Geek Chic
Baking from last year but just starting to think about what I should be making this year…
Cupcakes and Christmas cakes are always a winner in our house.
These sugar craft glasses were fun to make (and I found a new use for a parsnip) but I don’t think I will rush to make them again this year:
Glasses made out of sugar
A while ago I attended a Cake Pops class at 3DCakes and here are the results:
Cake Pops
I haven’t made them since the course but I think it is because I associate them with making good use of leftover sponge. I really should give them another go as they are a tasty treat and great because they are small (less guilt)! Watch this space… 🙂
My friend Sheryl recently married and as part of the wedding reception, asked if I would bake her Groom’s favourite sweet – Empire Biscuits. Obviously there had to be a romantic twist!
Empire biscuits with a romantic twist
I was asked to bake a cake for my niece which she could eat on her first birthday! I had never heard of such a thing but took on the challenge and discovered that there are web pages dedicated to the topic! I opted for the Banana and Blueberry cake from www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com with a cream cheese, apple and vanilla icing.
Healthy baby cake
Verdict: My niece loved the cake and grabbed it lovingly with her hands. However for the adults at the party it was just too healthy. I personally feel that if I am going to have a piece of cake then I want it to be sweet and indulgent and I quite like having that guilty feeling afterwards!
This is going to be a life-saver when testing my cookbooks
If, like me, you have become Macaron obsessive then check out the following printable PDF templates supplied by Pure Gourmandise.
Lime Macarons with Sprinkles
Mini (25 mm)
Small (35 mm)
Medium (50 mm)
Large (80 mm)
I have been adding a number of recipes to my ever increasing ‘must bake wish list’ from the book Delia’s Cakes (which I received for my birthday from my Aunt and Uncle – thank you 🙂 ). The following jumped to the top of my wish list and I baked them last weekend:
Banana and Fudge Cupcakes
I took my trusted Banana loaf recipe (sorry cannot share but try this) and created cupcakes which I then iced with Delia’s fudge icing and finished by topping with dark and white chocolate love hearts. A super tasty icing that I will definitely be using again!
Banana and Fudge Cupcakes topped with chocolate hearts
I also used it to ice my mini loaf cakes and topped with chocolate shavings:
Banana and Fudge Loaves
Please note that it is best to place the cupcakes/loaves straight into the fridge once decorated so it gives the icing a chance to set.
