The Ghostcupsters

BOO.

♬ 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks' by Plan B

I wouldn't say tonight's music choice was the scariest of albums, but it's got me through another grey and gloomy week in London. Another revelation is that my cake bars lasted one week then I get an email demanding more cupcakes. I'm a cupcake girl through and through and there's no denying it, my cakes look fun and taste damn good. 

What we have here is MARSHMALLOW frosting. I know. Flipping great and how ghastly do the ghosts look?! I've called them Ghostbuster cakes gathering that they do resemble the Michelin man in the classic film Ghostbusters. Why is this film not showing on prime time TV this weekend? All the hype over films which make me want to faint over the sight of blood or double lock the doors at night are incredibly fear inducing to the point of wanting to cry. I don't want to cry over Halloween! I prefer to do that watching Pearl Harbour with a box of Maltesers on Valentine's day.

I was going to make a small clip but unfortunately by the time I whipped the marshmallow by hand; I collapsed on the sofa and had less than a hour to deliver to the lucky location. Please use an electric whisk and don't try and be a clumsy heroine like myself and stress out your hands! Hence why there is a lack of a long winded post tonight, two sessions of boxing and whisking egg whites until they turn into marshmallow has finished me off for the weekend. Thanks to Martha Stewart and her recipe for the frosting which worked brilliantly, even though I halved it and still got the same fantastic result.

Mint chocolate chip sponge with marshmallow frosting and a Mita twist which make these cupcakes frightfully delicious treats.

ALSO after I decorated them a touch of glow in the dark paint was sneakily put on the cases. Don't worry the cakes were not harmed or even touched, the paint was non toxic and very friendly. 

Favourite Song:

ê 'Hard Times'

What do you think?

Banoffee Cake Bars

♬ 'Annie Mac Presents 2012'

An album to invest in.

I have no excuse. I haven't even been on holiday or left you with a random video to let you know what's been going on in the MixitCookit world. Truth is - life in London can be a bitch. Finally I am in a new flat and this means a fresh start, so for all you budding fans out there I cannot express how sorry I am if you have been refreshing this page and nothing had changed since the start of the month. That's the thing with blogs, they represent the person typing. In this month's case - temperamental.

Meanwhile I exhausted the cupcake phase to the point of exasperation, so I am creating my own range of cake bars. Who for? I'm not sure! All that needs to be typed is something new and creative has to be piped and whisked. Cupcakes are every where and yes mine are amazing and super fun looking but I'm done with them for a while. In a strange way they seemed an easy option to blog about. The first cake bar I created is the one that is booming in your face saying "eat me now or just email Mita and she will make me!". Let me give you a quick reminder that banoffee pie is a super classic indulgent pudding which has bananas, toffee sauce or dulce de leche, cream and looks incredibly mouth watering. By brainstorming and incorporating some of the features of the pie in a cake bar I had to dig out the candy thermometer. This is my new partner in crime, bye bye cupcake tin! I'm going to try my hand at all things screaming confectionery. 

This banoffee cake bar is made with a banana cake sponge, dulce de leche (made from condensed milk) and covered in dark chocolate topped with a walnut. Monitoring and tempering both the dulce de leche and chocolate was a challenge I enjoyed. First the oven was used to create dulce de leche, that was a disaster. Finally after a few hours of dancing around the hob to Annie Mac's compilation I finally achieved the desired consistency.

Right I better get back to planning brand spanking new products for you lovely lot to set your eyes on.

Let me clear a few things up...

Dulce de leche is a sauce by slowly heating condensed milk until it is browned and caramelised. A popular sauce used in banoffee pie.

Butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter and boiled to the soft crack stage, 270°F, 132°C.

Toffee is butterscotch that has been cooked to the hard crack stage, the maximum temperature being 310°F, 154 °C.

Caramel is basically heating sugars to a temperature around 170°C, 340°F.

Lovely jubbly.

Favourite Songs:

ê 'Higher Ground' by TNight

'The Don' by Nas

Mita's Crunchy Cups

♬ ' No More Drama' by Mary J Blige

October October a month where I really have no idea what the next few weeks will bring. All I've been doing is staring at this screen, selling my soul to room share websites and consuming way over the daily average amount of granola. 

Apart from the danger of being homeless I have now started to get creative with all the bits and bobs left in my cupboard. After lunch which was jazzed up kipper herring in a wrap with cream cheese and alfalfa sprouts (amazing), I decided to use up remaining butter, syrup and sugar to form and make honeycomb. I also found a lot of silicone cases which are perfect for releasing cakes - suddenly a light bulb flickered in my brain (I think the left side is baking based). Why not pour honeycomb in the cases and top with melted chocolate mixed with super berries?! Leave both to set and then there will be a cake shape honeycomb white chocolate crazy looking treat!

GENIUS.

I have to warn you, this is a mega indulgent sweet treat which should be stocked next to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Obviously these are just as moreish and decadent. 

▶  Ingredients and method for honeycomb is here - 'HoneyComb Cone'. This mixture will definitely be enough for 12 silicone cases.

500g white chocolate

50g Goji berries

50g dried blueberries
50g chopped hazelnuts

Method:

While melting the chocolate in a bowl suspended over boiling water, make the honeycomb in a heavy based pan preferably with a pouring tip. Once you have had the bicarbonate of soda reaction quickly pour into cases, filling them three quarters of the way up or work quickly and use a tablespoon. 

When chocolate is completely melted and glossy take bowl off the heat and stir through the berries and nuts. Using a tablespoon scoop a mixture of chocolate over the honeycomb.

Put in the fridge to set.

Once completely set pop the cups out the cases and serve stacked or keep in cases.

After eating one my room search was a lot more bearable.

Enjoy wisely.xx

Favourite Song:

ê 'Family Affair'