Westport Greenway and Pistachio Lemon Muffins

I drove west 

in the season between seasons. 

I left behind suburban gardens. 

Lawnmowers. Small talk. 

Under low skies, past splashes of coltsfoot

I assumed 

the hard shyness of Atlantic light 

and the superstitious aura of hawthorn. 

Extract from White Hawthorn in the West of Ireland, Eavan Boland 

I love that Ireland is small. I love that I can get in a car and see the ocean within a few hours. Atlantic ocean preferably of course. I never considered myself to be outdoors-y, but there is a sense of calm and presence that I cannot find on the east coast, even on a beautiful grassy cliff in north county Dublin overlooking the Irish Sea. The Atlantic and its coastline, for me, knows no equal.  It is rugged and wild and.... spontaneous.  

And we all need spontaneity. To remember that we are actually young and not as young as we sometimes feel. 

So last week we took a 500 km roadtrip in one day to County Mayo to cycle from Newport, just outside Westport out to Achill Island on the Westport Greenway, the longest off road trail in Ireland. 

It was so pretty I thought I would share a few photos. 

I made these muffins the night before we left for some hearty sweetness on our journey. The pistachios add a lovely salty crunch but leave them out if you would rather a plain lemony soft muffin.

For the muffins- makes 12 large muffins

200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g caster sugar
zest 2 lemons
Juice of one lemon
100g butter, melted
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons of natural yogurt
75g pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped plus extra for decoration

For the icing
250g icing sugar
3 tablespoons of lemon juice

1. Place the caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl. Using the back of a big spoon mash the lemon zest into the sugar. This will bring the lemon oil out of the zest.
2. Add the flour and baking powder to the bowl.
3. Add the eggs, cooled butter, yogurt and mix gently. Finally add the lemon juice and pistachios and mix well but thoroughly.
4. Bake for 15-18 minutes @ 180oC until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool completely.
6. Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Spoon or drizzle over the muffins. Decorate with pistachios.

Avocado Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Chocolate Frosting

This week I started yoga classes and ate quinoa 'superfood' for the first time and I am feeling rather proud of myself. This wholesome living is, of course, completely isolated from an incident involving a tin of danish butter cookies and my heartfelt late night goodbye to Friday Night Lights, a TV show I become quietly addicted to two months ago. ('Hey Y'all' to all the Tim Riggins fans out there). In my defence the cookies come in this adorable tin with toy solider design and are butter-meets-sugar heaven. My favourites are the squares ones covered in granulated sugar... Anyway like I said this has nothing to do with that. 

Vegetables in our sweet stuff is a new major food trend. I like the thought of healthy-ing up my baking and messing around with flavours at the same time. I tackled beetroot chocolate cake first here and now it is my go-to crowd pleasing chocolate cake. Now I am going all the way and cutting out butter and eggs with these vegan avocado cupcakes. I am not a fan of using oil in baking, I think it leaves an after taste even when using vegetable or sunflower oil, but you only need 2 tablespoons here so there is no impact on taste. The moist avocado acts as a butter substitute giving a moist light crumb. 

You definitely wouldn't know there was avocado in them.  Probably best to only tell the guests after they leave their cupcake cases like this:

From Joy the Baker 

1 1/2 cups plain flour sifted 

1/4 cup cocoa powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking/bread soda 

1 cup caster sugar 

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

1/4 cup mashed ripe avocado (around 1/2 medium sized avocado) 

1 cup water 

1 tablespoon of white vinegar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking and bread soda and salt into a bowl. 

2. In a separate bowl mix sugar, oil, avocado, water, vinegar and vanilla extract. 

3. Add the flour mixture to the avocado mixture and mix well to ensure there are no hidden pockets of flour. 

4. The batter will be very light. Fill the cupcake liners to over 2/3's full. The batter will not rise too much. 

5. Make for 18-20 minutes at 350oF/180oC until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool for ten minutes once out of the oven then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool. 

