Raspberry Macarons

Hello! Yes its been forever since my last post.  I've been busy, lazy and distracted lol.  It was my brothers 21st birthday party on Saturday so i had to help out with the preparations and there were tons of leftovers and the most GIANT-normous cake i've seen in my life, no joke and yes i made up the word "giant-nornous" so with the mass amount of food, i haven't needed to bake anything.  Hopefully, since the olympics are over, i can get back to baking and blogging.  Every one of our athletes did an amazing job whoop! Not to mention YAY! for Valerie Adams who gets the gold medal in shot put after that Balarusian woman tested positive for drugs :O Ok people, Don't do drugs.

Now onto the sweet stuff...

I first discovered macarons after watching the final of Masterchef NZ, season 2, where they had to make a macaron tower.  I thought they looked to cute and sounded like they tasted delicious so i found a recipe and they turned out pretty good.  So when it came to making Macarons again for this mission, i was pretty confident.  As you can see from this photo, this time around, they turned out kinda bad LOL.  They shouldn't be this flat or soft...

Macarons are quite easy to make, but at the same time, its really easy to get them wrong.  My mum liked these so much, i gave her the recipe to give them a go...

So this is my mums attempt...I was like "what happened?!" and she gave me a sad face.  It looks like she hacked at it with a chainsaw lol.  I think she just undercooked them coz Macarons stick like crazy to baking paper if they aren't baked long enough.

Anyway, I'm a bit of a perfectionist sometimes so I decided to try again...

This is my second attempt, they turned out much better.  From what i've read, they should be crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.  Don't they look like lil burgers? haha reminds me of Spongebob's Krabby Patties LOL.  One day i'm going to make a whole bunch of these in different colours, i reckon they would make nice gifts.  So I just noticed that the bakery story macarons have a raspberry filling and i just used white chocolate ganache oopss.  You could just add some fresh or frozen raspberries to the ganache.  If you are having trouble with these, like I was, watch some "how-to" videos on YouTube.  You might want to double the batch 'coz these don't last long :)

Raspberry Macaron Recipe

Ingredients

For the Macarons:

• 70g almond meal 
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 egg whites (room temperature)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• a few drops of raspberry food colouring

For the Ganache:

• 75g white chocolate
• 3 tablespoons cream
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar

Method

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the almond meal and icing sugar into a food processor and pulse until combined.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are frothy, add the sugar gradually and continue to beat until it forms stiff peaks.  Add the food colouring.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold the almond mixture into the egg mixture.  Fold until the mixture folds back onto itself, it is important not to over fold.  It should have a consistency like lava.
5. Place mixture in a piping bag with a 2cm opening.  Pipe onto the lined baking tray about 3cm in diameter.  You should get 12 single macarons on each tray.
6. Leave the macarons to sit on the bench for about 30mins so the macarons form a kind of skin.
7. Preheat the oven to 140ºC.
8. Bake the macarons for 18-20mins.

To make the Ganache:

1. Place the chocolate and cream in a glass bowl and place in the microwave for 1 min.  Whisk gently to combine.
2. Stir in the icing sugar and leave until thickened.
3. Once thickened, place mixture in a piping bag or spoon onto the centre of half of the macarons and sandwich with the other half.  

-Enjoy :)

♡ B

Blueberry Muffins

I've been pretty distracted from my blog lately, olympics anyone? It only happens once every four years so i'm like addicted.  OMG last night was amazeballs, two gold medals for NZ! Those guys are beasts! Plus it put us in the top 10 on the medal table for like 5mins and it was like suck on that Australia! LOL i'm totally joking, i love Australia.  Anyway, did I just get way off topic or what?

I love blueberry muffins! I found this awesome recipe to make these massive sized muffins (well in my opinion, they are massive lol).  They taste pretty good thanks to the crunchy, cinnamon sugar topping nom nom.

The biggest muffins i've ever made! Almost the size of my face! Not actually...but they were big!
This recipe should make 8 massive muffins.

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC
2. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin cups.
3. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder.
4. Place vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup, add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.
5. Mix this with the flour mixture.
6. Fold in the blueberries
7. Fill in the muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with the crumb topping mixture

To make the crumb topping:

In a bowl, mix 1/2 sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Rub together with your fingers until it resembles rough breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake muffins in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

-Enjoy :)

Rainbow Cupcakes

Yay!

When i saw these cupcakes, I started googling "how to make rainbow cake" and i kinda became obsessed with the idea of making this epic, layered, rainbow cake.  I even bought a cake leveler and gel colours! LOL One day this rainbow cake will happen but for the meantime, this is my attempt at rainbow-fyed cupcakes.  Haha rainbow-fyed, I just googled "rainbow-fyed" and the search results came up with rainbow fried rice LOL whaaaaatt? Seems like you can rainbow anything these days lol.

My rainbow cupcakes turned teeny-weeny and since, I found, there was not a lot of batter to work with, it was quite hard to spread each coloured layer to the edges for an even colour distribution.  So i'm going to post the recipe I used with double the amount of ingredients so this recipe should make 12 decent sized cupcakes. 

Before I do that, here is another picture i took of my batch of cupcakes looking all cute with their butter cream frosting.  My first ever attempt at piping icing on a cupcake too! It was fun.  I watch way too many cake shows on tv...

Rainbow Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup caster sugar

250g unsalted butter (softened)

4 eggs (room temperature)

2 cups self-raising flour

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

6 tablespoons milk

food colouring or gel colours (I used gel colours) 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC.  Line a 12 hole cupcake tray with cupcake papers.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy

3. Beat the eggs in one at a time, adding a little flour each time until the ingredients are combined.

4. Add the vanilla essence and mix.  Then add the milk one tablespoon at a time mixing after each addition

5. Divide the mixture into 6 bowls

If you are using food colouring:

In bowl 1 - add half a cap of red food colouring

In bowl 2 - add half a cap of red and half a cap of yellow

In bowl 3 - add half a cap of yellow

In bowl 4 - add half a cap of green

In bowl 5 - add half a cap of blue

In bowl 6 - add half a cap of blue and half cap of red

If you are using gel colours, add tiny amounts of colour at a time until you reach the desired colour.  Less is more, when it comes to the gels. 

