Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is one of the classics! I just had to include it to my repertoire :) I also have to admit that red velvet cupcakes are one of my favorites!! I could eat them every day!!! Now with the coming Valentines Day this can be a sweet surprise for your beloved <3
Recipe adapted from Averie

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

• 1 large egg
• 200g sugar
• 2/3 cup buttermilk (appox 150 ml)
• 120ml vegetable oil*
• 2 rounded tablespoons creamy natural yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 210g flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons red food coloring, or as needed

*Oil will make your cupcakes more moist then if you would use butter. 
For the frosting

• 250g cream cheese (I used mascarpone)
• 1/2 cup powder sugar
• 16 gr vanilla sugar
• 50g butter, sof

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. 

In a mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients (egg, oil, buttermilk, yoghurt). Add sugar and vanilla extract and whisk again. Start adding flour together with the baking soda and cocoa and mix until combined. At the end gently add the red food coloring and whisk until you get a nice red color. If you get a very pink color you can add another 1/2 tsp of cocoa and then add more if needed. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. You might have some mixture for the 13th and 15th cupcake, depending on the measures of your cupcake tin. Bake for about 20min and leave to cool down. 

For the frosting: With a mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter when it combines add sugars and beat until combined and smooth. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired. I piped them with a piping bag but you can do it with a spoon it will be equally tasteful! 

Tip: I alsways cut their little heads so it is easier to decorate them with the frosting.

Almond baby shower cupcakes :)

First time in my life I was asked to prepare cupcakes for a baby boy shower party!!! I was so excited I just couldn't wait to finish them! Had a lot of fun while decorating! Apart of looking just beautiful they are of course very tasteful! Moist and flavorful! I have to admit I am in love :)

Ingredients:

For the almond muffin:

• 140g flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 175g sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond essence
• 3 eggs
• 100ml butter milk
• 150g melted butter

For the frosting:

• 250g mascarpone
• 100g butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp almond essence (or more if needed)
• 1 cup of powder sugar (approx. 200g)
• Blue food coloring 

* Recipe adapted from not only muffins

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. 

For the muffins: In a mixing bowl combine all the wet ingredients (eggs, butter milk, almond essence and melted butter) and whist until combined. Now add sugar and keep whisking for 1-2 minutes so that the sugar starts to melt.

Add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking power, grounded almonds) and mix until just combined, but doesn't have to be too precise. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, for me 22 minutes were enough :)

Add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking power, grounded almonds) and mix until just combined, but doesn't have to be too precise. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, for me 22 minutes were enough :)

For the frosting: In a mixing bowl combine together mascarpone, butter and powder sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Add the almond essence and food coloring and combine together. Put the frosting into a piping bag with nozzle and decorate the cupcakes. 

You can decorate them with pearls or like me play with the fondant and use your imagination to create the perfect decoration!! 

Apple tart with a caramel touch

If you don't have too much time to bake but you fancy something sweet this tart is perfect for you!! Veeeery tasty and the most important extremely easy and quick to make. 
The shortcrust pastry and the sweet apple with a caramelized touch makes a perfect couple :) You will really enjoy it!!!!

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

• 150g of cold butter
• 250g flour
• 1 egg
• 100 g sugar
• 1 small teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 package of vanilla sugar

For the filling: 

• 1 large apple
• 50g butter
• 3 spoons of light brown sugar

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. Prepare a pie dish around 28cm in diameter. 

You can make your pastry by hand, or simply pulse all the ingredients in a food processor. If making by hand, sieve the flour with the baking powder, sugars into a large mixing bowl. Add chopped butter and mix with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg and gently work it together until you have a ball of pastry dough.

Flour a clean surface and roll dough into a circle and put your pastry into the dish and push it into the sides. Take a fork and make some small holes in the pastry, then put the dish into the oven and prebake for about 15min. Take it out and cool down. 

Peel the apple and cut in thin slices, put on the pastry. Put the butter into a pan and on a low heat wait until it melts, add sugar and keep steering until you get a smooth toffee. Pour it onto the sliced apple and bake for another 20-25 minutes. Cool down and enjoy :)

Caramel filled toffee cookies

Every time it is rainy and cold outside I fancy something sweet, something special which would give some flavor to this sad day! What else could cheer me up if not my fav caramel cookies!!! They are simply delicious!!! I am a big caramel lover and I love to enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee...although hot chocolate would be even better!

