Vanilla Hearts

Ingredients

• 225 grams plain flour
• 150 grams butter, cut into small pieces
• 125 grams caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1.  Sift the flour into a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Stir in the caster sugar and vanilla essence and mix together to form a firm dough.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1 inch.
5. Stamp out hearts with heart shaped cutter. 
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 175C, for 15- 20 minutes.
7. You can dust them with a little caster sugar or decorate it with royal icing.

Chocolate cake 1

As I was browsing.... tumbled into Ria's this Chocolate Cake recipe which had a funny name...:)

So thought of trying it. The cake turned out perfect , very soft and moist...!! And the icing looked quite easy .... but I couldn't spread out the icing properly...:(

Its still worth sharing this recipe...!!!
Thanx Ria ..... my daughter enjoyed it .... she wants me to try in cupcakes....!!

Ingridents:

• 2 tsp coffe powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 150 grams butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• salt to taste

For topping

• 50 grams
• 3 tbsp milk
• 75 grams sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 200 grams icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Mix coffee powder in boiling water. And then add cocoa into it and mix
2. Sieve the flour with baking soda and salt.
3. Beat the butter.
4. Add sugar into it and beat.
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat.
6. Add vinegar and vanilla essence.
7. Add flour alternating with cocoa mixture.
8. Add flour and coffe-cocoa. Mix well
9. Pour in the preapared tin and bake for half and hour.

Method for Icing:

• Mix cocoa and icing sugar in a bowl.
• Melt butter , caster sugar amd milk together till sugar dissolved.
• Once it is melted, bring to boil and pour over the cocoa-icing sugar
• Stir well with a wooden spoon till well mixed and fluffy.
• Stir till the mixture cools down a bit.
• Pour over the cake and level it.

Hope u will enjoy making as I did....!!

Nutella Cupcakes

    Did you know ?? That Feb 5th was considered as  nutella day. This recipe is for ..... nutella lovers  .... nutella cupcake....:)

Ingredients:

• 110 grams flour
• 100 grams butter
• 3 eggs
• 110 grams sugar
• 2 tbsp Nutella
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method: 

1. Put the softened butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in the eggs (lightly beaten eggs).
3. Add the nutella and vanilla essence and beat.
4. Sift the flour and then using a metal spoon , fold then into the mixture.
5. Preheat the oven at 175C/350F.
6. Bake the cupcakes for 10-15 minutes or until well risen and firm to touch.

Happy Nutella Day....!!!!

valentine heart cupcake

These cupcakes are dedicated to all those who believe in Valentine's day.......!!!


This recipe ... it was adapted from my favourite book muffins & bakes. 

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp  butter, softened , or soft margarine
• 85 grams caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 85 grams caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 70 grams plain flour
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder

For topping:

• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 115 grams icing sugar
• 25 grams plain chocolate melted
• Sprinkles flower decorations

Method:

1. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder.
4. Using a metal spoon , fold into the mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture into paper cases.
6. Bake the cupcakes  in a preheated oven, 180C/350F, for 20-25 minutes. or until well risen.

To make the topping:

1. Put the butter in a large bowl and beat until fluffy.
2. Stir in the icing sugar and beat together until smooth.
3. Add the melted chocolate ( here I used hersely's chocolate sauce instead of chocolate ..... was lazy to melt the chocolate) and beat togther until well mixed.
4. When the cakes are cold, pipe the icing on top of the cake.
5. Decorate with the sprinkle....!!

Browinies Cupcakes

Its been a  while.. that I baked brownies.... !!! 

This recipe, brownies in cupcakes.... found it quiet easy ..... don't remember from where but it was written in my recipe collection book...:)

And did my usual bit of changes... like cashew nuts instead of almonds ..... the amount of cocoa I reduced ..... !!!

We enjoyed it.... !!!

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of butter
• 1/2 cup of cocoa ( i used only 3/4 qty of cocoa and rest with flour)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 heaped cup of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cup of chopped cashew nuts

Method :

1. Cut the butter into pieces.
2. Place the butter into large pan. And heat it.
3. Once melt turn off the heat.
4. Add sugar and mix well.
5. Add cocoa when it is warm and let it blend.
6. Let it cool.
7. Beat the eggs lightly and add into it.
8. Add vanilla essence.
9. Mix in flour and cashew nuts.
10. Preheat the oven to 175C.
11. Pour into cupcakes liners.
12. Bake for 20 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted comes out clean the it is done.
13. Remove the cupcakes brownies and cool.

I hope you enjoy them as I did.....:)

Nutella Rolls

We just love the taste of nutella....!!!!  
Be it with ... Crepe or just spread it on bread or Biscuits or .....


I started with the dough for cookies and then my mind started swinging so ...... felt like having a twist than just have plain cookies... and the target was nutella.....:)  Jam Rolls. ....ooops sorry Nutella Rolls..!!!


Ingredients:

• 1 egg 
• 100 grams butter
• 1  heaped cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 sugar
• Nutella to spread

Method:

1. Mix butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Mix the egg and the vanilla essence. The mixture should combine all of them.
3. Mix the flour. 
4. Preheat the oven at 175C/350F.
5. Refrigerate the mix for 10 minutes.
6. Roll the dough into a rectangle of 1/4 inch thick.
7. Spread the nutella making sure u leave a little at the sides.
8. Roll the dough.
9. Cut into slices
10. Lay them on a lined baking sheet.
11. Bake them for 15 minutes.

Hope   u will enjoy them.....!!!

Oreos

Sometimes wonder why... ?? Take trouble in making these cookies  when u can easily get from outside.... the answer is definitely " when u enjoy baking ... u end up trying anything...."


I found this blog cookies and cups  ..... and enjoyed browsing it. I liked this recipe since it was quite easy and looked yummy..... so here goes the recipe... n as usual changed a bit..!!!


Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa ( Here I used 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup since I wanted to reduce the amount of cocoa)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100 grams butter
• 1 cup  sugar( 1 1/2 cup sugar )
• 1 large egg

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients until all combined.
2. Now add the egg and butter.
3. Mix it until it comes out as a dough.
4. Preheat the oven 175C/350F.
5. Make small balls  and flatten it. Place it on the baking sheet slightly apart from each other .
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Cool it before filling.

For Filling:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp water

Cream butter and shortening at high speed. Then add icing sugar , vanilla essence and water. Beat it again on high speed for another 5 minutes. Now put the filling the in between two cookies and sandwich them .

And the end result is.........

I hope u enjoy them..... and I  packed them for my daughtie's school trip..... ...!!!!