6. Divide the purple mixture between the 12 cases.  Repeat with the other mixtures in this order: Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red.

7. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in a cupcake comes out clean.

You can enjoy them as they are or you can top them with buttercream frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)

3 1/2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

1. In a bowl combine butter, sugar and salt.  Beat until blended.

2. Add the milk and vanilla and beat for an additional 3-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

I found this "how to" on frosting cupcakes here.  

Mine pale in comparison :(

It's 2:15am :O time to catch some zzzz

♡B

Red Velvet Cookies

Red Velvet cookies! They look like macarons lol
Most of the recipes I found online used Red Velvet cake mix from a box but I eventually found a recipe to make them from scratch.

I've been wanting to bake red velvet for awhile, I've always liked the idea of it being red and chocolate flavoured haha.

Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling Recipe

Ingredients

For the cookies:
2 3/4 cups plain white flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
225g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food colouring
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the filling:
1 cup cream cheese
100g unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
a pinch of salt
4 cups icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy.  Gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in food colouring and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture alternatively with buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
5. Spoon the mixture onto the lined baking tray, leaving about an inch between each spoonful.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are set.  Cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the filling

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt at medium speed until creamy.
2. Gradually add icing sugar, beating at low speed until smooth.

When the cookies are completely cool, sandwich the cookies together with the filling.

-Enjoy :)

Banana Bread

Um hi
I feel like its been ages since my last post but its only been a week lol
Anyway, I baked this last week but i've been really delayed with my posts.  I usually post soon after I bake and photograph but I was feeling a little unmotivated and lazy plus I had to work an extra day (which shouldn't be an excuse since i normally only work 4 days a week but i'm using it as an excuse anyway).

So this is my banana bread...

I'm not gonna lie, i'm pretty proud of my little loaf of bread.  Even though it doesn't look all loafy (yeah I made up that word) as the one from Bakery Story, I think my first attempt at banana bread turned it pretty good.  The bananas i used weren't over-ripe and my bread might've been slightly undercooked 'coz it was starting to burn so i took it out of the oven early haha.  Anyway, it tastes good.  I was hoping to toast a piece in the toaster and try it with butter. OMG Banana flavoured toast, how amazing would that have been? If only my dad and brother didn't inhale everything i make :(

Link to the recipe here

I might start posting the recipes on my blog instead of just posting links, if i have time.

I'm trying something different with my photos.  More close-up so you don't have to look at my kitchen bench, not to mention the fact that i'm having trouble finding any decent light in my house :/

Ok bye

♡B

Madeleine Cookies 

Boom! I feel like i'm on a roll lol I have two items to post today :D

I didn't know what Madeleines were until i googled them haha. They are little french cakes that are baked in madeleine tins to give them their shell-like appearance.  I'm on a budget so i went with the cheaper option and bought a silicone madeleine cake mould plus it was bright pink and i'm a sucker for pink.

Look at those sneaky madeleines, trying to escape out of their moulds.

Aren't they cute? Google tells me that madeleines are supposed to be very light, delicate, sponge cakes but mine didn't really turn out light.  I may have over-mixed or under-mixed it somehow but i followed the recipe which requires, at one stage, to beat on high for 5-10mins and i only mixed it for 5 mins.  Anyway, it's a matter of trial and error.  At least they look cute.

This is the recipe i used for my Madeleines here

Lemon Muffins

I had some lemon left over after i used lemon zest for my madeleines so i decided to cross another item off the list and make lemon muffins!

Yeah, my presentation skills fail. Sorry.  I can never get my muffins to look as big as the ones they sell at bakeries :( 

I read the recipe wrong anyway and put in the lemon juice instead of the lemon rind when i was supposed to leave the lemon juice to mix with sugar and pour over the baked muffin haha.  It was an epic fail 'coz i had just put them in the oven and i saw the lemon rind sitting on the table so i quickly pulled them out of the oven, sprinkled a bit of rind into each and stirred it through slightly LOL.

Anyway, because of the added lemon juice, the muffins didn't turn like they probably should have.  They taste okay though...

Lesson learnt, read the recipe properly.  

Escuse the bad lighting again in both of my photos, Auckland had a downpour of rain yesterday and it scared the sun away.  Yay for winter.

♡ B

Peanut Butter Cookies

Hi

I'm not a big fan of peanuts or peanut butter but i had a whole jar of it in my pantry so i made the peanut butter cookies.  Wow i think i just wrote "peanut" way too many times in that sentence...

I know they look nothing like the Bakery Story ones but i couldn't find a peanut butter cookie recipe that had actual peanuts in it LOL. I did consider adding peanuts in the end but the mixture was already super dry, crumbly and hard to mold into shape so i decided against it.  So these are my very attractive peanut butter cookies...

You should also know that my brother has a slight allergy to peanuts so whenever he eats them, he gets an itchy tongue and barfs it out.  It's not one of those serious allergies coz he can eat some nuts and this with traces of nuts.  I knew he couldn't eat these so i made a small batch and told he not to eat any.

My brother obviously found them irresistible because despite telling him he wouldn't be allowed to eat them, he sneakily went behind my back (literally) and ate one.  He found out the hard way, you should always listen to your big sister :)

p.s. he's fine, he was only upset that he threw up all of his protein shake lol poor boy *pat pat*

♡ B