This cream cheese chocolate frosting is moreish and devine and a big winner with those who find normal buttercream too sweet as it is made with unsweetened cocoa powder. 

For the frosting: Frosts 12-14 cupcakes 

From Joy the Baker cookbook

100g cream cheese 

1/2 cup (100g) unsalted butter 

1/8 cup cocoa powder unsweetened (I use Bourneville) 

pinch of salt 

1 cup icing sugar sifted 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tsp milk 

1. Allow the cream cheese and butter to soften at room temperature for 1-2 hours. 

2. Beat the cream cheese allow with an electric beater until soft and pliable. Add the butter and beat until the butter is broken down and mixed with the cream cheese. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 30 seconds until incorporated. 

3. Add the salt, icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Beat until well combined- 3-4 minutes. 

Natural Pink Raspberry Buttercream Icing

I never think that a drop or two of food colouring when I make my icing is going to harm anyone in the long term, but in an age where we are increasingly concerned about food additives, colours, e-numbers etc. etc. in our diets it is worth looking at natural way of adding colour to our baking. Berries are a great source of pink/red ink and also add a beautiful tang to cut through the sweet buttercream. It is easily done by adding shop bought unsweetened raspberry coulis or making your own which you could enslave children to do it is so simple. To me this buttercream tastes like those long cylindrical raspberry ice-lollies of childhood. Were they called Milky Moos?

For the raspberry coulis
1. Defrost 55g of frozen raspberries with a tsp of water for a couple of hours. When softened they will give out plenty of water. Mash with a fork. If using fresh raspberries you may need to add an extra 1-2 tsp of water.
2. Press the pulp through a fine sieve to get rid of the seeds.

Buttercream
75g butter softened
200g icing sugar sieved
2 tablespoons of raspberry coulis

1. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until the butter is a crumbed texture.
2. Make sure the coulis is warm/at room temperature. Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds if cold. Otherwise your buttercream may curdle.
3. Add the coulis and beat the buttercream for 3-4 minutes until lighter pink and there are no longer any lumps.

Maple Syrup Pancake Muffins

Muffins or pancakes for lazy brunch? I do love pancakes but I'm always the one standing at the stove flipping them and trashy morning TV was calling me to its den of condescending advice, z-list celebrities and bad makeover shows last weekend...

Drum roll please- Introducing Pancake Muffins- Soft muffins with a crunchy top, brown butter giving them the pancake aroma. Brown butter is my new favourite thing and isn't as daunting as it might appear. You simply cook the butter on a medium heat until it browns. It does require a keen eye so give it your full concentration.

Butter is usually the conduit for flavour but when you brown the butter it becomes the powerhouse of flavour in itself, giving depth and a light caramel/butterscotch taste.  I found these mutant beauties on Joy the Baker blog. If you haven't checked her blog out, it's amazing. Her photography is beautiful, her writing moving and funny and her recipes TO DIE FOR. She's a self confessed glutton- my kind of girl.

For the muffins
100g unsalted butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup whole milk at room temp
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour sieved
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

1. Melt the butter over a low heat. When the butter is fully melted turn up to medium heat. The butter will start to go brown after 4-5 minutes and will crackle. After the crackling subsides you are in the danger zone. Keep a close eye, brown flecks will appear. Take it off the heat and pour into a cold jug. It should look like this:

2. Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla and maple syrup. Add the brown butter and combine.
3. Sift the baking powder and flour and then put in a bowl with the sugar and salt. Add the wet ingredients all at once and mix well but gently. Be careful to look for any flour pockets.
4. Divide the batter among a muffin tin. It should make 12-15 big muffins.
5. Bake at 180oC preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Pumpkin Crumble Muffins

Apparently all our neighbours think we are weird because we had zero trick-or-treaters tonight. I could be offended.... or I could settle down to New Girl and eat my weight in cheap chocolate before you can say 'Douchebag Jar'. I mean look at these adorable eyeballs and freaky looking monsters chocolates. They are calling me.... And now I have muffins. So I'm pretty much set. I really should say a prayer to the pagan Halloween Gods that my metabolism doesn't slow down any time soon....

