Baking! CookieMonster Cupcakes! Recipe!

I just love Cookie Monster ever since I was a child and I've seen many cookie monster recipes over the years and have always wanted to try one. I recently saw one using coconut to make cookie monsters fur and just thought this was a great idea as some cupcake frosting is a bit too sweet and overpowering for me!

So here goes

Regular Vanilla Cupcake recipe:

• 4oz Self Raising Flour
• 4oz Sugar
• 4oz Marg
• 2eggs
• Few drops Vanilla

Put it all in a bowl and mix together.
Fill your cupcake cases and bake for 15-20minutes at 180C

 

Cream cheese frosting:

• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Icing sugar
• Drop of Vanilla Essence

This is all down to personal taste so just mash together and add more of whichever taste you prefer!

Decoration:

• Desidited Coconut
• Blue Food Colouring
• Drop of Water

• Cadbury's White chocolate Buttons
• Liquorish
• Chocolate Chip Cookie

Fill a cup with coconut and add food colouring and a drop of water and mix until you have the right shade of blue for cookie monster!

When your cupcake has cooled using a knife or spoon cover with frosting an dunk into your blue coconut, give it a bit of a shake around to completely coat!

Pop two white chocolate buttons on top for eyes and a slice of liquorish for the pupils and stick a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth!!!

Hope you try this and love recipe! Let me know how yours turn out and send images!!!

Have you seen my Ferrero Rocher Cake post??

Or my simple Chocolate Fudge post??

xx

Baking Love ~ Minions ~ Cookies & Shortbread & Biscuits ~

Another Baking post! You never get tired of them!!

Wanted to share my ebay find with you! So here's a link to my ebay minions cookie cutter. Buying on ebay you can grab some great bargains (€1.58/ £1.23/ $1.76)  once you don't mind the wait for delivery! I forgot about these and was pleasantly surprized when the postman came!

These are great as they are plungers so easily cut your dough and press your little minions faces into it!

Here's their image:

Here's the odlums shortbread recipe, however any cookie recipe could be used with these cutters!

 

Shortbread Ingredients:

125g/4oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour

50g/2oz Cornflour

125g/4oz Butter (softened)

50g/2oz Caster Sugar

Mix all together, roll out, cut and bake for approx. 12 mins at 160C


And my process, (oops burnt a few!)

 

All lined up on the cookie sheet before baking!

 

 

Then I had an idea to ice them but didn't have any fondant icing! Fondant icing is great for these plungers, I would recommend this not my runny icing sugar water combo!!!

 

 

Painted them with a tiny paint brush and food colouring!!! Think I'll post this as a Pinterest fail!!!!

At first it seemed great but the icing kinda melted and ran in my warm kitchen!!! Maybe if I left the icing set overnight, who knows? But I was able to use the plunger on the icing after a few hours with no problem, should have taken a photo of that!!!!

 

 

 

 

Have you any baking fails? Or successes?

 

Any baking products you think I should check out?

 

xx

Get your Cadbury Creme Egg Fix before its all over!!!

If you missed out and didn't get a seat at the Crème Egg Café you can still get your Crème Egg fix here!!! As you know I love pinterest, and I also love crème eggs!!!

These  are some recipe ideas I found on pinterest that I have been trying out!!! There are so many recipes I couldn't get through them all but check them all out here on Pinterest!

 

Hot Cross Crème Egg Pudding

Hot Cross Crème Egg Pudding from Good to Know read more here!
A Crème Egg Twist/Easter on the classic bread and butter pudding!

 

Ok so I cheated a little bit with mine, but only because I need a fast desert so I used readymade custard! Not as good as the homemade but an eggcellent dessert none the less!!!!

 Crème Egg Chocolate Fondant

From one of my foodie crushes  Rebecca at Winberry Crumble hear her recipe here!

4 crème eggs
100g butter
150g dark soft brown sugar
3 eggs
50g plain flour

Crème Egg Chocolate Mug Cake

Crème Egg Chocolate Mug Cake from My Fussy Eater read it here!
If you haven't made a mug cake you need to try one, they are so simple and quick to make!!

3 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg

3 tbsp plain yogurt

¼ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp chocolate chips

2 creme eggs

 

Caramel Egg Stuffed Croissants

 

 

Caramel Egg Stuffed Easter Croissants from Taming Twins read here!!

This is a bit of a cheat but caramel eggs are only here for a short time too!!! Another simple recipe and a great breakfast treat!!!

 

Pack of ready to pop croissant dough

6 Cadbury's Caramel Eggs

1 Egg (beaten)

 

Crème Egg Brownies

 

 

 

Crème Egg brownies from Cravings of a Lunatic, read here!

 

8 tablespoons of butter

2 ounces semi sweet chocolate

1 cup sugar

2 eggs. beaten

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup flour

¼ teaspoon salt

10 to 12 mini cadbury creme eggs

 

Crème Egg Cupcakes

 

And this tasty offering from Cupcake Jemma, watch here!!!

