Lemon Drenched Vanilla Cupcakes

Yo. I'm back. And I bear gifts!...well a recipe, but it counts as a gift, kinda.
I have been up to my nose in study.. the majority of the time was spent on facebook though, yeah I got waaay too distracted.

Chem is a distaster, no newie there, but I'm starting to move up in the world with maths, I had the exam on Monday, not too hard, not too easy. So, it counts as a good exam for me.
I finito semester 1 exams on Tuesday and I'm so excited so I can run back to the video store and demand Kardashians season 3.

Anyway, onwards with the show my chums!

Honey Wheat Pound Cake

I can't keep up with the Kardashians. I'm up to season 3 so far. 

Don't get me wrong, and don't freak out, I did know about the K'dashes before, I was just following Kim and Kourtney take New York.

 Is everyone okay now that we got that sorted?

No one got freaked out by reading the first sentence thinking that I had no idea about the fam? Cool! We're now on the same page...

I had a continuous five hour marathon last night. No joke, the only time I got up was to run back to the kitchen for more food because I was depressed at how thin Kourtney is.

I want to be a Kardashian.. I have to admit it. 5 sisters and one (hot) brother in one house along with only the coolest mum ever and her puppy dog follower husband. Gotta love the show.

This is really awkward to admit but my friend from school tweeted Khloe Kardash and she actually replied.

Hold up.

She actually replied.

Hold your horses.

She actually replied.

Nonono, I would of had a freak out there and then. So (because I'm pretty desperate) I tweeted her............. 6 times. Yes. 

Anyway we were talking about honey wheat pound cakes were we not?

By the way... my batter was out of this world in fluffiness. 

Take a deep breath guys, from here on it's food porn.

As you can probably see; I made this on a Friday night and I left it in the oven after it was cooked. But.. um.. I wake up in the morning and it was as flat as a bloody pancake. So much for all that bloody effort. Anyway.. when it was in the oven during the cooking process it rose beautifully and I was so exciteed.

Then I wake up on a Sunday morning and this is what I face.

I love life. 

Honey Whole Wheat Pound Cake

     makes 1 9 x 5-inch loaf and 6 muffins

2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 Tablespoons of butter)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour the loaf pan and muffin tins.  

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.  

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the butter, sugar and honey on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the vanilla extract.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about one minute after each addition.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.  Add the dry mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.  

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans.  Smooth the top down and bake the cake for about  hour and the muffins for about 20 to 25 minutes.  The cake will be a lovely golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean.  

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nearly Vegan Nutmeg Cookies

I'm super stressed about school.  I had 3 assignments due last week, lost one due to the schools shitty computer back up memory thing, and my teacher is a bitch and only gave me a one night extension.  Cooool life.
Anyway, I found at least 4 white hairs on my  head in the past 2 weeks, and my appearance is starting to take an effect on all this homework.  And I kinda think my baking ability has as well... let's not get into that right now, I don't wan't to scare you off... just finish reading the post.


God, I'm becoming abusive to my readers.  What the hell is this!?

I read the recipe and I thought it didn't have any sugar in it?  (Note: This stress is turning me old, ie. white hair, bad eyesight etc.)  So I just put in 1 Tablespoon of caster sugar into the dry mix, and it precisely tells you to use icing sugar and mix it in with the oil.  Lawl.  Ma bad.

This is a simple biscuit method.  Dry ingredients, one bowl.  Wet ingredients, another bowl.  Mix together and turn into a dough.  Knead, cut and bake. Simple easy peasy!  Oh and by the way I modified the recipe and got rid of the cumin seeds in there... who the hell puts cumin seeds in biscuits?  And added 1 teaspoon, well 2, weeeell, I actually added 3, but nutmegs really good for you, right?

Bee Tee Dubzzz, I said this is kind of Vegan, because you can just get rid off the egg and use an egg substitute powder. And, theres no butter or milk, only oil.




Nearly Vegan Nutmeg Cookies
- 2 cups Plain flour
- 1/2 cup oil (I used Sunflower)
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Icing (powdered) sugar
- 3 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt


Method


Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Sift plain flour, baking powder, nutmeg powder and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oil, egg and sugar. Mix well then put the dry ingredients in, also adding 3 Tb water. Mix and knead until fully incorporated. I used a standing mixer.. soo much easier! Roll Tablespoons of dough onto sheet and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon. Place at least 4 cm apart and bake for 10-15 mins until golden brown.

