Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes, and a dash of Courvoisier

If you want something unbelievably gorgeous, try this quick and easy recipe!

I used Courvoisier, but any brandy, rum or other liqueur will work.
You could add Cointreau for an orange-chocolate combination, or Tia Maria for the chocolate-coffee combination.


Ingredients: chocolate gnash
200 grams of dark chocolate (I use Asda dark chocolate 85p)
375 mls of double cream
4-6 shots of your favourite alcohol.
2 punnets of fresh raspberries

Ingredients: chocolate cupcakes
1 packet of Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake Mix
2 or 3 eggs
some oil
some water

Directions:
1. Make the cupcakes according to directions on packet. Let cool down.
1. Put a little water in a saucepan and then place a glass bowl on top.
2. Put the cream in the bowl and add the chocolate broken into small pieces.
3. Gently whisk until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is dark, thick and glossy. Then stir in the liqueur and take off the heat.
4. Let it cool a little and then put in fridge to cool right down and go thick. Give it a stir every little while so it cools evenly.
5. When it is thick like cream and keeps its shape you can put it on the cupcakes. If you put it on to early it will run off.
6. Top with fresh raspberries and eat straight away!! They don't keep presentation overnight as the raspberries let their juices out and it goes all mushy, but still tastes great. 


Tips:

• Kids and breast-feeding friendly: Leave alcohol out! Mix a shot of alcohol into each individual portions instead for the drinkers.
• The  more alcohol you add, the longer you need to leave it in the fridge.

Absolutely delicious. Even better for those of us who are strapped for time or finding ourselves having to cook with one hand (while holding bub in the other). I am sure you can do everything with one arm! You will definitely impress with this recipe!

sticky date... egg and dairy free!

Sticky date is an Aussie favourite, and a JAMOSIE favourite in our home. These are egg and dairy free, and sugar reduced. They can be sugar-free as dates are naturally high in sugars and make the cupcakes sweet enough. You can make them gluten free as well by using a gluten-free self-raising flour.

Sticky-date cupcakes (makes 12)

1 cup of water

200 gm seedless dates

1 tsp bi-carbonate soda

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup brown sugar (leave out for sugar free)

1  1/4 cup self-raising flour (change for gluten free or whole meal to make more healthy)

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbs vanilla essence

Directions

1. Heat water in sauce pan and add dates. Once boiling take off cooker and let sit. Dates will become very soft and mushy.

2. Add bi-carb soda to dates. It will go frothy and bubbly, just mix in and it will thicken.

3. In separate bowl, add all other ingredients except flour. mix together. Oil won't mix in and will sit on top. Don't worry. This is normal.

4. Add dates to mixture and mix in.

5. Add flour and mix together. Should become nice and thick and glossy. When you pull your spoon out the mixture should stay on the spoon, not run off.

6. 3/4 fill cupcake cases and bake in oven 180 degrees Celsius for 12-15 mins. Check middle with skewer or fork.

Nutmeg

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my babies, Quarrian born 28th of May 2007 and Aralia Rose born 27th of May 2009. This is the first of many birthdays they will have together. My two litte jamosie rugrats. We all love you. xox 

Maple Pecan Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

This is my favourite cupcake...and it must be this egg and dairy free recipe. If you are not keen on 'vegan' cupcakes, never fear.... this one is delicious. Full of flavour, no eggy taste, not at all dry.  Excellent egg free recipe. 

   

Cupcakes

1/2 cup soy milk (or any substitute)

1/2 tsp vinegar 

1 1/3 cups self raising flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

2 Tbs brown sugar

candied pecans (to cut down on sugar, just add normal pecans)

Maple Frosting

3 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

1-2 tbs vegetable margarine 

2 cups icing sugar 

To candy the pecans 

1. Chop a cup of pecan nuts and lay them on grease proof paper.

2. Take 1/3 cup white sugar and put in in a heavy based pan. Add 3 Tbs of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Melt the sugar down and once the crystals have dissolved, let it boil for about 3 mins exactly. Watch it like a hawk because there is just a few seconds between it caramelising and burning and burnt sugar is like burnt rice. NOT good.

3. Pour evenly over the pecans and set aside to cool and set.

Make the cupcakes

4. In a bowl, add soy milk, vinegar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, oil, maple syrup, brown sugar and mix together. 5. Add the flour and mix until there are no lumps. Then break up the candy pecans with the end of a rolling pin until they are in small pieces. Add them to the mixture.

6. Spoon mixture into cupcake cases about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven on about 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 mins. Test middle with a skewer before taking out.

Frosting

7. Beat all the ingredients for the icing together until thick and creamy. If too runny, add more icing sugar, If too thick, add a little water.

8. When cupcakes are cool, ice with maple vanilla icing. decorate with pecans, sprinkles, whatever you like. Or for a healthy take, just leave the icing off. Great for snacks and lunches.

Iron cupcake: London Baby!!

This is me and Marcus and Melissa (mscupcake.co.uk) at the London Iron Cupcake Challenge. I met Melissa at the Greenwich markets, she makes all her cupcakes without eggs and dairy. They are so delicious, I don't know how she does it! And they all look so cute!

You can read the Official write-up about the iron cupcake on Sam's blog 'the caked crusader'.  The iron cupcake competition is such a cool idea. The night was so much fun. So many yummy cupcakes and so many cool people!