October and November articles - etc Magazine

Work has been busy, busy, busy. Just finished December's issue, which involved a trip to East Sussex to meet some very interesting people and we are now on January so I have no idea what month it is.

All the digital editions of the magazine are online uder the emags tab and by clicking the archive tab on the side you can look back over the last few months - www.etcmag.net

But on the website here are some article I have written which you might be interested in:

Carving Magic - http://etcmag.net/carving-magic/ This was a lot of fun and amazing what they can make from a carrot. 

Winter sun Jamaica - http://etcmag.net/island-paradise/

Tamsin Egerton interview - http://etcmag.net/tamsin-egerton/

Garden designer Amanda Patton - http://etcmag.net/garden-paradise/

Delicious Chocolate by Miss Witt - http://etcmag.net/chocolate-by-miss-witt/

Old one from August - Martha Mitchell Designs from Brighton - http://etcmag.net/a-fine-line/

Plus lots more to read if you have a look around.

Baking bonanza day!

This week is a week of big occasions. On Wednesday it is my sister's birthday and Friday is my last day at the newspaper.

I am finally moving over to the world of magazines! Same company but after two years at newspapers I am moving to their magazine and I cannot wait. I am sorry to leave the team at the paper but really looking forward to the new challenge and the next step of my career.

Today I was home alone with not much on so I decided to bake! 

I wanted to make cupcakes for the people at work so did it today. I made chocolate cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery book and then made a simple vanilla icing. I just hope the guys at work like them.

As I was baking my sister asked if I would make her a banana loaf. I didn't have any chocolate chips so decided to risk it and make the loaf without the chocolate. I was a bit worried as the mixture didn't look like a lot but in the oven it expanded quite a bit.

My sister tried it and loved it! So all good.

Below are the cakes and then in a bit I am making chilli from scratch! Get me....turning into a domestic goddess....slowly.

Early Easter chocolate cupcakes

It may be a little early to be making Easter cakes but I'm not sure if I will be making any next week but had an egg and flour that had to be used up so made some cakes.

I used the Hummingbird cupcake book, just a normal chocolate cupcake recipe. I did add chocolate chips but they seemed to drop to the bottom even though I put them in the batter. They didn't burn but they were a little crispy and it annoyed me a bit that it didn't really work.

The icing is just the usual chocolate butter icing, which I seem to have mastered which was good. The recipe said to use 300g of icing sugar but I used 200g as I always have too much and have to bin most of it but that amount worked.

I added mini eggs to the top make them more Eastery.

The cakes were so soft and crumbly really delicious and would be perfect with ice cream.

Melt my heart cupcakes

Me and my boyfriend decided not to do Valentine's Day this year, just seeing it as a commercial waste of money when everyday should feel like Valentine's when you are in love with someone.

Anyway, I did decide to make some cupcakes for him as I have been off work all week and haven't done any baking.

I made chocolate cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery cupcake book, but with an added twist. I decided to put on top halfway through baking some chocolate hearts in a hope they would melt a little and add some gooey-ness to the cakes. I got the idea while watching Lorraine earlier in the week, the chef made chocolate souffle and put a Lindt chocolate ball in the middle.

They melted a bit but I haven't tried one yet to see if it is still gooey or has got hard when it has cooled. I'm hoping a bit gooey.

I decided to do vanilla icing rather than chocolate and then put pink edible glitter on the cakes with the hearts so people know which is which.

I seem to have conquered the icing, but my cupcakes are never pretty looking but do taste amazing.

Just have to hope the boyfriend likes them.

It's a Rocky Road...recipe

I think my mum has been a little fed up with my baking. She loves the eating but hates the mess and my constant battle with our temperamental oven.

I had seen a couple of recipes for Rocky Road all of which don't include baking so I thought I would give them a go.

This time I strayed from Marian and picked The Hairy Bikers Mum Knows Best book.

Really easy and really sweet, delicious you can cut them into small squares as they are quite rich but went down a storm. Also as the chocolate was a little hot the marshmellows melted a little which was perfect.

Quick also just the time it takes to mix and melt the chocolate easy!

I don't usually do this but thought I would share the recipe.