Olive Oil and Ginger Cookies

Can I tell you a secret?

Olive oil cookies are good. So good. I thought they would taste gross, oily and kinda fruity.. but their actually pretty edible and addictive, and morish, and delicious, and rad... enough to get you to whip up a batch of these?

Just another extra fab bonus to add.. these cookies are 50 calories each! Eat to your hearts content. Thats a trick instruction, just eat wisely ;)

Olive Oil and Ginger Cookies

                        Adapted from Weight Watchers

- 2 large eggs

- 2/3 cup Olive Oil

- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

- 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, using a fork. Stir in 2/3 cup oil, and the vanilla. Reserve 1 tablespoon sugar; add the remaining to the oil mixture.

Sift together the flour, ground ginger, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture.

Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Stamp each cookie flat with the bottom of a glass dipped in the reserved sugar, continuing to dip the glass as you prepare the cookies. (Oil the glass before dipping in the sugar.)Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies at once from the cookie sheet.

Remember, these cookies are 50 calories each, having 5 does not make you more healthy! You mays as well eat a whole Cheesecake! Hehehehe, sorry I had to say it...

Vanilla Crêpes

I am so depressed today. After school Mum and I went shopping to stock up for our food deprived house. Shopping wentsmoothly.. well doesn't it always!? Walking down the aisles of grocery stores always soothes me.. well actually I think its just the food, but..

Anyway, when we went into the car I saw about as many gorgeous men then I've had hot dinners. Seriously! They just popped up! Doubt they would be into a 16 year old...thats a form of pedophelia right!? And to make matters worse, they were all holding a single red rose? For me? Lol joke.. yeah right. Probably for their blondy booby girlfriends.

Just about over my depression when I enter the front door and see my sisters boyfriend on the sofa. Cooool, God totally wants to rub this in my face. Thanks lordy lord.. at least you don't get these Crêpes in heaven. :)

There are 3 ingredients in these morsels, and I guarantee you, they will always be in your pantry.


Vanilla Crêpes
- 1 cup plain flour
- 2 cups milk
- 3 eggs

Method
Sift flour into a large bowl and make a well. In a jug whisk together the milk and the 3 eggs. Gradually pour into flour while mixing with the other hand. Once batter is smooth and well incorporated, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Pour on about half a ladle of batter and move the pan so the batter can run over all sides of the pan. The pan should be covered. Work quickly other wise the batter will stick and you will end up with half a crêpe.

Carrot and Poppy Seed Bites

Valentines Day is approaching, pretty fast actually.
I hate this.
Why? Because as everyone knows, I don't have a boyfriend, let alone a valentine. Humf.

Anyway these are for people who give a damn about valentines day, but don't give enough damn to be in a relationship. We can sit at home, snuggled up in bed, with a carrot cake and poppy seed bite platter nestled some where in the bed, a glass of champagne in the right hand, in the left the remote controlling the telly, so we can play, rewind and play the end scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's where Holly gets her kiss. Ah, how romantic. And how utterly sad.

Screw that, I'm getting a boyfriend... in the time of 2 days. Yikes.

I'm also getting another huge container of poppy seeds. They taste so good, ecspecially in this typa

cake. Awesome.



Carrot and Poppy Seed Bites

 (serves 8)

- 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour, sifted
- 3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups finely grated carrot (about 4 carrots)
- 1 1/2 tbs poppy seeds

Icing

- 2/3 cup (120g) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tbs fresh orange juice

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 8 x 1/2 cup (125ml) muffin pans. Combine the self-raising flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Combine the eggs and olive oil. Stir through the dry ingredients until combined. Stir in the carrots and poppy seeds until well combined.
Divide the mixture among the muffin pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Place the wire rack over a tray. Combine the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl. Spoon the icing over the muffins when cooled. Put aside to set completely before serving.

Toasted Almond Granola

There are barely any pictures of this delicious breakfast/snack/sweet amazing stuff, because the process is so easy. 3 steps. Chuck in bowl, melt stuff, throw into bowl, bake. Okay.. there's actually 4 steps, but whatever.

