meant I wasn't snacking on cheeky biscuits throughout the morning. After doing some research I found out that oats are healthy and do infant keep you fuller for longer, thus I came up with the idea of making some oat cakes!!!

If you fancy whisking up a batch of these you'll need:
1 and a half cups of rolled oats
1 cup of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar 
1/3 cup home made apple sauce or if your feeling lazy, store bought apple sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 cup raisons or something similar 

Now I don't own cup measurements so I just used a small-ish mug and they turned out just fine. Also you don't have to be too precise with the measurements as these cakes don't rise. 

Preheat your oven to 375°F or gas mark 5. Tear off some baking paper and line a tray.
If your feeling lazy then you could easily just use store bought apple sauce but you could just as easily make some. I had no idea how to make apple sauce so this was a bit of guess work but all you need to do is finely chop up an apple of your choice, pop it into a pan with boiling water so that it just covers the apple, and cook for about 10 mins until soft enough to mash. Easy right?? and no added sugar, perfect :)
In one bowl sift your flour, baking powder, cinnamon and then stir in your oats. 

In another bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together. Then pour the wet into the dry and mix. Easy peasy haha. 

Once mixed, it should resemble something like this...

Pop on to your prepared tray tablespoon sized blobs of goodness. You can realistically do what ever size cakes you want, but my size makes 16. Put them on the middle shelf and cook for 12-15 minuets. They don't really turn golden so don't bother waiting because they will just dry out. 

And there you have it my friends, quick, easy and healthy oat cakes which you can eat without feeling guilty. 
Enjoy xx