These muffins are not too sweet, but deliciously moist and mildly spicy. The crumble topping just adds a special crunch and a bit of sweetness to the top. If you like a bit more of a kick you can double the amount of cinnamon and ginger. I find the pumpkin can lack flavour so I always double up with this recipe. I got a can of Libby's Pumpkin Puree in Fallon and Byrne in Dublin but you can make your own with some good quality pumpkin flesh roasted and blitzed in the food processor.

From Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery

240g soft light brown sugar
110g unsalted butter
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger ground
100g pumpkin puree
125g sifted self raising flour
120g plain flour sifted
125ml buttermilk

For the crumble topping (my own recipe) : This will make much too much but freezes well
110g plain four
20g porridge oats
4 tablespoons brown sugar
75g cold butter

Method:
1. Beat the sugar and butter together until lighter coloured, about 5 full minutes.
2. Add the eggs one at a time with a heaped tablespoon of flour. Repeat with the other egg. Mix in the pumpkin until well combined.
3. Combine the flours and spices. Add one third of the flour with one third of the buttermilk and beat until just combined. Repeat with the rest of the flour and buttermilk. Fill the cupcake cases.
4. For the crumble rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. A food processor will make easy work of this. Add the sugar and oats and mix well.
4. Sprinkle the crumble topping on top. You will have plenty over, it freezes really well so you can save for a lovely apple crumble another day. Bake in muffin cases for 18-20 minutes at 180oC.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Topped with dried banana and pink sugar

Oh my I am in LOVE! With hummingbird cupcakes. A sexy banana cake. More stylish, more sweet, with all the flavours of paradise in cupcake- pecan, coconut, pineapple, banana, cinnamon. Yes we've gone from sunshine paradise in Ireland to bone-chilling rain but it won't get me down with these cupcakes bringing me to a Caribbean beach I've never been too. Better make a cup of tea to warm me up all the same...

Adapted From Martha Stewart Recipe
Makes 24 large muffin sized (pictured on individual stand), 30+ 'standard' cupcakes (pictured below)

3 cups of plain flour sifted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 salt
8oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups caster sugar
3 large eggs
2 large overripe bananas mashed
1 cup and half of chopped pecans
10oz tin of pineapple, drained and finely chopped
3/4 cup dessicated coconut

1. Put melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat on high for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat for a further 3 minutes.
3. Fold in the coconut, pineapple, mashed banana and the pecans
3. Sift the baking soda and flour into a bowl and add the cinnamon and salt.
4. Fold in the flours until just combined.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 190oC fan oven. The tops might not be too brown but that is OK. If you overcook they will be dry rather than moist. Inserting a skewer is the easiest way to check if they are cooked.

Decorated with Dr Oetker wafer daisies

On my Newbridge silverware cupcake stand, a much loved present
from Baby in a Corner!

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes and Individual Cupcake Stands

I know people extol the virtues of Ikea. How stylish they are, how cheap, how cheerful. I have one word for these people- FLATPACK. It is no fun, especially if you are about as DIY-friendly as a one eye-ed, one-armed almost-blind pensioner. Which I am. I have no skill in that area. One Christmas I got a Barbie Jeep from Santa and I was so excited (you could open the roof of the Jeep and it became this sort of caravan thing in fairness). Flash forward four hours later and Dad is trying to screw the jeep door to the windscreen and cursing under his breath because the instructions don't make sense and there is a mysterious piece, the purpose of which is one of seven mysterious of the world. I'm bawling and crying impatiently... But when I saw these individual cupcake stands I thought I could cope with sliding the three pieces together. And they are very easy to assemble, as well as a lot more sturdy than they look. At €2.95 from Kitchencraft they also don't break the bank. Adorable I think you will agree.

