Most wonderful cupcake of the year

The end (of the year) is nigh and I was going to do a round up of my favourite cupcakes I've bake this year but I don't have time as I have a birds nest of over-dyed hair to sort out and make up to slap on so instead have decided to post about my favourite cupcakes I've bought this year. It was a close run thing - I LOVED quite a few cupcakes.

First up the runners up.

Best international cupcake goes to, Cupcake Berlin.

Truly DELICIOUS cupcakes with the nicest peanut butter frosting I've ever tasted. Also a lovely little cafe full of lovely treats, including tonnes of vegan friendly goodies.

Next. Best UK cupcake out of London goes to Swallow Bakery.

GREAT cakes, shame about the service. I plan to go back in 2011 and check it out again.

Runner up in the London cupcake of the year goes to Love Bakery.

Not only have I never had a bad cupcake from them, they released my favourite cupcake book ever, Love Bakery: Cupcakes from the Heart, this year. I've baked loads from it since I received it, and I hope to bake loads more next year. It is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it to all my readers.

An honourable mention must go to Ms Cupcake and her vegan cakes that still confound me. How can you make a cake taste soooooo good without butter? I just don't know. But Ms Cupcake and her team of vegan bakers know the secrets and they should be applauded. Also Mellissa is one of the loveliest people you could meet on the cupcake scene.

Her vegan bounty cupcake was one of the highlights of Cupcake Camp for me! Absolutely delicious and more chocolaty than some ultra expensive vile cupcakes that pertain to be loaded with Valrhona. (If I was doing worst cupcake of the year btw Cox, Cookies and Cake would be the winner - this place doesn't deserve to exist, and I feel probably wouldn't it if it wasn't fronted by two 'celebs').

The fabulous bounty cupcake however leads me on nicely to my favourite cupcake event of the year. There can only be one winner. Cupcake Camp, organised by the amazing Daisy. I am already thinking of cakes to bake at next year's event! It was an awesome day out and really showed how many great bakers there are out there.

And now, for the winner of my best cupcake/best bakery of 2010.

For me there could only be one winner. I've only had their cakes twice but the first time was enough to convince me that they were fabulous. And the winner is, *drum roll*, Kooky Bakes.

I first tried Scott's baking in July and was so overwhelmed by the selection I barely ate a cupcake! When faced with the Snickers Slice my brain just went into a peanut butter zombie trance and could think of nothing else. Hmmm peanuts. The SS incidentally probably wins my non-cupcake baked good of the year. How could it not - look at it, behold its beauty! My first visit wasn't cupcake free however and I did try a delicious black forest gateau cupcake.

We visited Upmarket the weekend before Christmas to pick up a box of cupcakes from Kooky to ensure we ended the year on a cupcake high, and we were not disappointed.

Although there was a slight, Anne based, disaster getting the cupcakes home in one piece (I blame it being so cold I had to keep swinging my arms to keep warm - poor Scott was dressed up like he was Scott of the Antarctic when we visited the stall!), the cakes slight squishedness in no way detracted from the AMAZING flavour of each and every cake.

Each cake was moist and incredibly flavoursome, each frosting a bite of heaven, as they were so light. Manny was awestruck by the Chocotecture cupcake - dark chocolate sponge injected with a white chocolate ganache,  topped with a ring of white chocolate and a ring of milk chocolate mouse buttercreme. After scoffing many chocolate cupcakes I finally think Manny has found his favourite. Every cake we had was delicious. I had a raspberry and white chocolate and a red velvet. I think I have finally found the best red velvet ever. Utterly amazing.

My plan for next year is to go to Kooky Bakes and get some cakes home in one piece so I can finally show you all how beautiful they look pre me getting my ham-fisted hands on them!

Finally, I wanted to wish all the people who follow my blog and leave such nice comments, and send me such lovely messages of support, a incredibly Happy New Year. I hope you all have a wonderful cupcake-filled 2011.

goodbye two thousand ten.

what a year, what a year.  i turned 23 {and got the best gift ever...a snuggie}, went on a fabulous vacation to oregon/washington with my isaac, celebrated 1 whole year of marriage bliss, graduated from nursing school and got my dream job as a pediatric nurse, and had a whole lot of fabulous food and laughs during the holiday season.  don't get me wrong, we've had our ups and downs...but i am truly happy.

i love this little blog --- thank you for reading it!  

happy new year!

see my 2009 recap here.

