Romantic Red Oat Cupakes

Yes I am a romantic. I truly love me, myself and I.

♬ 'Vampire Weekend' by Vampire Weekend

I love this album it reminds me of moving east.

Look at Nat's face, it's like I've proposed marriage with cake, I really did think she was going to cry. 

Sunday morning beamed through the window and I had the urge to bake. The sun alters my way of thinking, I was bouncing off the walls after a super vegetable juice and decided to make a batch of cupcakes to share my energy and love. Normally anything other than dark brown or caramel coloured in cake form is a no go area...until I made these red velvet cakes with oatbran. A nuttier yet smooth and moist sponge.

If you are looking for a sweet treat for your partner this month, look no further than this blog. 

This bad girl cake will make your other half tearful and joyful.

Recipe for 12 cakes in white muffin cases, adapted from Samantha Blears. Possibly one of the best cupcake books I own. 

▶ Ingredients:

60g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

1 large egg

20g cocoa powder

2 tbsp red food colouring

50g pure oatbran 

150g plain flour

100ml milk mixed with 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, left to one side for a few minutes. Also known as buttermilk.

2 tsp baking powder

4 tsp white wine vinegar

Chocolate ganache - 200g milk chocolate, 284ml double cream.

Fresh strawberries

Edible dark pink glitter

Method:

: Preheat oven 180°c, line muffin tin with cases.

: Mix cocoa powder and red colouring slowly in a bowl until you have a smooth paste, keep to one side.

: Mix butter and sugar until fluffy, this might take more than 5 minutes with a hand held whisk.

: Add egg and once combined pour in red cocoa solution.

: Next in the mix is flour and buttermilk, baking powder and white wine vinegar.

: Fold through oatbran and divide mixture into cases. To get the right amount in each case use an ice cream scoop or two dessertspoons, I find it's best to start off small in each case then top up so they are all the same size.

: Bake for 25 minutes.

: Leave to cool out of tin on a rack.

: For the ganache: heat cream until it begins to boil then pour over chocolate. Let this cool until thick and spreadable.

: Chisel out a small upside down triangle at the top of a strawberry then trim the sides to make a heart shape. Dip in glitter and place on cake.

Sorted with love.x

ê Favorite songs

 'Oxford Comma'

'One (Blake's Got A New Face'
'Walcott'
'Mansard Roof'

Basically every song on this album is amazing, mostly it reminds me a funny couple in Dalston who were obsessively clean, thank goodness I got out!

Poppy Seed and Tangerine Pancakes

♬ 'Greatest Hits II' by Queen

I wish I was in New York. Buttermilk pancakes oozing with syrup, blueberries and decent weather. I saw pancakes everywhere, that's why I had to make them for breakfast. Who needs to wait for the weekend to indulge?! 

I've been loving soya products at the moment, I like to mix things up in the shopping basket with a range of alternatives. Don't worry this is not a PR exercise for any brand, simply a tip to try something new on your next shopping trip, whether it be soya, oat or rice products! This pancake recipe is from BBC Good Food and I've put my own twist on it. If you don't have tangerine sugar then zest a small tangerine or orange. I saved this packet from Heston Blumenthals mince pies, hopefully I can track down, on the other hand I could make some!

Recipe for 6 pancakes, size similar to the ones above.

Dry ingredients:

135g sifted plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp caster sugar

Zest from small orange/tangerine or 1tbsp tangerine sugar.

2 tbsp poppy seeds

Wet Ingredients:

130ml soya milk

1 large egg

25g melted butter (keep a bit extra to grease frying pan)

Fruits dipped in melted milk chocolate (keep in fridge until ready to serve)

One small pot of Alpro soya chocolate dessert (125g) or extra melted chocolate.

Method:

: Basically put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk the wet ingredients in a jug.

: Combine and whisk with a fork until smooth. Put to one side for 5 minutes.

: Warm up a small frying pan and add half a teaspoon of butter and let this melt, then keep the hob on a low heat, I kept mine on mark 3. 

: With a large spoon or ladle, pour a small circle in the middle of the pan. Honestly don't worry about how big your spoon or ladle is, as long as you know how much you are pouring on, you can manipulate once in the frying pan. 