These cupcakes are an Eddie Rockets malt in a cupcake. By special request from the BF. I basically fiddled around with a few different recipes and am really really happy with these. Moist malty chocolate sponge with an airy, melt in your mouth malt frosting. Delicious! 

For the cupcake 
115g chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa solids
85g unsalted butter softened
175g light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten in a cup
185g plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
60g ovaltine
75ml milk

Method:
1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 20 seconds at a time, giving a good stir in between.
2. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Pour in the eggs, quarter at a time with a heaped tablespoon of flour. Continue adding egg and flour until all the egg is gone. Give a good beating.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients.
5. Add the milk and fold in.
6. Bake for 20 minutes @ 180oC.

Icing recipe to follow!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream- Trials and Tribulations

I once did a communications workshop where the instructor told us that the worst way to begin a speech or address was to say how boring it was going to be because the audience will automatically tune out. So I'm putting that story out there but saying no more...

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing (from now on SMB because I'm a lazy so-and-so) is the rolls royce of frosting. Light and fluffy, its like eating a buttercream so smooth it feels like whipped cream. But before you start furiously separating eggs I would advise caution. My frosting ended up a curdled scrambled egg like mess and only for this website I would have had to chuck it in the bin. Luckily the advice in this (invaluable) blog post (SMB HELP!) actually works and got my frosting back on track, silky and delicious.

Here are a few things I learned
A. Be prepared, cube your butter, have everything at room temperature, have ingredients weighed and food processor/beater organised.
B. Pop it in the fridge if you feel that it is too light/soft. If after 30 minutes its still too soft beat again.
C. Make sure there are no little lumps of butter in your icing.
D. Use a sugar thermometer.
E. Watch this video- she simplifies it a lot but at least you can see the textures and get a rough idea of what you're looking for. Dyann Bakes SMB

From 'How to Eat a Cupacke'
170g caster sugar
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
170g unsalted butter

1. Place the salt, sugar and egg white in a heatproof glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. This is called a bain marie. The bowl should not touch the bottom of the pan so you might need to fiddle around with your collection of bowls and pans to get a bowl that sits in about half way but doesn't touch the bottom.
2. Beat constantly until the thermometer reads 140-160oF (different sources say different temperatures, I presume within the range is fine). Now you have pasteurised your egg whites so they are safe to eat.
3. Take off the heat and beat with the whisk attachment of your food processor until the bowl is cold and the egg whites are thick and shiny. This will probably take about 6-7 minutes.
4. With the paddle attachment of your food processor (as per Dyann bakes) add the butter cube by cube beating well after each addition. Increase speed and beat for 4-5 minutes until the icing is thick enough to hold shape on the top of the cupcake. If you think it is too light stick the bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes. If your icing has gone curdled/separated follow the tip in the blog above and heat 1/4 of the mixture in the microwave for 10 seconds, then add back into your icing and beat thoroughly.
5. Fold in any flavours or colours (although I wouldn't advise using liquid-y colours as they could mess up the consistency, use gel colours preferably).

Good luck!

Malted Cupcakes and How to Decorate Beautiful Cakes Magazines

I used to love reading fashion magazines. Thick glossy pages of vibrant colour, beautiful models, juicy celebrity gossip. But recently I've sort of grown out of them and rarely buy them any more. I used to flick through, look at the shiny pictures and then they'd form a jenga-like stack in the house, collecting dust and dating almost instantly. Considering the use you get out of a good book magazines are appallingly bad value. And with the internet today, fashion and celebrity and just a google search away. So when my friend Grace bought one of these new DeAgostini 'How to Decorate Beautiful Cakes' magazines I was pleasantly surprised by how good value they were. The first issue came with two sets of butterfly cookie cutters and a cardboard cupcake stand. The magazine itself (albeit very short) had good colour photos and step-by-step illustrations. Of course the first issue is always at a knock-down price so they can reel you in and then stick you with a €7 charge for the next issue. But the second issue was only €3.50 which , considering you got three reusable piping bags and three piping heads was still good value I thought. I've used all the piping heads and the bags and they really have surprised me in how durable they are. Usually the stuff you get is about as useful as the rubbish in a Christmas cracker but the couplers are made out of strong plastic and the piping heads are great sized. For the cupcakes above I used this nozzle:

I think it makes a lovely swirl for cupcakes. So yeah I presume these magazines are available only in England and Ireland but if you see them and are as nerdy as me in enjoying collecting baking paraphernalia I would check them out!

