Cupcake Creations

Cupcake Creations

by | Feb 2, 2016 | Featured, GloKitchen

Cupcakes have made a major comeback in recent years, and are a great way of getting the entire family involved in a cooking activity, with something scrummy at the end of it. It is also a colourful table decoration for a tea party for both kids and adults.

Here is a great easy cupcake recipe from Annabel Karmel, with some ideas if you want to make different flavoured cakes, or add a variety of icings and decorations so that each cake has its own personality.

Preparation time:
10 minutes

Cooking time:
18 to 20 minutes

Makes 12 Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

  • 110g butter, softened
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 110g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F / Gas 4. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl.
  4. Beat the eggs and vanilla and add to the bowl. Beat until just combined.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases.
  6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until risen, golden and firm to the touch.
  7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fillings and Flavour Suggestions
You can add a filling to the cupcake by cutting a cone from the middle of each cake with a serrated knife. Fill the hole with jam, lemon curd or one of these fabulous fillings:

Raspberry and Chocolate Cupcakes
Fill each cake with 1 tsp seedless raspberry jam and ice with chocolate buttercream.

Lemon Cupcakes
Fill each with 1 tsp lemon curd. Ice with lemon buttercream.

Caramel Cupcakes
Fill each with 1 tsp dulche de leche, ice with a single quantity of vanilla buttercream and top with sliced banana

Chocolate Cream Cupcakes
Mix 75g mascarpone with 2 tbsp double cream and quarter tsp vanilla. Put 1 tsp of this in the centre of each cupcake. Ice with chocolate buttercream.

Buttercream Icing Suggestions
For plain buttercream, beat 110g butter until soft, then beat in 110g icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
For vanilla buttercream, add half teaspoon vanilla extract and beat to combine.
For lemon buttercream, beat in 1 tbsp lemon juice- add 1 tsp at a time and taste after each addition.
For chocolate buttercream, beat in quarter tsp vanilla, 60g (2oz) melted and cooled milk chocolate and 2 tbsp cocoa powder.

Fabulous Fast Food – That is Good For You

Fabulous Fast Food – That is Good For You

by | Jan 19, 2016 | Featured, GloKitchen

 

As the cold January days set in, we need some real comfort food to cheer us up – but with an undeniable conflict of interest as we also set about our new health and fitness regime or resolutions.

So I am not here to interfere, far from it, but just to show you that we really can have it all, and here is how to start.

Do you like crispy chicken and chips? Who doesn’t unless you are veggie, and there is a solution for you here too. One thing for sure the majority of kids do, and will really thank you for this.

It is all in the cooking, and I am here to remind you that you don’t have to ruin your diet or gain pounds for the sake of a few minutes of shame.

Healthy sin free Chicken and Chips – please see below:

12 pieces of chicken thigh or legs (or fish if veggie)
One quarter cup of rice flour (gluten free option)
Half cup ground almonds
Half teaspoon celery salt
Half teaspoon paprika
One teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons olive oil
Egg whites of two eggs

Method:

Pour rice flour and ground almonds into a bowl and mix, add celery salt, paprika, mustard powder and olive oil and blend.
Pour egg whites into a separate bowl and whisk.
Dip chicken into egg white and then into the marinade
Place chicken pieces on a baking  tray.

Oven Baked Chips

Peel six large potatoes and cut into four pieces.  Partially boil for five minutes, drain and chop into bite size pieces.
Add to the egg white and marinade and then to the baking tray together with the chicken.
Cook together in a pre-heated oven on 180 C-350 F for 40 mins, turning up the heat for the last five minutes to crisp.
Serve with sauce or relish of your choice.  Eat your heart out Colonel Sanders.

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