: The trick is to pour in the middle then slowly move the spoon in a small circle and leaving it to cook. They should look thick not thin.

: Once bubbles have started to form at the edges then flip over. The first one might be a tester and too brown but they will get better.

: Don't raise the heat or press them down, be patient and the pancakes will start cooking and rising quicker.

: Give each pancake one minute on each side.

: Serve with drizzled chocolate dessert, fruits or with syrup. 

Your choice, your pancakes!

This is also a perfect Valentine's breakfast...think about it guys. 

Dazzle your partner with your creativity.

ê Favorite songs

 'Who Wants To Live Forever'

'I Want It All'

Skinny Blueberry & Chocolate Minis

♬ 'Radio 1's Live Lounge, Vol 5'

When I see cakes in 'mini' size my heart lets out a little 'aaw' and I can't help but want them all in the shopping basket. I saw loads of tiny cakes on the afternoon shopping trip and this inspired me to get baking a little batch of my own delectable miniatures.  Imagine a hot mug of tea and then presented with one of these blueberry and white chocolate mini muffins, plus eating it didn't make me feel guilty because the topping is soya yoghurt! I know - genius. Cakes are known to be indulgent, plus have a calorific topping. Why not try a topping of healthy thick yoghurt if you are serving cakes straight away. By the way a mini cupcake tin is essential for the cute effect.

Let's get to business, this recipe makes 12 mini muffins.

Ingredients:

50g melted butter

100ml soya milk

1 egg 

150g plain flour

50g caster sugar

Half a tsp baking powder

Half tsp vanilla essence

50g chopped white chocolate

70g blueberries

Alpro soya chocolate yoghurt (2 pots, 250g)

Method:

: Preheat oven to 150°c

: Put flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl.

: Add beaten egg, essence, milk, melted butter and stir with butter knife.

: Stir through blueberries and white chocolate, making sure the mixture is looking rough by not stirring vigorously.

 : Use a teaspoon and fill each hole half way up.

 :Bake for 20 minutes, then take out and leave to cool before adding half a teaspoon of soy yoghurt and blueberry.

Done!

ê Favorite songs

 'Acapella' by Kelis

'Dynamite' by McFly

I don't know the exact nutritional information about these muffins, but due to their size and healthy ingredients, it won't be as bad as a large!

Energetic Granola Bars

♬ 'Unapologetic' by Rihanna

I think an apology is in order. I've been slacking and it's been showing through my food. Culinary styling has always been a struggle, I depend on my iphone, natural light and chocolate. Now I'm striving to become better - unfortunately this won't happen overnight! Simply by practising, investing in classes and finally taking more time to see whether a product is worth putting on this blog. After all, the aim is to be known as that funky lady who makes delicious food.

***

Why are these called 'energetic'?

I have crammed, almonds, chopped hazelnuts, jumbo raisins, freeze dried strawberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flaxseed into these fast action bars. All these ingredients are amazing, they will give you a kick start for a few hours before or after exercise. Plus, now we are in detox infused January, what better way to indulge a tiny bit without feeling guilty! The nicest concept with making bars is you can choose what goes in. Whenever you fancy something sweet after dinner, crumble a bar on top of yoghurt with fruit or sorbet, or have one for breakfast.

If looking at the image makes you want to grab one, check to see if you have the ingredients and get the oven on.

Ingredients

100g butter (plus extra for greasing)

100g caster sugar

200g porridge oats

70g pack of mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds

50g jumbo raisins

1tsp cinnamon

1 tsp freeze dried strawberries *

 3 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp flaxseed (with probiotic and vitamin D) *

50g white chocolate *

50g chopped hazelnuts

100g almonds *

*optional

Method

: Preheat oven 150°c.

: Mix porridge oats with all the nuts and seeds, spread on a large greased roasting tin and let this toast in the oven for ten minutes.

: Meanwhile melt butter in a saucepan then add honey and sugar. Let this look pale yellow and pour in bowl ready to coat all the remaining ingredients.

