Easter Cupcakes

I decided that I definitely needed to make some sort of cupcakes this year for Easter and despite having made my Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream and posting about them before, I couldn't resist baking them again :) I thought they'd be a good flavour for Spring time and that the yellow coloured butter icing would look well with Mini Eggs for decoration. I also thought about baking Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla flavoured buttercream so as I go along I'll show you how to make the two flavours :)

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE MIX

225g Butter (Softened)

225g Caster Sugar

225g Self Raising Flour (sieved)

4 Eggs

Rind of 2 Lemons OR 1 tbsp of Vanilla Essence

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4

2) Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl

3) When the mixture is light and fluffy, add in the eggs one at a time and continue to mix

4) If you're making the Vanilla Cupcakes, add your spoon of vanilla essence in now

5) Spoon the flour into the mixing bowl - one spoon at a time, until all the flour is in

6) If you're making the Lemon version, add in your lemon rind and continue to mix

7) Once the mixture is light and fluffy stop mixing and leave it to sit while you line a muffin tray with bun cases

8) Put one to two spoonfuls of the mixture into each bun case and bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes until they are golden brown

9) Leave the buns to cool on a wire tray while you make your buttercream frosting

For the Buttercream...

YOU WILL NEED....

775g Icing Sugar

250g Butter (softened)

1 tbsp Lemon Juice OR Vanilla Essence

1) Cream the butter and the sugar together in your mixing bowl again 

2) When the mixture is light and fluffy add in either the lemon juice or vanilla essence and continue to mix

To assemble the Cupcakes...

Either using a piping bag or simply a spoon, ice the cupcakes and stick as many Mini Eggs on top to decorate.

I used this piping nozzle to ice my Easter Cupcakes

Super Easy Easter Nests

These Easter Nests are perfect if you're looking for something quick and easy to make with your kids during the Easter holidays.. I remember making these as a kid and loving every minute of it :) This year, as I don't have any kids of my own (ha), I made them with my little cousin and she had a ball... 

You'll only need these 4 Simple Ingredients..

300g Milk Chocolate
50g Butter
4-5 Shredded Wheat biscuits
Mini Eggs (for decoration)

*If you're a fan of coconut, replace some of the shredded wheat with some desiccated 

coconut for extra flavour :) *

So here goes....

1) Place the chocolate and the butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until melted
2) Break your shredded Wheat biscuits into pieces and put them in with your melted mixture and stir until they're all covered in chocolate
3) Next, line a muffin or cupcake tray with bun cases of your choice and spoon 1-2 spoonfuls of the mixture into each case
4) Using your fingers, push all of the mixture to the sides of each case, leaving a hole in the centre like a birds nest
5) Next place as many mini eggs as you like into each nest and refrigerate the tray for at least 20 minutes before eating

Hope you have as much fun making these as I did :)

Sticky Lemon Drizzle Loaf

More great news :D - I've started working in our local restaurant come deli; The Coffee Shop here in Wicklow Town. I'm so happy - someone has definitely been looking out for me over these past few weeks :) I had my first day yesterday which was pretty hectic - waiting tables and learning to use the ever so confusing coffee machine. I haven't spent any time in the kitchen yet, but, hopefully after a bit of practice, and, if all goes well, I'll be making salads, scones and breads soon. Everyone has to start out somewhere even if its taking orders, waiting tables, cleaning up and washing dirty dishes!

Back to the Cake!

Despite being wrecked after my pretty busy first day, I couldn't resist making a Lemon Drizzle Loaf when I returned home. They're super easy to make and they don't really involve the use of many ingredients, so you should have everything you need at home. 

Here goes....

INGREDIENTS                                                         

225g Butter/ Margarine (softened)                                    
225g Caster Sugar                                                               
225g Self Rasing Flour (sieved)
Zest of 3 Lemons
4 Eggs

METHOD

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4
2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl
3) When nice and creamy, add in the eggs, one at a time & continue to mix
4) Add in the sieved flour - spoon by spoon, followed by the lemon zest
5) When the mixture in light and fluffy, stop mixing and pour into a loaf tin greased with melted butter or lined with greaseproof paper and place it in the oven for 40 - 45 minutes

FOR THE DRIZZLE...

