Strawberry Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients

4oz Self-Raising Flour

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Butter

2 Eggs

3tsp Strawberry Flavouring

Colouring

Icing

3oz Butter

9oz Icing Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Sprinkles (to top)

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC then whisk butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Into this whisk one egg at a time. Sift in the flour and add the flavouring and colouring and mix it all together. Place into cupcake cases and bake for 20 mins until springy to touch. Take out of oven and let them cool.

Once cool whisk the butter and icing sugar together add flavouring then pipe onto cakes. Decorate with sprinkles of your choice. Or if you are serving them fresh why not top with Strawberries.

Mint Choc Feast

Ingredients

12oz Butter

12oz Caster Sugar

6 Eggs

9oz Self Raising Flour

3oz Cocoa

Icing

18oz Icing Sugar

8oz Butter

Food Colouring

1tbsp Mint Flavouring

200g Dark Chocolate

5tbsp Honey

2tbsp Coffee

2tbsp Vanilla Extract

To Finish

2 packets of  mint matchsticks

A little Grated Chocolate

First pre heat your oven to 180oC. Now mix butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl using an electric whisk. Into this break one egg at a time and whisk. Then mix in the flour and cocoa. Divide the mixture equally into three tins and bake for 30-35 minutes until springy to touch or until you can insert a skewer and it comes out clean. Take the cakes out of the oven and let them cool thoroughly.

Once your cakes are cooled mix up your icing. Firstly your butter icing. Mix the butter, icing sugar, colouring and flavouring. Now spread some of this on the bottom layer of your cake and the middle layer not going over the edges.

Now make your second icing melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Once melted take of the heat and add coffee and vanilla. This will make the mixture seize up but don't worry add the honey and it will loosen up again. Drizzle a little of this over the two sponges you have mint icing on.

Now layer your cakes. I insert one or two matchsticks into the cake to make sure it doesn't move. Pour the remaining chocolate mixture over the top and sides of the cake. Once the chocolate icing has set a little place the matchsticks around the edge of the cake. Place what is left of your butter icing on top of your cake and spread out. Grate a little chocolate over the top and if you have any matchsticks left break these up and place in the centre of the cake.

Et Voila! A mint chocolate feast of your very own!

Cheesecake

This is a Delia Smith recipe and my favourite cheesecake to make.

Ingredients For the Base

175g Sweet Oat Biscuits

50g Butter

50g Chopped Hazelnuts

For the Filling

350g Full Fat Curd Cheese

350g Fromage Frais

3 Eggs

175g Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Topping

700g Strawberries (or fruit of your preference)

2 tbsp of Caster Sugar

Pre heat your oven to 150oC then bash up your biscuits until fine. In a pan melt the butter. Take the butter off the heat and add to the biscuit also add the chopped hazelnuts stir together and then press the mixture down onto the base of your tin. Put it in the fridge to chill slightly whist you make the filling.

In a large bowl mix the curd cheese, fromage frais, eggs, sugar and vanilla with an electric hand whisk. It will go lovely and smooth. Pour this mixture onto the base and put in the oven for 30mins. When the 30mins is up turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven this prevents it from cracking. Once cooled take out of the oven and out of its tin.

Weigh out 225g of your strawberries cover them with caster sugar and let sit for 30 minutes. now place these in a food processor and puree. Arrange the remaining strawberries on the top of the cheesecake and pour the puree over the top. Alternatively if you want bite size portions perfect for a party cut your cheesecake into squares place an individual strawberry on top then pour some puree over.

Mini Victoria Sponges

Ingredients

4oz Self Raising Flour

4oz Caster Sugar

4oz Butter or Margarine

2 Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Icing

5oz Icing Sugar

1tsp  Vanilla Extract

2oz Butter

Strawberry, Raspberry or Blackcurrant Jam

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC. Whisk butter, sugar, and eggs together sift in the flour and whisk add the vanilla extract then place in a greased muffin tin or cupcake liners. Bake for 12-15 mins until golden and springy to touch. Once cooked transfer them onto a cooling rack.

Once cool whisk together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together. Cut your cakes in half and put a little icing in the middle then a blob of jam and put the top back on. Dust with icing sugar to finish.

Enjoy :-)

Hazelnut Chocolates

Ingredients

75g Blanched Hazelnuts

100g Dark Chocolate (72% Cocoa)

100ml Condensed Milk

1-2tbsp Hazelnut Oil

Pinch of Salt

3-4tbsp Hot Water

250g Milk Chocolate (to decorate)

Optional

Add 2-3 tbsp Cointreau or Cognac and decorate with dark chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC, place your hazelnuts on a tray and toast for about 7 minutes until they are pale golden. Remove the nuts from the oven and let them cool slightly. Then place the nuts in a food processor until they become very fine and almost a paste. In a bowl break up your chocolate add condensed milk and hazelnut oil. Place the bowl over a pan of hot water and melt the mixture together. Once melted add to the food processor  with the nuts and mix it all up. Now add a pinch of salt and the hot water until you have a thick paste. (If you are using alcohol add this now and don't worry if your mixture looks thinner it will firm up) Put the mix in a bowl and put in the fridge for 2 hours or over night.

Once chilled roll the mix into small balls about a teaspoon of the mixture should do. Place these on grease proof paper and put back in the fridge to firm up for another hour.

Now melt your chocolate to decorate and dip the chocolates individually. Add a drizzle of a different type of chocolate or edible glitter for a nice finishing touch.  Keep the chocolates chilled until you eat them.