: Once the oats in the roasting tin have toasted and made your kitchen smell nutty, tip in with butter mixture and add everything else except for white chocolate and dried strawberries.

: Stir thoroughly making sure everything is covered and looking golden.

: Bake for 20 minutes in a 18x25cm lined tin. 

: Melt chocolate and drizzle over tray once out the oven. Sprinkle dried strawberries and let this cool.

: Make wrappers from greaseproof paper to make them look presentable.

Enjoy.x

ê Fave songs

'Diamonds' 

'Love Without Tragedy'

Mita's Chocolate Orange

♬ 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' by Justin Timberlake

'The Writing's On The Wall' by Destiny's Child

Epic albums on the go this weekend. These artists will be making a comeback this year and I cannot wait!

***

Bugger off Terry, this chocolate orange is Mita's. 

I've been trying really hard to refrain from eating chocolate this month, the only problem is, it's everywhere I look! Chocolate orange is a combination that I can't resist, my mouth waters, I get goosebumps, hands start shaking and next thing you know I have consumed eight pieces of Terry's chocolate orange! This time I thought I would make my own, a slightly healthier version. Look, I know it's not exactly a Heston Blumenthal genius product, in fact I think he would probably like a piece!

Try this out as a quick dessert.

1 orange

100g organic milk chocolate

Peel orange gently, then stick a straw down the middle.

Melt chocolate and use straw to turn orange until it's covered.

Place on greaseproof paper.

With a knife define/score segments, take out straw.

Refrigerate until set and then your sorted!

ê On repeat..

'Say my name' by Destiny's Child

'Summer Love' by Justin Timberlake

Red Forest Cupcakes

♬'Rocky IV' by Various Artists

31st December 2012 at 11:58pm, a wannabe Beyonce grooving in a 50cm² dance space with a union jack apron on. Instead I kept on getting told I look like Geri Halliwell - devastated. The next day was all about a fantastic shrimp burger with spicy tartare sauce and getting back to bed. 

Happy New Year.

A fresh chocolate start to mixitcookit with red forest cupcakes and the theme music to Rocky. I was close to tears at the end of Rocky II, thanks to the dvds my training will be like I'm screen testing for the re-make. 

Christmas was too much fun at the Patel household, I was merry on lychee liqueur which in turn made me laugh solidly for a good minute at a joke from a cracker! Boozy Bailey cupcakes, alcoholic profiteroles, white chocolate and cranberry cheesecake and a mammoth very berry pavlova took over the dinner table after mains - all home made might I add! No wonder I'm slightly hefty and my face looks like a bauble. 

Try these cupcakes which look very pretty, fruity, kind of healthy plus they have flax seed, fresh raspberries, freeze dried strawberries and Greek yoghurt as a topping. See you can still be good and eat cake!

Recipe for 12 cakes in muffin cases.

60g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

1 large egg

50g cocoa powder

150g self raising flour

140ml milk

1 tsp white wine vinegar

OR 140ml buttermilk

Yeo Valley Greek yoghurt with honey 450g

Freeze dried strawberries

Milled flax seed with pro biotic and vitamin D

Raspberries

Strawberries

Method:

: Preheat oven 180°c.

: Add 1 tsp of vinegar to milk and leave for a while.

: Beat sugar and butter until fluffy.

: Add egg then cocoa powder.

: Whisk well for about two minutes.

: Add flour, buttermilk then whisk until batter looking good.

: Divide between 12 cases with ice cream scoop.

: Bake for 20 minutes, take out to cool completely.

: Stir through about 5 raspberries and two teaspoons of flax seed through yoghurt and put back in the fridge. Keep yoghurt in the tub, you might not want to cover all the cakes, plus a small portion of this yoghurt is lovely as a midday snack.

: Cover the cakes that will be eaten straight away with yoghurt, sprinkle a few freeze dried strawberries and a gold sprayed strawberry.

DONE!

What does this year hold for MixitCookit?

More rants, loads of new footage, even more sexy dishes and cake.

This blog is more than a blog, it will tell you all about my journey to whatever is meant to happen to Mita Patel.

ê Fave songs

'Burning Heart' by Survivor

'No Easy Way Out' by Robert Tepper