If you aren't familiar with Ovaltine its sold in pretty much any supermarket. I hear old people like to drink it before they go to bed. And it is used in malt shakes to which I daresay I am partial....

From the 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery'

110g unsalted butter, at room temp
120g light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten lightly in a cup
125g self raising flour, sifted
60g plain flour, sifted
60g Ovaltine malted drink powder
125ml semi-skimmed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy and light, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Add the egg slowly one third at a time with a tablespoon of flour each time. Throw in the vanilla extract. When all the egg is gone, fold in one third of the dry ingredients with one third of the milk until all the dry ingredients and milk are incorporated.
3. Bake in cases at 180oC for 15-20 minutes. My batter was very light and moist so it took almost 20 minutes. Insert a skewer and when it comes out clean the cupcakes are baked.

These were iced with Swiss Meringue Buttercream icing which is separate blog post to follow!

Easter Cupcakes

Easter is a funny holiday. You have that blood and gore Christian imagery, being force-fed vinegar and general bad-time-crucifixion. Then juxtaposed beside it you have pictures of baby chicks, fluffy rabbits and springing lambs. Needless to say I've gone with the latter to decorate cupcakes. Not that the passion of the Christ in sugar paste wouldn't be just as delicious I just think the sculpting might be a bit beyond me... I'll leave that to Michaelangelo and the likes...

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Oh hello! Things have been a bit hectic recently. Exams are no fun. Minus fun. I'm glad to be back to living a normal life. And back to baking! So what's on the menu? Well I was in one of those moods on Friday evening after work. You know when you want to do something but you just don't know what and everything you start you don't feel like finishing? Its horrible that kind of restlessness. I think it was because I was used to compartmentalising the day, squeezing in some free time, 30 minutes for dinner, 40 minutes watching TV etc etc. Then on Friday I just literally did not know what to do with myself. All this free time was staring me in the face. There were a few projects I'd been looking forward to, icing cookies, piping flowers, baking beetroot chocolate cupcakes but they all just seemed like a little too much effort. So I settled on baking these babies- dessert meets cupcake. It was the cream cheese that sold it for me, its all about the cream cheese.

From 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery'

Makes 15 regular cupcakes
225g caster sugar
210g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
25g cornflour
125g fresh ripe strawberries, crushed (I blitz-ed them in a food processor)
225g margarine, softened
4 large eggs at room temperature

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale- about 5-6 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time with a heaped tablespoon of flour.
2. In a separate bowl blitz the strawberries, baking powder, any remaining flour and the cornflour.
3. Fold in the strawberry mixture until evenly combined.
4. Fill the cases two-thirds full and bake for 15 minutes at 180oC until a skewer comes out clean.

87g cream cheese
225g icing sugar
65g unsalted butter, diced
pink icing sugar

1. Cream together all the ingredients until smooth with an electric beater. This will take about 5 minutes and should be white as opposed to yellow.

Valentine's Rose Cupcakes

I was going to lecture on how Valentine's Day is the worst of all those phoney made up holidays. A day of cheap chocolate and over priced flowers. We just survive Christmas and are assaulted with sky scrappers of towering milk tray and heart hugging teddies. But HEY if the 'holiday' gives me an excuse to make kitsch cute cupcakes it would be hypocritical to knock it. These Rose Cupcakes are from (surprise surprise!) the Primrose Bakery Book. I was afraid they would taste tacky, like cheap turkish delight, over scented and strong but they made the loveliest delicate sponge with a hint of fragrance. I should be punished for ever doubting Primrose Bakery....