115g Caster Sugar

Juice of 3 Lemons

1) Put the lemon juice and the sugar in a small pot and combine the two over a low heat

2) When you have taken the cake out of the oven, make sure to leave it in the tin

3) Using a sharp knife, poke small slits all over the top of the cake

4) Then pour the lemon drizzle over the loaf and it will soak through the loaf

5) Dust over the loaf with icing sugar and enjoy

The Coffee Shop
serves freshly baked scones,
breads, croissants, homemade cakes, muffins,
slices, gourmet sandwiches & salads along
with many different types of coffee!! 
I can't wait to see how everything's made :)

Yummmmyy's Recipes to Feature with Ads on Bags

I'm over the moon :) :) :) - I was approached last week by the co-owner of an Irish company called Ads on Bags and was asked for my permission to include some of my recipes on leaflets given out with these innovative creations.

The company is based in the West of Ireland in the counties of Galway &  Mayo. They create really cool biodegradable paper bags that feature advertisements on their surfaces. The bags are distributed in local supermarkets and my recipes and a piece about Yummmmyy will be included on leaflets included inside them. The company issue two bags per month so I may get organised and have some recipes lined up to go to print. For this issue, my Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream will be included. I thought that they would be well suited for Springtime and I thought it would be wise to include a recipe that's relatively easy to follow :)

 I'm so happy to have been asked by Marzena - its such a great opportunity to spread the word about Yummmmyy and I'm over the moon thinking that people are actually interested in my blog and that they are actually trying out my recipes - chuffed is not the word - thanks so much for all of the support you guys :)

Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with a Whiskey Ganache Filling & Baileys Buttercream

Instead of going for the usual Cupcake with green frosting and a shamrock on top, I decided to make something a little different for St. Patrick's Day this year. I'm a huge fan of Baileys Cream Liquor -  I'd drink it with ice, in coffee or even pour it over chocolate fudge cake and ice-cream. 

So, when I saw the Irish Car Bomb Cupcake recipe on 
Brown Eyed Baker, I said I had to give something along those lines a go this year. I'm not mad on Guinness, so I decided to go for Chocolate Baileys Cupcakes with a Whiskey Ganache Filling and Baileys Buttercream - could there be anything more Irish?

This is my take on Brown Eyed Baker's Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes..Image from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS

(FOR THE CUPCAKES)

275g Self Raising Flour
275g Caster Sugar
275g Butter (softened)
25g Cocoa Powder (sieved)
6 large Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Essence
2 tbsp Baileys

 

METHOD

(FOR THE CUPCAKES)

1) Preheat your oven to 190C/ 360F/ Gas Mark 5

2) Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl

3) Add in the eggs and mix in the food mixer 

4) Add in the dry ingredients, spoonful by spoonful
5) Drizzle the Baileys into the mixture as its mixing (make sure not to over mix it)

6) Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray lined with muffin cases (make sure each is two thirds full)

7) Bake the buns for 12-15 mins

INGREDIENTS

(FOR THE WHISKEY GANACHE)

225g Dark Chocolate (finely chopped)
155g Whipping Cream
2 tbsp Butter (softened)
2 tsp Whiskey

METHOD

(FOR THE WHISKEY GANACHE)

1) Heat the cream in a bowl over a  saucepan of simmering water.

2) Place the chocolate in another bowl and when the cream begins to simmer, pour it over the chocolate

3) Let it sit for a minute, and then stir it from the middle out using a spatula

4) Stir in the butter and whiskey until combined

5) Leave it to cool so it thickens, but make sure that its still soft enough to be piped

INGREDIENTS

(FOR THE BAILEYS BUTTER CREAM)

775g Icing Sugar

250g Butter (softened)

6 tbsp Baileys

METHOD

(FOR THE BAILEYS BUTTER CREAM) 

1) Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl

2) When nice and creamy, add in the baileys, spoon by spoon, while its mixing

3) Leave to sit while you prepare the cupcakes

TO ASSEMBLE....

1) Cut a hole in the top of each cupcake using either a knife or a piping nozzle 

2) Pour some of the whiskey ganache into each hole and pop the lid back on to each

3) Using a piping bag or a spoon, decorate each of the cupcakes with the Baileys Buttercream, and, if you like, drizzle some of the leftover ganache over the top of each like so...

Traditional Irish Soda Bread with Flax Seeds

First off, my Dad's a huge fan of home-made brown bread. Last weekend, he arrived home from Scotland after being away for just over 2 weeks. I was certain that he would be craving some good home cooking (as he's not the greatest cook in the world) So, I decided to help my Mam out by baking a Traditional Irish Soda Bread for lunch seens as she'd be making dinner. 