I'm eating this right now, for breakfast. At precisely 10.40am in the morning. I'm kind a weird like that. And this stuff is actually pretty sweet. I would definatley tone down on the sugar next time, I'm starting to get a high, maybe thats a good thing, because I'm so tired after last night. I went to a 21st party, which I totally shouldn't have done for 2 reasons;

1. I have a shit load of homework to do, all due tomorrow. Chemistry.. HELP.
2. I'm feeling tired and because of this massive sugar hit, I'm nervous about getting diabetes.

Anyway.. make this, but totally tone down on the sugar if you want to get your chemistry questions done. And your math, and your English. Cool... I'm so organised.

Toasted Almond Granola


makes 8 cups
adapted from Martha Stewart


4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup slivered raw almonds
1 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Method
Place a rack in the upper third and middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line one large or two small baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk together oats, whole almonds, slivered almonds, sweetened coconut cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt together butter, oil, honey and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Carefully whisk together so it’s well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract. Pour the warm mixture over the oat and almond mixture and toss together with a wooden spoon, ensuring that all of the oat mixture gets moistened by the sugar and oil mixture.

Spread mixture onto prepared baking sheet(s) and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, removing the oats to stir and toss on the pan twice during baking. Remove from the oven, let cool and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Granola is delicious with milk, yogurt or over ice cream. Yum!

Quick Coconut Bread Slice

Okay, this took me literally 2 minuites! How often is it that you find a recipe that takes 2 minuites to throw together? Zilch. None. Okay.. very rare. But seriously, there is 4 ingredients in this bread/cake.
And I can eat it. (Whoo!).

Enough with the celebration, and time for the eating.
I just typed in 'coconut bread' into Google, and up came recipes calling for 2 eggs. But I only had one egg. Yea.. Awkward.

So I scrolled down this time (I'm not ususally one for scrolling down the Google pages.. because let's be honest.. you only look at the Top 5 results shown) and came across this little beauty. I really shouldn't be praising this bread just yet, because it's actually still in the oven.

It takes 40 minuites to cook, which kind of makes up for that 2 minuites rush of prepping the thing.

Talking about 4 ingredients, theres actually a book/show of two Australian women who have devised the most amazing recipes out of just 4 ingredients. The website is amazing, and all the ingredients are in the pantry or in the fridge. Frickin' bonus!

I just took it out, and tried it, and it tasted really raw inside, so I just threw it back into the oven to cook a bit more inside...aaand that didn't really cook inside. So I just gobbled it up before anyone could notice.

Coconut Bread Slice
- 1 cup of dessicated coconu
- 1 cup SR flour
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 3/4 cup milk

Method
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius
Combine all the dry ingredients together, and mix. When all combined, add in the milk and stir. The mixture should be a very thick coconutty mixture. Throw the mixture into a greased loaf pan and cook for 40 mins until a knife comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

Did you know that Honey is the only food in the world that will never spoil? Yep. Honey was found in tombs in ancient Egypt and was consumed by archeologists. Bizarre.

Did you know that the oldest peice of chewing gum is 9000 years old? Gross, but cool.

Did you know there are more then 10,000 different varieties of tomatoes? Wow. I only thought there was two, the simple red tomato, and the occasional green tomato that I had a glance at as someone was buying it at the grocery market.

Did you know that combining whole wheat flour combined with molasses and yoghurt produces the thickest batter ever? And it pulls muscles in your arm while trying to combine the little shit together? True fact.

Did you know that the Brisbane Floods are so bad that they reached up to 4.7 metres this morning? Horrific.

Thick, eh? Yeah, this is the reason I can barely type any more.. the pulled muscle.

P.s In France people eat approximatley 500,000,000 snails per year. PER YEAR. I think I'm going to hurl.

Whole Wheat Molasses Bread

Adapted from Joy the Baker
makes one 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf

- 1 2/3 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup molasses


Method
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8×4 or 9×5-inch loaf pan. Non-stick baking spray works well too.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt and baking
soda.
In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk or yogurt and molasses.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold to combine. The batter will be slightly thick, but not dry. Spoon batter into prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake loaf for 45 minutes to an hour. Depending on how evenly your oven bakes, you might want to rotate the loaf in the middle of baking. Be careful though. Don’t manhandle it too hard or it might deflate.

When a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the loaf pan. Run a butter knife along the sides of the pan and carefully invert onto a wire rack.

Loaf will keep, well wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Serve with cream cheese, jam, salted butter or nutella.

P.ps.  Lemons contain more sugar then strawberries.