The sweets I used are widely available and cheap and I think look really cute. Some of the messages on them are hilarious- 'dream boy' and 'bless you'. They feel like sweets they would've sold in the 1950's and we used to have great fun handing them to boys and giggling when we were kids. The hearts were moulded out of marzipan I coloured with red food colouring and brushed with a little pink glitter mixed with vanilla extract.

You can buy Rosewater in pharmacies. Quite a big bottle will set out back around €3.

From 'Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery'

Makes 12 large
110g unsalted butter
225 caster sugar
2 large eggs
150g self raising flour, sifted
125g plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp rosewater
120g semi skimmed milk

1. Preheat the oven to 160oC(fan)/180oC.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy- around 3-5 minutes using an electric beater.
3. Combine the two flours in a separate bowl. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time adding a heaped tablespoon of flour with each addition of egg.
4. Add one third of the flour to the mixture and beat well.
5. Mix the water and rosewater together. Beat in one third milk and one third flour until all the flour and milk are gone.
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until raised and golden brown. Leave to cool.

Rose Buttercream
(Enough to ice 15-20 regular)
115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tbsp semi skimmed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
500g icing sugar
1/2 tsp rosewater
pink food colouring

Beat the butter milk vanilla and half the icing sugar until smooth. This will take several minutes. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar until the buttercream is smooth and creamy and very pale. Add the rosewater and the end and taste to see if it is scented enough. Finally add a drop of pink food colouring.

Being Boring... Oh and Coconut Cupcakes

I read a recent interview with Daniel Radcliffe in which he described himself as boring. Eh... EXCUSE ME!!! What part of being the lead in a billion dollar franchise, appearing naked with a horse on the West End or being rich enough to buy your own airplane boring??? Hhrumph (read indignation). If his life is boring I am currently comatose having sent everyone I've ever met to sleep. I'm studying and working at the minute so I basically spend the day yawning and looking at the clock. The highlight of last week was buying a packet of milky bars in Lidl. I hope after exams to go travelling but right now I am DULL. In the proper sense of the word, Daniel. Use an Oxford Dictionary.

So anyway I take excitement whenever I can find it these days and these cupcakes are pure buttery joy.

Makes 12- From the Primrose Bakery Book

110g unsalted butter, at room temp
180g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp almond extract
125g self raising flour, sifted
120g plain flour, sifted
25g desiccated coconut

1. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy for about 3-5 minutes using an electric beater. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition and adding the extracts at the end.
2. Add one third of the flours and beat well. Pour in one third of the coconut milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the milk and flour has been incorporated.
3. Fold in the desiccated coconut using a metal spoon.
4. Carefully spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases filling to about two thirds full.
5. Bake in 160oC(fan)/180oC for 20-25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

For the icing
57g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp lime juice
grated zest of 1 lime
250g icing sugar sifted

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, lime juice and zest and half the icing sugar until smooth for several minutes. Gradually add the remainder of the icing sugar and beat until creamy.

Pecan and Marmalade Cupcakes

I am HORRIFIED at the number of people who don't like marmalade and eat jam on bread for breakfast. At elevenses I'm the only one eating marmalade on my scone/toast. The cafe at work doesn't even serve marmalade! I sneak a little jar in in my handbag.... Leads to a very sticky mobile phone/lipstick/other random contents of said bag but worth it. Marmalade has a delicious balance, the sweet sticky syrup is cut by the tangy orange peel- wake up sleepy!!

I was delighted to see the awesome marmalade honoured in the Cupcakes from the Primose Bakery book. A light fluffy sponge hides crunchy pecan pieces. Best eaten on the day made!