This soda bread recipe is really easy to make. Its the base recipe to almost any bread that I bake. I decided to add Flax Seeds to the recipe this time to give the bread a nice grainy texture and also to boost nutrient intake. Apparently flax seeds are one of the biggest nutrient carriers in the world - that's what we like to hear :) If you don't have flax seeds at home don't worry. You can substitute them for sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or even porridge oats.

INGREDIENTS

225g/ 8oz Plain Flour

225g/ 8oz Wholemeal Flour

1 tsp Bread Soda (sieved)

1 tsp Sugar

Pinch of Salt

4 tbsp Flax Seeds

500ml Buttermilk

METHOD

1) Preheat your oven to 180C/ 350F/ Gas Mark 4

2) Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a large bowl (make sure to sieve the bread soda)

3) Make a hole in the middle of your bowl and pour in the buttermilk

4) Stir in the buttermilk 

(The mixture should almost "plop" off the spoon - if it's too dry simply add more milk and if its too wet add more flour)

5) Pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with baking paper and bake for approx. 40 mins
6) After 40 mins, remove the loaf from the tin and stick it back in the oven for a further 10 mins
7) Leave to cool on a wire tray before slicing & enjoy!!

I love this bread with real Irish butter and raspberry jam in the morning, or else with nothing but thick slices of cheddar cheese for lunch - YUMMMMYY :)

Rich Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Cream

Looking for something to bake for Mothers Day? I'm baking this Rich Chocolate Cake with Strawberries and Cream - it's really quick and easy to make and it tastes deeeeelicious. My Mam LOVES Strawberries so I had to go with them, but, if you'd prefer, you can use any other berry instead. The cakes also really yummmmyy served with ice-cream and a gooey chocolate fudge sauce (I'll share the recipe for that at the end) 
Here goes....

INGREDIENTS
225g Dark Chocolate
225g Butter
225g Caster Sugar
225g Plain Flour
3 eggs

FOR DECORATION...
Fresh Cream (whipped)
Strawberries (sliced)

METHOD
*Preheat the oven to 160C/ 325F/ Gas Mark 3*

1) Melt the butter, chocolate and sugar together in a bowl over a pot of simmering water
2) When melted, add in the whisked eggs and mix
3) Add the sieved flour to the mixture and stir again
4) Line a small baking tin with greaseproof paper and pour the mixture into it
5) Bake in the oven for aprox 40 mins

Chocolate Fudge Sauce
Combine 100g Dark Chocolate, 100g Butter
and 2 tbsps of  Milk together in a bowl over
 a pot of simmering water & drizzle over the chocolate cake - YUMMMMYY

Nutella Hearts

I hadn't made muffins in a while and was dying to use my new heart shaped silicon muffin molds so, last night I tried out a new recipe and made these Nutella Muffin Hearts. They're dead handy to make and they don't take long at all, 15-20 mins max preparation time. I'm a huge fan of Nutella so I absolutely love these gooey, nutty, chocolaty muffins - I hope you do too!

INGREDIENTS

10 oz/ 285 g Self Raising Flour (sieved)

1 tsp Baking Powder (sieved)

5 oz/ 140 g Caster Sugar

100 ml Plain Yogurt

125 ml Milk

1 Egg (lightly beaten)

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

4.5 oz/ 130 g Butter

Handful of chopped and peeled Hazelnuts (optional)

Nutella (as much as you like!!)

5oz/ 140g Milk Chocolate (chopped into small chunks)

METHOD

1) Preheat oven to 200 C/ 400 F/ Gas Mark 6

2) Put butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir until fully melted

3) When fully melted, take the butter off the heat and add in the Milk, Yogurt, Essence and Eggs & mix it well

4) Put the Flour, Baking Powder chocolate chunks & hazelnuts into another bowl and mix

5) Pour the wet mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and only stir it FIVE times - no more even though it seems as if it isn't mixed properly

6) Leave the mixture sitting and line a muffin tray with muffin cases

7) Spoon one spoonful of the mixture into each case

8) Put a spoonful of Nutella on top and finally put a second spoonful of the muffin mixture over that again and use a spoon to swirl the mixture 

9) Place in oven for 20 mins until golden 

10) When cooled slightly, cover the top of each muffin in a huge dollop of Nutella - YUMMMMYY

I used these heart-shaped muffin molds for mine
and I also added white chocolate chunks