My 21st Birthday!

For my 21st Birthday back in June, I was lucky enough to spend it in Switzerland with my parents at our favourite hotel, Grandhotel Geissbach on Lake Brienz! http://www.giessbach.ch/about-the-grandhotel.html

It has an amazing position overlooking the Lake! On my birthday we went for a hike up by the Jungfrauh (the tallest mountain in Europe!) and we had Rostizza for lunch- which is potato rosti made in to a pizza with cheese and tomato on top- so tasty! I was then treated to a huge Sachertorte as my birthday cake after dinner! Below im blowing out my candles on it! 

 My parents and I below by the waterfall!

This was the view of Lake Brienz from my bedroom balcony- beautiful blue water!

When I got home after my birthday I was treated to my birthday present, my Prada 'Saffiano Lux' handbag and wallet! I was a very spoilt girl and absolutely love it!

We then had my grandparents and aunty over for dinner and cakes! We had the best cupcakes made by a lady who makes all of them in her kitchen, but she supplies them to Fortnum and Mason. They were delicious and had a soft fruit center, apparently the buttercream flowers on top take up to a minute to pipe as they are so detailed!

A close up of the fruity cupcakes!

Emily's Birthday at Fortnum and Mason!

Earlier in the summer it was my friend Emily's 21st Birthday and she treated us all to afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason in London which was very sweet of her! I love Fortnums, they have the most delectable selection of goodies to eat there - lovely tins of biscuits, jams, chocolates and fruit cakes. 

So here are my lovely Loughborough friends having afternoon tea! (Birthday girl Emily 3rd in from the right!)

Emily's birthday cards below!

So.. you stared at the bottom and worked your way up to the top! It was a selection of sandwiches on the bottom - beef, salmon, cucumber and egg, then Scones in the middle - with a selection of jams and clotted cream, then cakes on top! I literally couldnt move after sharing one of these with my friend Sophie- but it was certainly worth it!

Lovely afternoon at Fortnum and Mason with everyone!

Queen's Jubilee weekend baking!

I'm afraid this post comes rather late in the year as the Jubilee was in June, but as I only started this blog yesterday I am trying to catch up!

I spent my Jubilee weekend at a wonderful British themed 21st birthday party, and the other part I spent baking for family friends!

I made some Jam sandwich star biscuits, and I made a Royal pavlova! 

The Pavlova was so yummy and very easy to make (as I have to admit that I did cheat and buy the meringue cases from my local farmshop, but were even more tasty as they were hazlenut meringues!) but I think it looks great!

The recipe:

-2 Meringue cases (mine were shop bought!!)

-Double cream

-Selection of Strawberries and Blueberries

-Icing sugar to decorate

To make:

-Get your first meringue base and place it on to the stand/plate you want to use (so you dont have to move it!)

-Whip the double cream until you have a thick cream that you can spread on to the meringue base. Then press chopped strawberries and blueberries in to the cream

-Put the meringue top on top and then repeat the process, with the whipped cream on the meringue. Then decorate the top with more strawberries and blueberries - you can use whatever pattern you like but I went for the British flag!

-Then sprinkle on some icing sugar and enjoy!

Along with my pavlova I also made some Jam sandwich star biscuits! They are so buttery and just melt in your mouth! You could use any flavoured jam you like as well, I used Strawberry in mine!

The recipe: (makes about 25 biscuits)

-225g butter, cubed (at room temperature)

-100g caster sugar

-200g Plain flour

-100g ground almonds

-150g Jam (any flavour you like!)

To make:

-In a large bowl mix together the butter, sugar, plain flour and ground almonds until it forms a dough (this may take a bit of elbow grease!)

-Then bring together the dough in to a large bowl and wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour or two

-Preheat the oven to 140c/Gas 1, and line a baking sheet

-Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out to about 5mm thick, then use a cutter shape of your choice (I used a star!) and cut out the stars

-Divide the biscuits in half and cut a little hole in the middle of them (as they will be the top part of your sandwich biscuit) and place all the biscuits on to the baking tray

-Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown on the top and bottom, and leave to cool on a wire rack

-Once they are cool, get your pairs of biscuits together and put a good splodge of jam on to the bottom biscuit and then place the holey one on top!

-Then enjoy - mmm mmm these are good!

Birthday Beetroot Chocolate Muffins!

I made these Chocolate Beetroot muffins for my Dad's birthday earlier this year, and they taste great! They are much healthier than normal chocolate muffins as the beetroot means you dont need any butter! You can decorate them how ever you like too - I just drizzled some melted dark chocolate on top with some marshmallows as my Dad loves them! You could even use the mixture for a cake instead of muffins if you wanted!

