Escargot (French Spiral Pastries with Cinnamon and Rasins)

1 1/2 cups whole milk, heavy cream, or a mix 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon & brown sugar to taste

1/4 - 1/2 a cup of raisins

Brioche pastry (because I am lazy)

1. Warm the Milk: Warm the milk in the saucepan until you start to see wisps of steam. It should not actually be boiling.

2. Make the Egg-Sugar Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg yolks and whisk them into the dry ingredients. This will form a thick paste. It's fine if the paste looks crumbly or smooth; the important thing is that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3. Add the Milk to the Egg Mixture: Pour a little of the hot milk into the eggs and whisk to combine. Continue pouring the milk slowly into the eggs, whisking continuously. It's ok to switch back and forth between pouring milk and whisking if you can't manage both at the same time.

When all the milk has been added to the eggs, pour everything back into the saucepan. Set a strainer over a bowl and place this near the stove.

4. Heat the Pastry Cream: Set the pan back over medium heat. Whisk

constantly. At first, the pastry cream will look very thin and frothy, but it will start to thicken after a few minutes. When it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency, pause whisking every few seconds to see if the cream has come to a boil. If you see large bubbles popping on the surface, whisk for a few more seconds and then remove the pan from heat.

5. Prepare the Dough & Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven based on the directions for the dough. Spread the dough out so it is a long rectangle. Sprinkle it with cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins and add the pastry cream.

6. Roll: Roll your dough up and then slice it. I sliced about two inches apart. Place your little escargots on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven until they are golden.

7. Enjoy! If you want to be very proper, you can glaze them as well! 

:)

Oreo Cupcakes

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

Dry ingredients

• 1 1/3 of a cup of cocoa powder
• 2 ½ cups of flour
• 2 1/4 cups of white sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 ¼ of a teaspoon of salt

Wet ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 of a  cup of  warm water
• 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups  of milk
• 2/3 of a cup of coffee
• 2/3 of a cup of vegetable oil

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Grease your muffin tins
3. In two separate bowls, mix your dry ingredients in one and the wet ingredients in another
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix them with a hand mixer (or do it old school and get your wooden spoon out)
5. Pour the batter in your muffin cups (about half to 3/4 of the way full.. mine rosse like crazy)
6. Bake for about 15 minutes (stab them with a knife and make sure it comes out smooth just to be sure) and them cool before icing

For the Oreo Icing

Please note I suck at measuring things and I always encourage you to taste as you go. I made wayyyy too much icing but, this is APPROXIMATELY how much of what I used:

• 100 grams of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons of softened butter
• 3/4- 1 cup of ground oreos (plus full oreos left aside for garnish)
• 3 tablespoons of icing sugar 

Once you have iced your cupcakes, garnish them with an oreo cut in half! Ohm nom. 

Double Chocolate Cookies

1 cup of flour

1/2 a cup of cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

1/2 a cup of softened butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of baking chocolate (melted)

1/4 a cup of dark chocolate (coarsely chopped)

1/4 of a cup of white chocolate (coarsely chopped)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius & line your cookie tray with paper.
2. Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and mix well before adding beaten eggs. Slowly add in the melted chocolate.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
4. Combine the separate mixtures and then add the chopped chocolate.
5. Drop the cookies on the sheet (about 2 tablespoons of dough each and 3 inches apart).
6. Bake them for about 15 minutes.
7. Brag to all of your friends that your cookies taste better than the ones at Starbucks. 

Mini Doughnuts

400g white flour without yeast

150ml milk

20g fresh yeast

40g sugar

50 unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

1. Dissolve the fresh yeast and sugar in warm milk.
2. Place the flour in a large bowl only around the edges so the middle is hollow.
3. Stir in the yeast, add slightly beaten eggs, softened butter (cut into cubes), lemon zest and vanilla extract to the centre of the bowl and slowly mix in the flour and knead 1-2 minutes.
4. Add a pinch of salt and knead the dough. You want to keep it a little wet but slightly firm. 
5. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise (in a warm place) for 2 hours or until almost double or triple the size.
6. Roll out the dough with the help of a roller on a slightly floured surface until the dough is about 1 cm thick before using a cookie cutter to make circles (about 6 cm diameter) and then a much smaller circle in the middle.
7. Place the doughnuts on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and cover with a cloth and let them grow in a warm place until double the volume.
8. If you want to bake the donuts in the oven, after doubling the volume, place the pan in the oven preheated to 170 º C.
9. If you want to fry them, heat some oil and fry them before letting them cool on paper towel.
10. And then, I sprinkled mine with icing sugar :)