Butter Roasted Vanilla Sugared Almonds

I haven't slept properly in like 3 nights in a row. It's getting to me. Badly.

A tiny thing will totally set me off. Like Friends, it was scheduled to run at 10.30am. I sat there for two whole minutes waiting for Joey's face to appear.

No such luck. Okay two minuites does not sound like a long time, but trust me, when you are so cranky and irratible it's like... urgghh I don't even know how to explain.

 Friends was not scheduled to run today. The TV guide was wrong.

Don't you hate that? I am in such a fit right now. Honestly, if you could see me right now, you would see how much harm I'm doing to this poor innocent laptop by punching the keyes as I type.

Oh well, tough tits. i'm tired, bored, irratible and way way way to overtired to even bother to have a nap.

But on the other hand, by nibbling on these morsels every few minuites kinda gives you a sugar rush and little bit more energy then sleeping in for a couple of more hours. And remember, your energy is way different from my energy. Chronic Fatigue.. duh!

If you magically happen to be in the same boat as me right about now. Don't fight the angryness inside you, make these now and do a favour to those around you prone to your lash outs of rage of not getting a goodnights sleep.

                                                   

Oh and... the monthly visit of Aunt Flo does not help either. Sugar, vanilla and almonds with a hint of butter.. goodbye back, stomach and neck pain. Hello surge of energy.

Butter Roasted Vanilla Almonds

- 1 cup of raw almonds

- 3 Tb Icing Sugar

- 2 Tb Butter

- 1 tsp vanilla essence, or 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

Method

Place the almonda in a large saucepan and cook ovver moderate heat. Stir constantly until the nuts become browner and it is clear that they have been roasted. Also.. bite into some to check it out. Throw in the icing sugar and keep stirring until sugar is melted. Add the vanilla and butter and keep stirring. The end result should be roasted almonds with a caramel-ly sugary finish and a vanilla hit. The butter is not entirely necessary, it just gives the nuts a little shine and glossyness.

Blueberry Granita

The original recipe calls for blackberry, hence the name blackberry granita on Joy the Baker's blog.

But you know me, being rebellious like that, changing the berry type.

"Apparantly" the granita tastes like a slushy with a hint of berry, according to my sister. Well.. seeing as the whole flavour was blueberry I wouldn't be to surprised if there was a berry flavour. :/

I'm totally hooked on the series "True Blood".. so good! I usually hate all that vampire stuff, like twilight. I seriously do not get the craze that all the fans have. But True Blood on the other hand, now that is a totally different story. It's kinda like Desperate Housewives mixed with vampires.

 Totes. Hooked.

I am in love with that colour! Tha deep purply pinky puree tastes even nice then it looks. Seriously. Your in for a real treat. The crunchy ice berry crystals are SO designed for summer. Instead of ice-cream at shops, wh ydon't they sell more granita? I want a granita shop to open in every city around the world.

More icey crystals and less creamy stuff.

I love ice-cream, but c'mon, even the sight of this is enough to make you drool on a hot summers day.

Pretty much a few ingredients, a splash of lemon and a dash of sugar creates a cool fruity summery pleaser. And the bonus is, you probably have all the ingredients already in the kitchen!
 
Except that vodka that you finished on New Years Eve, you should probably buy some more of that...
 
 
Blueberry Granita
                     Adapted from Joy the Baker
 
3 cups water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 heaping cups frozen blueberries (un-thawed)
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vodka (optional)
whipped cream (sweetened as much as you like)

Method
In a medium saucepan heat water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add frozen blueberries and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat. Stir to break blackberries up a bit as they cook.
Once blueberries are broken and cooked, place half of the blackberry and liquid mixture in a blender. Pulse and blend until a berries are broken down into a puree. Place a fine mesh strainer over the pot containing the other half of liquid and berries, and strain the puree into the pan. The end result is berry pieces, whole berries, blueberry liquid and the juice from the puree.
Add lime and vodka (if using). The vodka helps the mixture not freeze so solid, but is not entirely necessary.
Place mixture into a 9×13-inch pan and place in freezer. Set timer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, scrape any ice crystals that have formed towards the center of the pan. Set timer for another hour and again scrape the ice crystals towards the center of the pan.
Continue until all of the liquid has formed ice crystals.

**You can use any type of berry you want! Don't even stop there, go even further, experiment with seasonal fruits and tantalise the taste buds.