The recipe: (makes about 12-15 muffins)

-75g/2oz Good quality Coco powder (I use Green&Blacks)

-180g/6oz Plain flour

-2 tsp baking powder

-250g/8oz Caster sugar

-250g/8oz Cooked beetroot

-3 large eggs

-200ml Sunflower oil (or any unflavoured oil)

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-Whatever you want for decoration!

To make:

-Preheat the oven to 180c/Gas 4 and line a muffin tin with paper cases

-Sift the coco powder, flour and baking powder in to a large bowl and stir in the sugar, then set aside

-Puree the Beetroot in a food processor, and add the eggs one at a time. Then add the vanilla and oil and blitz until all combined and smooth

-Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the beetroot mix, lightly mix until all combined and spoon in to the muffin cases

-Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, then leave to cool on a wire rack

-To decorate wait until they are cool, and then drizzle on melted chocolate or any kind of icing and sprinkles you desire!

-Then tuck in!

Cheeeeeesy Biscuits!

So.. these are the best Cheese biscuits ever! The recipe comes from my Granny so they are extra special to me, but they taste amazing! 

The recipe: (makes about 20 biscuits)

-3oz Butter, cubed (at room temperature)

-4oz Strong Cheddar cheese

-2oz Corn flour

-4oz Plain flour

-Pinch of Salt

-Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

-Handful of grated Parmesan cheese

To make:

-Preheat the oven to 180c and grease or line a flat baking tray

-Put the corn flour, plain flour, Cayenne pepper and salt in to a large bowl and mix. Then add the cheese and butter to the dry ingredients and rub together using your hands

-The mixture will take some rubbing before it becomes a dough, and will at first look like large bread crumbs but it will then roll in to a ball

-Roll out the dough on to a floured surface and then use a cutter in any shape you like to cut the biscuits out

-Place them on to the baking tray and sprinkle them with the parmesan cheese

-Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until they are golden brown on the top and bottom

-Enjoy warm with a lovely glass of Wine!

Yum!

Banana and Chocolate Marble Cake!

I love Banana cake, but I find it so difficult to find recipes that don't include butter! But when I came across this one, I decided to try it with a chocolate twist- to get the best of both worlds! So here is my Banana and Chocolate marble cake, which looks impressive but is so easy to make.

The recipe:

-2 Large overripe Bananas (about 400g with skins on)

-250g Self-raising flour

-1 tsp baking powder

-4 tbsp light brown muscavado sugar

-6 tbsp sunflower oill (or any unflavoured oil)

-6 tbsp Milk (you can use any milk, soy, almond etc)

-2 eggs

-3 tsp good quality coco powder (I like Green&Blacks)

To make:

-Preheat the oven to 180c/Gas 4 and line a cake tin of any shape with baking parchment. Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork

-Sift the flour and baking powder in to a large bowl and then mix in the sugar

-Whisk together the oil, milk and eggs and then add the flour mix. (the mixture will feel quite dry but once you have added the bananas it loosens up)

-Separate half of the mixture in to a separate bowl and add the 3tsp of Coco powder and stir in

-Pour the banana mixture in to the bottom of the cake tin and then on top pour the chocolate mixture. Then get a skewer or knife and swirl the mixture around so it creates a marbled look

-Then bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes (depending on your oven) until well risen and a skewer comes out clean.

-Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm! Will keep in an airtight container for 4 days (if you can resist!)

Dark Chocolate and Cranberry Cupcakes!

So, I think its time for another chocolaty post! I absolutely love Dark chocolate- anything above 75% Coco solids! I know you usually put White chocolate and cranberries together, but you would be surprised how well this works!

The recipe:

-1 tbsp good quality Coco powder (Green&Blacks is good!)

-100g Self-raising flour

-1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

-50g Caster Sugar

-100ml Milk

-1 egg

-2 tbsp Sunflower Oil (or any unflavoured oil)

-Few good handfulls of Dried Cranberries 

-Dark Chocolate chunks

To make:

-Preheat the oven to 150c and line a cupcake tray with paper cases

-Sieve the Coco powder and self-raising flour in to a large bowl and add the Bicarb and sugar

-Beat the egg, oil and milk together in a jug. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the egg mix in, stir until well combined and then add the dried cranberries and chocolate chunks

-Spoon the mixture in to the cupcake cases and then bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until well risen and a skewer comes out clean

-You can melt some chocolate to drizzle on top, or make some chocolate icing if you wish!