Easter: Creme and Caramel Egg Cupcakes

Happy Easter Guys, hope you have a lovely weekend!!

Sorry guys for the lack of communication and posts durning the past two weeks, thanks to  lovely eye infection and not feeling up to it!

Hopefully everything will run smoothly from now on considering its meant to be spring time, well saying that its been a snowy/sunny spring so far. 

I first made these two or three years back but over the years i've altered them slightly to become the perfect easter egg cupcake. 

These are so quick and easy because i cheated a wee bit, usually i make everything from scratch but being easter weekend i decided to use Betty Crockers Devils Food Cake mix. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Box of Devils Food cake or 1 batch of Chocolate Cupcakes
• 8-10 mix of Miniature Creme Eggs & Caramel Eggs (Floured)
• 1 batch of Buttercream (1/2 Vanilla & 1/2 Chocolate)
• Homemade Caramel or Condensed Milk Caramel

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c and line your cupcake pan with liners of your choice (i used easter cases.
2. Remove the eggs from the wrappers and toss in flour. This prevents the eggs from sinking to the bottom or floating to the top of the baked cupcake. 
3. Mix together the cake mixture, see the box for instructions.
4. Using an ice cream scoop,pour 1 scoop full of cake mix into each liner. 
5. Pop one egg into the middle of each egg, keeping a note of which egg is in each. 
6. Place the pan into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until baked. Pop a cake tester into the middle of the cupcake wait 20 seconds and pull out if its clean the cupcakes are ready. 
7. Place the cupcakes onto a wired cooling rack and leave to cool completely. 
8. Meanwhile mix up 1 batch of buttercream and split into two separate bowls. In bowl 1 mix in one teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/2 of vanilla bean paste. In bowl 2 mix in slightly cooled melted milk chocolate until combined.  

To Finish:

Creme Egg: Swirl each cupcake with vanilla buttercream, using an off-set spatula swirl out the middle of the buttercream. Colour the left over buttercream yellow, and pipe into the the hole to resemble a egg yolk. 

Caramel Egg: Top each cupcakes with a mountain of creamy chocolate buttercream. Hollow out the middle of the buttercream before spooning into a teaspoon & ahalf of cooled down caramel. 

LoveLx

My Milkshake Bring All Thee..

All a girl needs is...

 Chocolate, peanut butter, bananas and best of all crispy smokey bacon!!

Elvis had good taste when it came to a grilled sandwich, not so good in the fashion department but we will forgive him for that one. 

I have to say the grilled sandwich version of this is amaze balls especially when made with thick sliced brioche. 

Having decided that i fancied a thick creamy milkshake to then realise we never had the ingredients, i had to get creative and this was born. 

Unfortunately i never had any of my vanilla bean ice cream but bananas are a great substituted  to replace ice cream. 

If you happen to have ice cream to hand, replace 2 of the bananas with ice cream.

I don't have any pictures of this glorious masterpiece, but the next time i make it will add in a picture. 

It would make a great accompaniment to a weekend brunch or served as a desert or just as a wee cheeky treat to yourself.

All you need is.. 

Serves 2:

Ingredient:

• 4 bananas, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of good quality Peanut Butter
• 6-8 heaped teaspoons of Hot Chocolate Powder
• 1 cups of Milk or Almond Milk
• 80 grams of Milk Chocolate, melted 
• 1-2 rashers of candied crispy Smokey Bacon, chopped
• Salted Peanuts, chopped. 
• Honey

Method: 

Add the bananas, peanut butter, hot chocolate, milk and melted chocolate into a blender. Blitz until smooth if the milkshake is too thick add in some milk and blitz until you have reached your desired consistency. 

Pour your milkshake into glasses of your choice sprinkle with the bacon & peanuts before drizzling with honey.

Elle Style Awards: Cointreau Cocktail

I've been meaning to re-create this for a while, so you can have experience a wee bit of the style awards yourself.

I have falling in love with this cocktail it has to be the perfect summer drink, so light and refreshing. 

My vessel of choice was my sunflower orange glasses as its like sunshine in a glass and also it brings out the orange in the cointreau. 

This has to be the simplest cocktail, all you need is..

Serves 1: you can multiply this to make as much as you like.

Fresh Raspberries, i used 3 per glass

Fresh Lime

Cointreau, 3 caps full

Soda

Ice

Fill your glass with ice and squeeze over the juice of half a lime. Pour in the cointreau and then top with soda before giving everything a quick stir. To Garnish pop in the raspberries and a wedge of lime. 

LoveLx

Shortcrust Fruit Slice

Better known as a Fly's Cemetery!! 

This is one of my mamma and was my grandfathers favourites. 

It has to be one of the simplest tray bakes i've ever made, consisting of dried vine fruits and shortcrust pastry with a few added ingredients. 

I've been meaning to make this for a while but never quite got round to it until now. My secret to making it taste and smell so good is ground all spice... totally faking christmas.