Cranberry Banana Nut Cookies

Having received the two jars of honey I won in the Raw Honey Contest on Foodie Blogroll in October, I tried out these healthy holiday cookies. They turned out great - lightly sweet, soft but crunchy with the oats and nuts. Happy New Year!
This goes to Aipi's Veggie/Fruit a month - Bananas event ideated by Priya.

Ingredients:

wheat flour - 2 cups
baking powder - 1 tsp
baking soda - 1/2 tsp
oats - 1/2 cup
honey - 1/2 cup
banana - 1 large, ripe
canola oil - 2/3 cup
yogurt - 1/2 cup
dried cranberries - 1 cup
pecans - 3/4 cup (broken)
walnuts - 1/4 cup (broken)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (Fahrenheit). Sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, blend honey, banana, yogurt and canola oil together with a hand blender. Then, add the flour mixture, slowly stirring it in. Fold in the oats, cranberries, pecans and walnuts. Place tablespoonfuls of the mixture on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown.

snow day.

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it is a snowy mess here in the grand old state of utah.  a big blizzardy mess - at least it was last night...i haven't looked outside yet to see if it's still snowing.  i don't want to look because if it is still snowing it probably means my lunch at cafe zupas with some of my favorite friends will be canceled due to terrible driving conditions.  poop poop poop.  

i can't believe it's already december 30th!  i better make some new years plans real quick.  actually, i have made one plan and of course it involves eating delicious food.  i've been dying to head back to brunch at market street grill and i've already told husband it is a must on new years day.  i'm so excited.  as for new year's eve...i'm not quite sure.  anyone know anything fabulous going on in salt lake city?!  ha.  probably not, i'll have to get creative.

happy snow day my friends.

Holiday Meal Planning

Number of things could think about when preparing your Holiday Meal. Keeping your Holiday guests safe from food poisoning isn't something that generally crosses peoples minds just because they are not aware of some of the things they are doing that may cause food poisoning right in their own kitchen. The most essential thing to remember is to wash hands properly before and after touching any food item.

Planning & Shopping for Meal:

Keep foods safe is something to think about even in the planning stages. How many things will you be preparing at the same time and do you have enough space to keep it chilled before and during your arrangements?Before going to shopping for all of the things that will need for your Holiday meal make sure that your refrigerator and freezer have been cleaned out and organized so that nothing that should be chilled or frozen sits out at room temperature while you try to make room for it.

Organize your list by dry goods, frozen goods and refrigerated goods.

Shop dry goods first, then frozen, then refrigerated to keep food at the right temperature for the long amount of time possible.

If you will be making several stops when you go grocery shopping, make sure that the grocery store is your last stop on the way home. Leaving food that should be chilled in the car while you make another stop increases the risk of having it enter the temperature danger zone where bacteria can begin to grow.

When you back home with your groceries, put away your refrigerated items, then frozen items, then dry goods.

Thawing and Storing Meats:

A big mistake that most people make while preparing food at home is leaving their meats out in room temperature to thaw. Doing this could greatly increase the time for bacteria to grow because the outside will thaw first and rise into the temperature danger zone while the inside is still frozen. There are only two safe ways to thaw meats. You can simply let the meat thaw in the refrigerator or you can “force thaw” under cold running water. To force thaw, place your meat in a bowl or pan under a constant stream of cold running water, not hot water. Using hot water will have a more dangerous effect than leaving your meat out in room temperature to thaw. Using cold water will keep the temperature down and the flow of the constantly running water will help the meat to thaw faster.

It is important to keep in mind that not thaws different kinds of meats next to each other. This may cause cross-contamination. Keep your ready to eat foods away from raw meats at all times. Never use the same knife, cutting board or preparation area for both raw meat and any other type of food with out carefully cleaning them first.

Keep Hot Food Hot and Cold Food Cold:

You will most likely be preparing several dishes that should be served hot for your Holiday Meal. Try to plan a way to keep them hot at all times before serving, possibly by using a warming plate or warm oven. If you prepare a hot item before the big meal and intend to simply reheat it, make sure that it chills thoroughly within 4 hours. An easy and effectual way to do this is by placing it in an ice bath. Use a container larger than the one that is holding the item and fill the bottom with ice. Place the hot item onto the ice and put ice all the way around the sides. Once the item has cooled, instantly place it in the refrigerator. When reheating, ensure that the entire dish reaches at least 165 degrees in the center by using a meat thermometer.