You will need:

* 3 Mars Bars

* 100g butter

* 5 shortbread fingers

* 140g marshmellows

* 50g Rice Krispies

(I used mini marshmellows not the big ones)

What you do:

* Chop up the Mars Bars and place in a small pan with the butter

* Over a gentle heat melt the butter and Mars Bars

* Break the shortbread into chunks and stir into the mixture

* Stir in the Rice Krispies and marshmellows

* Press the mixture into a lightly oiled 15cm square tin and leave to set in the fridge

* Once set cut into squares turn out and serve

Delicious!

Mini me my mini cupcakes

Everyone knows that at Christmas you tend to get presents that are appliances that you know you will never use. Every once in a while, however, you get one that you never knew you wanted but once you have it you wonder how you ever survived without it.

This is what I received at Christmas, my gran-parents bought me a mini cupcake maker oven.

So today at a loose end I thought I would give it a go.

Mixed up the mixture, vanilla cupcake mix and put them in the cases and watched them cook. They took quicker than the 20 minutes recommended, but I was surprised at how well they turned out and they tasted delicious.

However, they were really difficult to ice and decorate but everyone likes them so much they had to have more than one... but that might be because they are mini.

The cakes in the maker...

Chocolate Orange cupcakes

I had a week off this week and on my last day I decided to make some chocolate and orange cupcakes.

I used a recipe out of my Primrose bakery cook book.

You use fresh orange juice, orange zest and melted dark chocolate.

After zesting and jucing the orange by hand, my hands did look as if I was applying some sort of Essex style fake tan, I also got orange juice on my t-shirt the one time I decide not to wear my apron. So oranges can be tricky.

I was a little concerned at first as the mixture was like a mousse and I wasn't sure that it would be light enough for a sponge.

They took a bit longer than usual to cook about half an hour whereas usually they take about 15-20 minutes.

However, they came out really well. I personally couldn't taste the orange in them but other people have said they could and how nice they were.

The icing it just chocolate and I had some chopped milk chocolate left over from my failed macaroons so decided to use that on the top just to get rid of it really.

I would recommend these easy to make and a nice change from just chocolate.

Chocolate macaroon...FAIL

After my exploits in Paris and tasting my first macaroon I knew I had some recipes and thought I would give it a go.

I chose the mint chocolate ones from my Great British Bake Off book, but as it was my first time I thought I would leave out the mint part and just do the macaroons and the cream filling.

I mixed all the ingredients for the main part and it looked ok, I piped it all out, put them in the oven.

Now the mixture seemed fine but I didn't realise they would get big so they weren't the same as the smaller ones in Paris.

I piped out about thirty or so which would of made 15, however, I know you should never blame your tools but my oven is shocking, it is either boiling hot or off no in between.

I knew I would have to keep an eye on them. When I thought they were done I pulled them out and left them to cool, however, I burnt the bottom of quite a few...and they were a bit larger than I was hoping.

So, rather then joining them I have left them as is, as to be honest I got fed up with making them so gave up. It took forever!

At least I have tried, and maybe I will try again another time. They are delicious though.

So here are my attempt...

Choccy woccy cupcakes

Yesterday was my boyfriend's birthday and as is becoming a tradition I made cupcakes. He asked for hazelnut and chocolate cupcakes.

Basically they are chocolate cupcakes with the middle taken out and chocolate spread put in its place, then covered with butter icing with added chocolate spread, basically it is a chocolaty overload!

Let's hope he likes them.

You know I think I am getting the hang of this baking malarky....or have I spoken to soon?

I am going to try another item from the baking list and see how I get on.

More Cupcake Lady-in-Waiting than Queen

To celebrate my lovely mum's birthday she picked what cupcakes she wanted and me and the boyfriend set about making them.

We made marshmellow ones, vanilla cakes with the middle out with melted marshmellow in. That part was my boyfriends job and it was hilarious seeing him with marshmellow all over his fingers, as well as a teaspoon which was stuck to the mellow. He worked out how to do it in the end though, and they were delicious.

I do love making cupcakes and I am kind of good at it, but only made a few batches but they have been pretty good. So my quest is still ongoing. I'm back to work next week but me and my sister have a bake date so I will let you know how we get on.

Here are some photos of my marshmellow cupcakes and hazelnut and chocolate cupcakes....