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

Nom :)

3/4 of a cup of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

3 eggs

1 & 1/2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

3 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

1 teaspoon of baking soda

3 apples

2 tablespoons of oatmeal

2 tablespoons of apple sauce

1. Grease the baking tin and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Peel and grate the apples.
3. Mix the softened butter & sugar before slowly adding the beaten eggs, apple sauce, vanilla and apple sauce.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and oatmeal together and slowly add the dry mix to the wet mix. 
5. Pour the batter into your baking tin and top it with sliced apples and oatmeal.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes! 

Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes with Chocolate Fudge Icing

A heavenly recipe from Spinach Tiger

Ingredients

• 3⅓ cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cups Hershey’s dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
• ⅔ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1⅓ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces butter (3 sticks)
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 eggs
• FROSTING INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup dark chocolate cocoa
• ½ cup regular unsweetened cocoa
• 5 cups confectioner’s sugar 5
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces butter (2 sticks)
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese

Instructions

1. Sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt into a bowl.
2. Put flour mixture all the rest of the ingredients in mixer and mix for 3 minutes.
3. Pour into cupcake pans or three cake pans.
4. Bake at 350. Cupcakes take between 15-20 minutes. Mini bundt cakes take 20-25 minutes. One large cake takes between 50-55 minutes. Layer cakes take anywhere from 35-50 minutes.
5. FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS
6. Mix together butter and cream cheese. Add salt and confectioner’s sugar and mix well. Pour in heavy cream which will begin to thin the frosting. Once the frosting is at the consistency you like, add in vanilla and mix until done. You can make the frosting a day ahead, cover with plastic and once ready to frost cakes, take out for 30 minutes.
7. NOTE: This makes ample frosting, but I always double this recipe because I like to use a lot of frosting.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

For the cake:

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon(outer yellow skin)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

For the Icing:

¾ of a cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 cup of freeze dried strawberries

1 ½ tablespoons of heavy cream

2 cups of icing sugar

Fresh strawberries for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius 
2. Combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in separate bowls before slowly combining them
3. Pour your batter into muffin cups 3/4 of the way up
4. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked on the inside
5. Leave the muffins to cool and whisk together the icing after blending the strawberries
6. Garnish them with fresh strawberries and eat!

Chocolate Loaf Drizzled with Jam

• 1 cup of butter softened
• 1 and 2/3 of a cup of dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 100 grams of baking chocolate melted
• 1 and 1/3 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of boiling water
• 3 tablespoons of marmelade 
• 1 tablespoon of water

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius 
2. Combine the eggs, butter, sugar, melted chocolate and vanilla
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda & salt and slowly add the two mixtures with the boiling water
4. Pour the batter into greased baking pans and bake for about 30 minutes
5. In a bowl with the tablespoon of hot water, mix in the marmelade and drizzle it over the cake

Peppermint Chocolate Brownie Cookies

A heavenly mix between a cookie and a brownie :)

• 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of peppermint flavouring
• 14 tablespoons of butter
• 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 a cup of cocoa powder
• 1 cup of milk chocolate (chopped)
• 1/2 a cup of dark chocolate chopped
• 1 & 3/4 cups of flour

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Combine the eggs, softened butter, sugar vanilla and peppermint in a bowl and mix well
3. Chop the chocolate and mix it in
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, baking soda and flour
5. Slowly mix the two bowls together
6. On a baking sheet, place a large spoons of dough an inch apart
7. Bake for about 10 minutes

 

Fluffy Vanilla Strawberry Cake

• 
  
  
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened 
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  The Icing & Garnish:
  • 8 ounces of cream cheese
  • 1 stick of butter (really healthy, I know)
  • 3 cups of icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 a cup of shredded coconut
  • Fresh Strawberries sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. Combine the sugar, butter, lemon, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk in one bowl
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients for the cake and slowly mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
4. Pour the mix into two greased baking tins and bake for about 20 minutes. To test if the cake is done stick a knife in it until it comes out clean. 
5. Mix together the icing and slice the strawberries. Line the inside of the cake with strawberries and icing and garnish the top of the cake with icing and strawberry slices

(A song from Brian from Carmen ;])