Valentine's Day sweet vanilla hearts filled with vanilla pudding

No one is never admitting to be waiting for Valentine's Day but somehow everyone is always very happy and excited while receiving a lovely card or a sweet treat! My quote for this day is "All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." :)

In this case I will treat you with this moist and fluffy vanilla hearts filled with vanilla pudding!!! YUM!

Ingredients: 

For the hearts:

• 4 eggs
• 200g butter, melted
• 250g sugar
• 250 flour
• 1cup of greek yoghurt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 package of vanilla sugar (16g)

For the pudding: 

• 500 ml of milk
• 1 spoon of butter
• 1 packages of vanilla sugar
• 2 spoons of potato flour
• 2 yolks
• 50g butter
• pink food coloring

(If you don’t have time you can go for the easy method and use an instant pudding) 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 180°C . Prepare a baking tin 20cm x 20cm.  

In a mixing bowl beat the yolks and the sugars together until pale. Add the butter, yogurt, flour, baking powder and whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form soft white foam peaks. Now take your dough mixture and start adding the white foam, fold together carefully – without beating the bubbles out of the egg white completely. The egg whites will give the cake this nice fluffy texture. 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.

For the pudding: 

If you are using the instant pudding just follow the instruction on the package, after it cools down beat it together with butter and the food coloring. 

If you are doing the pudding yourself first you need to boil 3/4 of your milk together with butter, sugar and vanilla sugar. The remained milk whisk together with the potato flour and egg yolks. Add the mixture to your boiling milk and mix it quickly. Cook it approximately one minute on a very low heat and leave to cool down. When the pudding is cool beat it together with butter and the food coloring, just like you would do using the instant pudding. 

When your cake is totally cool then you can cut with a heart cutter, herts out of your cake. After each heart cut again in half and then from one of the heart parts cut out a smaller heart, in order to make some space to fill it with your pudding. With a piping bag fill it with the vanilla cream and swirl inside the hearts. 

From your cake cut out the hearts:

Cut in half your hearts and cut out a smaller heart: 

 Now just decorate your Valentine Hearts as desired :)

Blueberry doughnut muffins

I am definatley not a morning person so waking up every morning is a big battle between my annoying alarm and my lovely pillow. So I have to use tricks that will help me to leave my warm bed and get up.. The secret of those tricks is a delicious breakfast. Every time I make those blueberry donught muffins I just can't wait until I eat them in the morning  accompanied with a hot cup of coffee. After such a breakfast every morning doesn't seem to be so bad anymore!! I guess they are called donught muffins because they are extremely moist and very soft, little doughnuts caught in a muffin :) Less greasy than doughnuts as they are not fright but the taste is amazing!!! I am sure they will also make your morning a lot easier!!! 
From grace(full) eats

Ingredients:
For 15-17 muffins

• 100g  sugar
• 50g brown sugar
• 60g butter, melted
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 330g flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt 
• 1 cup natural yoghurt - approx. 200ml (can be also 1 cup of milk) 
• 300g blueberries fresh of frozen

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 (eggs, oil,butter and yoghurt). Add sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Start adding flour together with the baking powder and baking soda and mix until all ingredients combine. At the end gently add the blueberries and give it some whisks until all combines. 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 20-25min. You can check to see that the muffins are ready by sticking a cocktail stick into the centre of the each muffin. It should come out clean and not sticky, if it is still sticky just leave it in the oven for 3-5 minutes more. Take out, leave to cool down and enjoy!!! 

 Upppssss…they are just too good :)

Valentines vanilla cookies

Valentines is just around the corner so why not making this lovely day even more sweet!! This vanilla cookies are very simple to make and the rich vanilla flavor is just amazing! I am sure you and your Valentine will just love them!!!

Ingredients:

• 220g flour
• 150g butter
• 100g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 pkg vanilla pudding (apporx 40g each)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pkg vanilla sugar or 2 tsp vanilla essence
• pinch of salt
• red food coloring - optional

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 180ºC. 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 and vanilla pudding, sugars into a large mixing bowl. Add chopped butter and mix with your hands until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and gently work it together until you have a ball of pastry dough. If you want you can now divide your dough into 2 pieces.  Put the half of the dough into a separate mixing bowl and add the red food coloring and whisk all together. 

Now you can just use a spoon to form your cookies and put them directly on the baking sheet and put into the owen. 

But if you would like to cut out some hearts, like I did, sprinkle a little flour over the pastry, then wrap it in a cling film and pop it into the fridge to rest for 0.5hour. When the pastry is cool it is much easier to roll it and cut it out. 

Take out the dough from the fridge and on a floured worksurface, roll dough to 1/2 cm thickness and cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. 

Place your hearts on the baking tin and bake for 10 minutes. You can use any shape you like they will still be delicious!

*Recipe adapted from  Sweet Bella Roos

Idea: You can also put some of your favorite jam in between and make a sweet sandwich :)

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.