Fruity Vibe Cupcakes

♬'The World's Greatest' by R. Kelly

Myself and a few friends did a dance to 'Vibe' in front of everyone at my primary school in Wolverhampton, possibly one of the most embarrassing moments of my childhood. I remember everyone looking at us like 'what the f@% was that?!'. We got a small cheer in the end and a pair of scary eyes by the head teacher. Even the cute nursery classes who sat at the front looked a bit disturbed and probably learnt the F word because they didn't know what else to think about our performance! Don't worry I will not be making a video with a preview anytime soon.

On a fake spring day in bitter East London I made a batch of cupcakes because I was bored, in the mix went..

Cranberries

Rose water

Apples

Chocolate chips

Orange zest

Cinnamon

Mascarpone

 ▶ Recipe for 12 cupcakes:

125g unsalted butter

125g caster sugar

125g self raising flour

2 medium eggs

1 orange

Half teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 tsp rose water

50g dried cranberries

75g chocolate chips

1 Bramley cooking apple, grated.

150g Mascarpone

60g soft butter

80g icing sugar

Green sprinkles and cherries to decorate.

Method:

: Preheat oven 180°c. 

Line a 12 hole cupcake tin with pretty cases.

: Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

: Add eggs, rose water then stir in flour.

: Tip in chocolate, cranberries, cinnamon and grated apple. 

: Zest orange and fold this in mixture.

: Bake for 25 minutes until well risen and golden brown.

: Leave to cool.

: Mix mascarpone with butter and icing sugar, leave in the fridge for twenty minutes before using to cover cakes. 

You might think these cakes would taste TOO sweet, however an apple does wonders for a sponge! They tasted damn good and not too sweet at all.

: Decorate and enjoy.x

ê Fave songs

'She's Got That Vibe'

'Ignition'

'Thoia Thoing

Christmas Samosas

♬ 'The Best Of BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge' by Various Artists

On video - 'Halo' by Florence & The Machine

Well well another GREAT video might I add, really pleased with this one, I hope you like it as much as I do.

Here is a recipe for short crust pastry:

From BBC Good Food. Everywhere else online and in my cook books were getting way too technical. This one is clear, simple and not fussy.

350g organic plain flour

225g cold unsalted butter

Jar of mincemeat

2-3tbsp water

100g caster sugar

Method:

: Preheat oven 170°c.

: Rub all the butter into the flour.

: Mix in sugar and a pinch of fine sea salt.

: Add a tablespoon of water at a time until you form a dough. At this point I tipped everything out on a table and started working into the dough.

: Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes then take out and grab small handfuls and roll out into circles, making sure you don't roll too thin.

: Cut down the middle of one circle and spoon mincemeat in one corner, pinch to seal and form a triangle. Brush with egg or milk if you want a golden look.

: Place on greaseproof paper and bake for 30 minutes, leave to cool until hard to touch. If some have opened or leaked out the sides during baking - don't stress. Try again. The first two I made opened and I rolled the pastry out too thin, I gave it a second shot and they turned out amazing.

I only made five and had loads of pastry left over, so I put that back in the fridge for more experimenting. I might be bragging on about glorified pastry in a triangle shape, but they sound and look fun! Also so much better to hold these than an actual mince pie, imagine dipping one of these in custard..yummy.

X

Brownie Cup

♬ 'BANG!...The Greatest Hits Of Frankie Goes To Hollywood'

My brownies mean business, I mean they are so delicious words cannot describe how good they taste. Delicious is an understatement. 

Next time when you make a batch of brownies add two tablespoons of the mixture into wafer cups with a dollop of cranberry sauce in between each spoon. Bake for 25 minutes, then leave out for 20 minutes and whip up some cream and top with edible glitter and dried cranberries.

Mita's Boom Brownies

Recipe has been adapted by many sources, trust me I've made my fair batch of brownies, this recipe is a winner. P.s lots of mixing involved here.

The baking tray size is ESSENTIAL. A roasting tin 34 x 25cm (13 x 10in) lined with greaseproof paper.

5 medium eggs - room temperature

400g sugar (I used 200g caster and 200g granulated)

300g organic chocolate (mix flavours - I used 200g dark and 100g milk)

250g unsalted butter - good quality, no supermarket brand please!

Pinch of fine sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

200g organic plain flour

Cranberry sauce (optional)

Balloon whisk

Method:

: Preheat oven to 180°c /350°F.

: Melt chocolate and butter in bowl over simmering hot water.

: Meanwhile whisk eggs, sugar, essence until creamy and the mixture covers back of a spoon.

: Pour in chocolate mixture and slowly whisk in big circular motions, like your king of the world.

: Stir through flour and salt.

: Depending on how many wafer cups you are making use a tablespoon to fill them half way, I found two tablespoons were fine as long as each cup is half full. In between each one add a teaspoon of cranberry sauce.

 If you are making a small number, say up to 5, pour the rest of the mixture into the baking tray. If you are making more cups, be warned the tray brownies might not be as thick!

: In the baking tray add small dollops of cranberry sauce and swirl into the mixture with a fork. This of course is optional, if you want to keep them plain then just leave them be!

: Bake for 25 minutes, 30 minutes maximum. The cups will take 25 minutes on the top shelf, any more you will be tasting rock chocolate cake! The other tray shouldn't wobble massively, we want the mixture to be cooked but still slightly gooey. Touch the top to check - be careful.

 Take out and leave cups to rest then whip up some cream and get decorating. With the tray brownies let them cool a bit then with a bread knife cut into generous blocks of heaven.

Sorry no video today which could be a blessing, energy has completely depleted and my eyes would be telling a different story. Getting a bit sentimental on you...

Life is tough and always will be, even for those with loads of money and many more with a few pounds. The question is are you a defeatist? Will you hang up your coat after one, two, or ten rejections/setbacks? 

No. 

Tap into your uniqueness and keep going. Struggle is an essential ingredient in a fighters life.

Next up...cherries baby!!

ê 'The Power Of Love'

Guilty Pleasures

♬ 'Where I Wanna Be' by Donell Jones

Time to MIXITCOOKIT!!

 WOO!