I went down the easy route of ready rolled but if you can nothing beats home made pastry. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of dried Currants 
• 1 cup of dried Raisins/Sultanas 
• 2 desert spoons of Cornflour
• 1 teaspoon of Ground All Spice 
• 1 cup of Caster Sugar 
• 1 cup of Water 
• 2 packets of Ready Rolled Short Crust Pastry

Method: 

1. In a heavy based saucepan mix together the currant,raisins,cornflour and all spice. Pour in the sugar and water place the pan on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Stir the mix every so often and keeping an eye on the mixture. 
2. Once the currant mixture is thick remove from the heat, spoon into a bowl and leave to cool completely. 
3. Preheat the oven to 180/190c. 
4. When the mixture is completely cooled, line a swiss roll tin with 1 roll of pastry. Spoon the mix on top of the pasty and even out leaving 1/2cm around the sides. 
5. Lay the 2nd roll of pastry over and pinching down on the bottom layer. Remove any excess pastry before pricking with a fork. 
6. Brush over with milk/egg wash before sprinkling with caster sugar. Place the fruit slice into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool before slicing into squares. 

LoveLx

Recipe: Beouf Bourguignon

Beouf Bourguignon has to be one of my all time favourites, its one of those rich and cosy dishes that is perfect for a frosty sunday. 

France has always played a part in my life, and as i've gotten older it has influenced the way i cook.

Last weekend i craved a wee bit of france,and had glorious hunks of beef shortribs to use. I know i know, not your typical bourguignon but i have to say i think the short ribs add more depth and flavour.  

When it comes to buying meat i'm a butchers girl, and you need a good quality bit of meat that likes it slow and low.

This isn't exactly a recipe as such, as i rarely cook from a recipe myself.Cooking is in my blood so i just go with it, having nearly decade of experience under my apron strings. I'm just a throw it in kinda girl and hope for the best but i'm lucky that it usually turn out ok!!

My bourguignon does need a good 4-5 hour if not longer, to prepare and cook. What makes it the perfect sunday lunch alternative to a roast. 

When it came to serving i plated the bourguignon into big shallow bowls with fresh doorstep bread and french butter. 

I made enough to feed 6 people, 2 short ribs to each serving.

When it comes to the Wine my golden rule has to be if you don't drink it, don't cook with it.

I always use fresh cracked black pepper and rock salt, i can't stand  table salt and ground pepper.

Ingredients:

Beef:

• 12 Short Ribs
• 3-4 Carrots, sliced 
• 2 Sticks Celery, sliced 
• 1 Bottle of Bourdeaux or Merlot 
• Pint of Beef Stock (Do Not Use Stock Cubes)
• Few Sprigs Thyme
• 1 Bay Leaf
• Parsley Stems, Leaf to garnish 
• Pancetta Lardons 
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablesppon Tomato Paste 
• 4 Garlic Cloves, Finely chopped

P.S:If you can't get ahold of Short Ribs use the traditional Stewing Beef. 

Braised Shallots: 

I'm sorry this is slow process 

• 12-16 Shallots, peeled and left whole
• Butter
• Red Wine 
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 Bayleaf
• few sprigs of Thyme
• few sprigs of Parsley, Leafs roughly chopped & stems finely.
• splash of Balsamic Vinegar 

Sauteed Mushrooms:

• 1lb Mushrooms, quatered
• knob of Butter
• splash of Olive Oil

Method:

Beef: 

1. Preheat the oven too 200-220c. 
2. In a large casserole on a medium-low heat cook the lardons in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until crispy and the fat is rendered. Once crispy remove using a slotted spoon into a small bowl. 
3. Turn the heat up to a medium-high heat pouring a little more olive oil into the casserole. In small batches brown off the beef on all sides. Remove the beef onto a side plate. 
4. Saute off the carrots and celery in the bacony,riby goodness with a little butter. Once softened remove using a slotted spoon into the bacon. 
5. Drain off the remaining fat from the casserole then place back onto the heat. Add in the bacon, veggies and short ribs back in tossing throughly with salt, pepper and flour.
6. Place the casserole into the oven uncovered for about 5 minutes. Toss throughly again before returning to the oven again for about 5 minutes. 
7. Lower the oven to temperature 180c..
8. Return the casserole to the hob on a medium heat. Pour in half-3/4 of wine and cook off for 5 minutes before adding in the stock. Add in the tomato paste and herbs the bring everything to a simmer. 
9. Put the lid onto the casserole and place in the oven for 4-5 hours. Stirring every so often. 
10. Once the beef is soft/falling apart when forked remove from the oven.

In the last half hour of cooking 

Braised Shallots: 

In a fry pan on medium heat add in the butter, herbs, balsamic vinegar and remaining wine. Toss in the shallots and salt & pepper and leave to cook for 5 minutes tossing everything so often. Once the shallots have soften remove from the heat and toss everything into a bowl. 

Sauteed Mushrooms:

In a saucepan on medium heat the melt butter and olive oil. Add in the mushrooms, once the mushroom have softened remove from the heat. 

To Finish:

Add the braised shallots and sauteed mushrooms into the casserole and toss everything together. Spoon the finished bourguignon into shallow bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve with door step bread. 

LoveLx