You will also desire to make sure that your poultry and pork reach at least 165 degrees and your seafood reaches 140 degrees.

After Meals:

When leftovers are involved, the risk of food borne illness does not end after the original meal. When everyone has finished eating, make sure to get all leftovers that are at risk of spoiling put into the refrigerator right away.

Palakayalu ~ Fried Crispy Rice Balls

Ingredients :

Rice Flour : 1 cup
Water : 1 cup
Sesame Seeds : 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds : 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp
A pinch of hing
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


Method :

1. Bring water to a boil. Add a table spoon of oil, sesame seeds, cumin seeds salt, hing and rice flour and mix very well. Turn off the heat and set aside for 4 hours.


2. Divide the dough into peanut size balls and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a wide vessel for deep frying. Deep fry the dough balls in hot oil until they are golden brown in color.
4. Remove from the oil and allow it to cool. Store in a airtight container and serve as a snack.

You can also check other snack recipes here

new shoes!

1. gap city flat in ballet pink

2. mossimo supply co. kachiri leather americana boots in taupe

3. toms' classic glitter slip-on in nude

my shoe collection got a serious boost this christmas and i couldn't be happier.  i am especially excited i finally got my christmas toms!  i still really really want these booties...possibly for my birthday?  it is only in 9 days...

Keera Dosakaya Bajji ~ Cucumber Fritters

Ingredients :

Cucumber / Keera Dosakaya : 1 big sized
Besan / Gram Flour : 1 cup
Rice Flour : 1/4 cup
Red Chilli Powder : 1 to 2 tsp
A pinch of cooking soda
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method :

Wash and chop the cucumber into thin slices and set aside. Mix the gram flour, salt, red chilli powder and cooking soda in a bowl. Add enough water to make a batter medium consistency and set aside. Heat oil for deep frying. Dip each cucumber slice in the batter and deep fry them till golden color on both sides evenly. Remove the bajjis and serve with tomato ketchup.

Variations : You can also check other bajji recipes here.

Other Names : Keeradosa Bajjilu, Cucumber Bajji, Vellerikka Bhajji, Vellarikai Fritters.

our christmas photo 2010.

 i think this may be my last post about christmas.  sad huh.  i hate it when all the fun ends.  i don't even remember what i used to think/blog about before the holiday season began.  i guess i should start doing my new years resolutions.  i have some goals in mind that i'm very determined to complete.  like...exercising 3-4 times a week.  i have been sooo lazy lately and have been eating tons and tons of christmas treats...not a good combination.

have you started your new years resolutions?

p.s. i posted my recipe for homemade buttermilk syrup over on just cook already - you must go get the recipe, make it, and then tell me what you think...okay thanks!

Merry Kirschmas

My friend Gemma's birthday is on Boxing Day and we always meet up on Christmas Eve for a few drinks to celebrate as none of us are in a fit state on Boxing Day.

This year she asked for some Black Forest Gateau cupcakes and who was I to refuse.

Firstly I soaked some tinned cherries overnight in lashings of Kirsch. I used Mary Berry's Devils Food Cake recipe for the cupcakes as it's very easy to make and results in a moist, dark, flavoursome cupcake.  When the cupcakes were cooled I used my apple corer to make a little well, and stuffed the cupcakes with the boozy cherries, and drizzled a rather generous amount of kirsch over the top of the cupcakes. This meant the cakes were very moist, but thankfully they remained very tasty - I had worried the Kirsch was so strong it would overpower the cakes.

I had thought of topping the cupcakes with some chocolate frosting, and then some whipped cream, but after enquiring on Twitter I was encouraged to cover in only whipped cream which is more traditional. I had thought of adding more kirsch to the cream when whipping but I thought the cakes were boozy enough. I did however add some vanilla bean paste to the cream - mainly because I can't resist adding vanilla to most things! I piped the cream onto the cooled, stuffed cupcakes then used my cheese slicer to get create some chocolate shavings from a bar of Green and Blacks Dark 70% chocolate which I then tumbled all over the cream. I was going to top the cake with a fresh cherry but couldn't find any so settled on a bit Green and Blacks Cherry chocolate. As Gemma is a fan of anything black (she even buys black loo roll) I sprinkled some black glitter over the cakes as well, which although you can't really see here, looked fabulous.