Makes 12 regular cupcakes

55g unsalted butter melted and cooled
125ml corn oil (I replaced this with the same amount of unsalted butter because I don't like oil in cupcakes, I find it leads to greasy, overly dense cupcakes)
60ml orange juice
grated zest of 1 small orange
80g thick cut marmalade
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
180g golden caster sugar
60g pecan nuts, toasted for 3-4 minutes in a hot oven and chop

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a 12 hole muffin tray.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine butter, corn oil, orange juice, orange zest, marmalade and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. Combine the flour, bicarb and salt in a separate bowl and set aside.
4. In a third bowl beat the eggs and sugar with an electric hand beater until the mixture is light and fluffy and quick thick. Slowly add the butter mixture, keeping the beater on a low speed until it is all combined.
5. Add one third of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Pour in another third of the flour and beat again. Repeat with the last third and gently fold in the pecans.
6. Fill the cupcake cases one third full. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until slightly raised and golden. Insert a skewer and ensure it is clean.

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Instead of stingy, grumpy misers, our modern day Scrooges are economic analysts and opposition politicians. This week I was under the cloud of economic doom and gloom, a smothering depression after a particularly vicious forecast I heard. So naturally I went straight home and enveloped myself in sugar and butter. These cupcakes were just the ticket. The cupcake is sweet but with an orange tang. I don't know who originally put these two flavours together but congratulations to Terry's for maximising on the chocolate orange combo!

From Primrose Bakery Book

110g butter softened
225 caster sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
150g self raising flour
125g plain flour, sifted
90ml milk
2 tbsp orange juice
grated rind of 1 orange.

1. Cream the butter and sugar for about 3-5 minutes until smooth. Add a tbsp of the egg at a time with a tbsp of the flour to prevent curdling until all the egg is gone. Beat well after each addition.
2. Pour in half the milk and beat well. Add a third of the remaining flours. Beat in the remainder of the milk and orange juice.
3. Finish with folding in the rest of the flour and orange rind.
4. Fill the cupcake tins two thirds full and bake for about 25 minutes until slightly golden brown.
5. Allow to cool.

Chocolate buttercream
175g chocolate melted
225g butter softened
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g icing sugar

Beat the butter, milk, vanilla and icing sugar together for about 3 minutes until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate.

Amaretto Cupcakes

I've been commuting to my new job this past few months. It was fine at the start (well I'll be honest and say the early mornings were an interesting adjustment from my college routine!) but since I've gone back to studying it has been difficult to juggle everything.

Now after three years of 'independent living' in college I've had my fair share of 'quirky characters', mold-on-the-walls-squalor and run-in's with the landlord. Enough to tell the grand-kids a few stories anyway. I'm too old (and grumpy) for that kind of malarky and was delighted to get an offer to move in with two girls from work. They are both really nice, but you just never know when you are living with other people. I mean, I know them but I don't KNOW them. And of course I think I'm so easy to get along with but I would think that wouldn't I?! Maybe I'm actually really irritating.... ANYWAY I've gone on a tangent to nowhere- back to the point. I moved in last weekend and was pretty nervous, sitting in the kitchen trying to look at home when I saw *Gasp* the Primose Bakery Book. I knew then that I'd get on fine!

Amaretto is a sweet almond liqueur, the kind you could imagine the models sipping in a Chanel perfume ad. A bottle is fairly expensive (near €30) so unless you are going to treat yourself to a few drinks over the holidays I'd recommend using good quality almond extract. You won't get exactly the same sweetness, but that delicate almond flavour will come through.

I thought the recipe made way too much icing and syrup. I iced two dozen buns with the same quantities the recipe said would ice 12. I also thought the icing was too light with the amount of milk in the recipe so I reduced the milk here.

For the cupcakes
220g butter softened
360g caster sugar
4 eggs
250g self raising flour
240g plain flour
250ml milk
1 tsp amaretto

Syrup
75g caster sugar
125ml water
1/2 tsp amaretto

Icing
55g butter
20ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g icing sugar  

Method:
1. Beat the sugar and butter until pale. Sift the flours in a separate bowl. Add the eggs one at a time with a generous tablespoon of the flours, beating well after each addition.
2. Mix the milk and amaretto in a jug. Add slowly to the cupcake mixture with the beater on slow. Finally fold in the flours until incorporated to make a light batter.
3. Spoon into cupcake pans (the recipe should make around 24).
4. Bake at 180oC for 15-20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile make the syrup by slowly heating all the ingredients in a pan. Allow to cool. When the cupcakes are golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean, take them out of the cupcake pan and leave to cool for around 5 minutes. While still warm dip the tops in the syrup for a few seconds. Leave to dry.
6. Now make the buttercream. Cream the sugar, butter and milk with an electric beater together for about 4-5 minutes, no less, unless pale and there are no butter lumps.
7. Pipe or spread over the cupcakes.