Recipe inspired by: Anna

Ingredients:
For approx. large 18 cookies

• 120g all-purpose flour
• 2 packages of toffee instant pudding (40g each) if you don't have toffee pudding you can replace it with a vanilla pudding or with the same about of flour 
• 2 spoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 100g white sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• 100g butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 6 large caramel candies (the amount of candies depend how big they are, mine were quote large so I have divided each candies in 3 peaces)
• 2 spoons white sugar (for rolling)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200ºC and line a cookie pan with baking paper and set aside. 

Place butter in large mixing bowl and beat with a mixer for a few seconds. Add both sugars, egg and vanilla and mix all the ingredients until combined. Add all the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa and baking soda, baking powder and combine everything together.  

In your hands roll balls of dough. Place your caramel candy in the center of the dough and cover with more dough and roll again into a ball. Before placing your cookies on an baking tin dip them in white sugar. Place the cookies on the prepared baking tin, I was placing only 6 balls of dough because they will at least double their size :)

Bake for 9-10minutes, cool down for a few minutes and transfer onto a cooling rack.

Coconut bundt cake

I know Christmas is just over and you had a looot of nice desserts but I just can't live without cakes! And I just can't get enough of coconut so here it is my moist and flavorful coconut bundt. A perfect treat for an afternoon tea or just perfect with a hot coffee in the morning when cold winter is outside! 

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 200g sugar 
• 1 package of vanilla sugar (16g)
• 150 g of butter
• 2 teaspoons of coconut essence (you can skip it, if you don't have one)
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 5 spoons of milk
• 300 g flour
• 100g coconut flakes

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 175ºC and prepare a bundt cake pan. Beat eggs together with the sugars either in the food processor or in a bowl with a whisk, until pale. Add the butter, milk, flour, and baking powder and whisk until combined, now add coconut flakes and combine all together.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for around 45 minutes until there is a little gold color on the top of the cake. You can check to see that it's ready by sticking a cocktail stick into the centre of the cake. It should come out clean and not sticky, if it is still sticky just leave it in the oven for 5-10 minutes more.

Apple cinnamon muffins with a streusel topping and marzipan filling

I don't know if it is the Christmas feeling or maybe the long cold days but lately I fancy everything with cinnamon!! So here is another version of apple cinnamon muffins but this time with a streusel topping! YUM!!!

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 60g butter, melted
• 1 grated apple
• 250g flour 
• 1 egg, light beaten 
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 
• 1 spoon lemon juice
• 120 g soft light brown sugar 
• 150ml buttermilk
• 100g marzipan

For the streusel:

• 70g flour
• 50g light brown sugar
• 50g soft butter
• 1teaspoon cinnamon - optional

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and grated apple. Add buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Mix until just combined, but doesn't have to be too precise. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Cut the marzipan in small squares and place each piece in each of the muffins, then cover with a bit of your apple mixture. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. 

For the streusel: mis all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and with your finger taps combine everything until you get small crumbles. Sprinkles the streusel over your muffins. Bake your muffins approx. 25 minutes. 

Apple cinnamon muffins with a toffee topping

After trying those muffins one of my friends said that apple and cinnamon is one of his favorite flavors... I totally agree. I loved this small little bites, they are soft, fluffy and so aromatic, my kitchen was smelling wonderful and hours after the muffins were already gone ;)

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 60g butter, melted
• 1 apple
• 1 grated apple
• 250g flour 
• 1 egg, light beaten 
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 
• 1 spoon lemon juice
• 70 g soft light brown sugar 
• 150ml buttermilk

For the sticky toffee:

• 50ml heavy cream
• 50g soft light brown sugar
• 20g butter

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and grated apple. Add buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Mix until just combined, but doesn't have to be too precise. With a spoon scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Remember to fill the muffin cases only 3/4 cavity otherwise they might overflow. The remained apple cut in thin slices approx. 3-5 millimeters, place on a plate, sprinkle with lemon juice and a spoon of sugar and put all in the microwave for 20seconds. The slices are now crispy so wouldn't allow you to form nice roses but if you put them into the microwave then they will become soft and easy to roll. Take each slice and roll together and place in the middle of your muffin. If you are not good with manuals then just put some slices of apple on the top of your muffin. The result will be exactly as delicious. Bake your muffins approx. 20 minutes. 

For the toffee topping: In a pan whisk together sugar, butter an the heavy cream, wait until it starts boiling then on a low heat and constantly mixing keep boiling it for another 3-5min. Then sprinkle your toffee topping over your cooled muffins and ...... bite in!!!!