I tried one after they were 'frosted' and they were very boozy. I honestly felt rather tipsy after just one. Perfect! The alcohol soaked in overnight as the cupcakes were stored in the fridge and the harshness of the Kirsch disappeared leaving behind a lovely moist, ultra booze soaked cupcake.

Gemma loved the cupcakes and as soon as we arrived she scoffed one while taking them upstairs to the fridge, and she emailed me to say they scoffed the rest for Christmas morning breakfast.

I'd definitely make these again, maybe next time I'd do it when cherries are in season as I wasn't too keen on the tinned cherries.

I had some whipped cream left at the end of piping so I made Manny an extra special cupcake just for him! 

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and Santa was good to y'all. I got lots of lovely gifts, and shall post about them as soon as I get some pics! 

I had planned to post this on Christmas day but alas we a bit too much fun on Christmas Eve (damn you Jager Bombs) and I could barely type never mind start blogging! 

The simplest green tea cupcakes

Oh why is baking so messy? I feel like my whole life is covered in a layer of icing sugar and green tea powder

That's about a tenth of it. Now, I'm not averse to getting a little down and dirty when cooking, I just really don't like cleaning up. But these little sweet, healthy little balls of goodness are worth the effort. I scoured the internet for the simplest recipe for green tea cake I could find, then simplified it some more, and this is what I came up with...

I know, I know, they're not those perfect cupcakes you see on market stalls - I still don't have the proper baking tray or those hard cups that make them bake without bending. But they taste good and that is the main thing, right?

Green tea cupcakes

4 Eggs
7 tblsp caster sugar
60 g self raising flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tblsp green tea powder

Whisk the sugar and eggs together, then add dry ingredients and keep whisking until you get a smooth paste. Bake for 20-25min at 180 degrees C

Icing

400g cream cheese
8 tblsp icing sugar
2 tblsp green tea powder

Blend the above ingredients in a blender and spread over the cakes once cool. By the way, I got the green tea powder from the Japan Centre, in Piccadilly Circus. I believe that you can order it online too

God, I love Japanese packaging. So, it's nearly January. In Poland (as in many other Catholic countries) that means Carnival time. In the UK, it usually means a pretty dreary month. But this year I'm actually quite looking forward to it, because I plan to switch off from everything and everyone, and just completely focus on yours truly! That may sound hugely selfish, but if there's one thing I have learnt from therapy, it's that being a little bit selfish can be a positive thing. Obviously, if you happen to be a narcissist, then that's really bad advice, but on the whole, I believe the world would be a happier place if people focussed inwards on themselves a little bit more, rather than trying to fix others or have all their needs met by them. That can only lead to disappointment. So here's to a lovely, selfish New Year!

Nuvvundalu ~ Sesame Seeds laddu

Ingredients :

White Sesame Seeds : 1 cup
Powdered jaggery : 3/4 cup
Cardamom Powder : 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Ghee : 1 tsp


Method :

Dry roast the sesame seeds till it becomes light golden color and let it cool completely. Mix the jaggery and water in a heavy bottomed vessel. The amount of water should be just enough to soak the jaggery and make a syrup of hard ball consistency. Now add the roasted sesame seeds, cardamom powder and ghee and mix well. Set aside for few minutes and shape into small round balls. Store in a airtight container.

Other Names : Nuvvu Vundalu, Nuvvula Laddu, Til Ke Laddu, Tilgul Ladoo, Noopappu Undalu.

You can also check other sweet recipes here.

scenes from a magical christmas.

christmas was truly lovely this year.  i survived my night shifts on christmas eve and christmas and had a fabulous few days {and exhausting - due to a lack of sleep} with my isaac and family.  we made a delicious christmas eve brunch complete with homemade buttermilk syrup, munched on candy cane cookies and peppermint cheesecake, gave and received many thoughtful gifts, feasted on christmas ham, and enjoyed our time with our loved ones.