Halloween Chocolate Cola Cupcakes

The cupcakes are from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. I'm not going to win over any foodies by saying that I'm not a big fan of Nigella. That part at the end of every episode where she goes down to the 'larder' in her dressing gown and starts eating like she's in a Snoop Dog video is just too cheesy for my tastes. But I won't fault her on these cupcakes! The batter is very light (so much so I was sure I had added too much liquid) and this gives a lovely moist cupcake. The cola flavour is subtle, but a nice additional to the traditional chocolate cupcake. She makes a glaze but I didn't bother and just served with a traditional buttercream coloured black and my halloween decorations that I've been blogging about the last few days. Pretty cute I think!

For the cupcakes
125g unsalted butter
250g golden caster sugar
2tbsp cocoa
175ml coca cola
200g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg lightly beaten
125ml buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Heat the butter gently until almost melted. Add the cocoa powder and cola and warm gently until all the butter is melted. Whisk quite rigorously until combined, the cocoa powder especially will take some whisking to incorporate.
2. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and add the salt. Mix to combine.
3. In a jug mix the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together.
4. Add both sets of wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Make sure all the flour is incorporated but don't overbeat.
5. Pour into cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes at 190oC fan oven or until a skewer comes out clean.

Buttercream
40g butter softened
200g icing sugar sieved
1 tbsp coca cola
Blob of black food colouring

Method:

Beat all the ingredients together with an electric whisk until the icing is creamy and there are no lumps of butter (about 3-4 minutes, you really cannot overbeat). You may need to add a tbsp more of cola if there is still dry icing sugar inthe bowl but beat well before you make any additions. The icing may seem too dry but after beating it may be the right consistency.

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

Mr Spud requested 'buns' (cluchie Irish speak for cupcake) but I couldn't bring myself to make plain old cupcakes without a bit of creative flair. I LOVE LOVE tea. I really cannot emphasize that enough. When I'm stressed I want tea. When I'm tired I want tea. When I'm eating anything sweet I want tea. When I come in from outside I need tea. You get the gist. Earl Grey Tea is like my ultimate posh cuppa. So when I saw this recipe on an amazing blog- http://www.iheartkatiecakes.com I had to make it. Earl Grey is infused with bergamot oil which is citrusy and fragrant so I thought lemon frosting would really compliment it.

I only wish I had a good camera as these pictures don't really do the cupcake justice! My piping needs some work but here are pics of some of the best.

This recipe makes 12.

125ml milk
4 Earl Grey Teabags
110g butter
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp almond essence
125g self raising flour
120g plain flour

Frosting
75g butter softened
200g icing sugar
2tbsp milk
rind of 1 lemon finely grated.

For the cupcakes
1. Bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan or the microwave. Add the tea bags, mix and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Squeez out the teabags when infused and discard the teabags.
2. Beat the sugar and butter together for about 5-6 minutes as there is quite a lot of sugar in this recipe. The mix should be light yellow and creamy.
3. Beat the eggs lightly in a mug and add the almond essence.
4. Add the eggs a little at a time, each time you add egg throw in 2 tbsps of flour.
5. Add a third of the milk with a third of the rest of the flour. Continue until all the flour and milk is gone.
6. Fill up the bun cases until 1/3 full.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 180o C.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before icing.

For the icing
1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until the mix starts to come together as crumbs. Add the milk slowly and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy.
2. Frost the cakes adding desired decorations.