 

 

 

So this Crème Egg season, how do you eat yours???

 

xx

Ps. if you missed my homemade Easter eggs find them here!

Homemade Chocolate Easter Egg Recipe Ideas

Yay! Reasons I love Spring.... Chocolate and Sweet Treat Related Holidays!!!

I picked up these Easter Egg Moulds in a discount shop a few years ago and they are just the best thing!!! Everyone loves a homemade treat and these eggs have gone down really well every year I make them!

Theme your eggs towards the recipient.

 

1 "Healthy" Chocolate Egg.

Ok this might not be technically "healthy" but it's the healthiest option here!

• Dark Chocolate
• Dried Cranberries
• Mixed Peel
• Chopped Nuts

I filled the base of he mould with fruit and nuts then poured in the melted dark chocolate
Let it set and join both sides
Eat!!!

2 "Sweets and Treats" Egg

• Milk Chocolate
• Dark Chocolate
• White Chocolate
• Sour Snakes
• Gummy Bears
• Skittles
• M&M's

Again fill the mould with sweets.
Drizzle over one type of chocolate, let set, repeat with next chocolate and repeat again!
Let to set completely
Fill the inside with lots of tasty sweets.
Use some melted chocolate to join both sides.

 

 

3. "Liquorish Allsorts" Egg

• Chocolate
• Liquorish Allsorts

Line up your liquorish allsorts in the mould.
Melt your chocolate.
Start to fill your mould with chocolate to hold sweets in place.
Let your chocolate set.
Fill your egg with remaining sweets.
Then use some melted chocolate to join both sides together and keep sweets inside.

Enjoy!!

4 "Tiramisu" Egg

• Dark Chocolate
• Boudoir Fingers
• Cocoa Powder
• Double Cream
• Mascarpone
• Espresso
• Sugar
• Rum/Baileys etc. (optional)

3/4 coat your egg with melted chocolate, let set so top is open.

Fill with Tiramisu:

Line with boudoir fingers soaked in espresso and rum
Mix mascarpone, cream and sugar together
Pour over fingers
Grate Chocolate over
Repeat layers until egg is full
Top with cocoa powder and grated chocolate
Garnish with a chocolate spoon



See the first one really was the healthy option!!!!

I keep these fresh and display them beautifully by wrapping in cellophane and ribbons.

Hope you feel inspired to treat your loved ones to a homemade egg-elicious treat!!!

So which is your favourite Egg??


xx

Knitting & Crochet Project ~ Owl Hat ~

I have seen soo many cute owl hat projects and patterns. Now I'm not quite experienced enough for a lot of them, but I saw so many cute images on pinterest and thought I would give it a go!

Also I planned to do something crafty every month, this is February's craftiness!!!
Also I was quite poorly so this took my mind of dwelling in self pity!!!

I struggle with following patterns in everything I do, I'm more of a trial and error kinda gal!

 

So this is my "pattern":

Using 10mm needles
Cast on 40 stitches
Stocking stitch for approx. 25 rows (I didn't really count approx. 5")
Then change colour (I changed to White)
Stocking Stitch the same amount again, approx. 25 rows!


Sew up edge.
Then sew top.
(Thinking about sewing across corners as ears??)

Crochet eyes
I'm not the best at crochet but my attempt worked quite well!!!
Chain 3 in circle and keep circling to make big round eyes!!
Start Black for pupil and change to white after one round!

I knitted a beak too, couldn't decide what colour, and I only had much thinner wool so I used 3 colours of yellow/orange.
Cast on 5. Kn1 Pl1
Reduce to 3
Reduce again to 1.

This is the first time I used crochet to "sew" up the seems and sew on the eyes and beak but it worked quite well!!!

And here is the finished product!!!!

Hope you like it!
This hat keeps me warm and puts a smile on my face!!!

Send me links to any simple projects you think I would like or projects you have done!!

xx


Previous Posts:

Check out my last Knitted Hat Project

Red Velvet Cake in a Jar ~ Recipe ~ Baking Love ~

Just realised I have shown you the baking blogs I love, pinterest pic's, and jar re purposing however after all my Cake in a Jar lovin' I have totally forgotten to tell you about my Cake Jar recipe!

Well problem solved here it is:

Ingredients:

3oz Self Raising Flour

1oz Cocoa Powder

4oz Marg

4oz Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

Vanilla Essence

Red food colouring

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Cream
• Cream Cheese
• Icing Sugar
• Vanilla Essence

Pretty simple just mix everything together and bake!!!
I baked mine in lined cake tins and baked for 10-20 mins at 160C

Again for the frosting just mix it all together, I know I have no measurements, I just put a spoon of cream and cheese in a bowl and mix and hope for the best!!! Add your sugar a little at a time to your own persona taste!!!

Now the Jar part!

Ok you probably have seen my organisation, I love storage Jars post, (if not tut tut here it is) so I have repurposed my old food jars.

Once my cake has cooled I used the open jar to cut cake to the right size to get into the Jar. Then I started layering inside the jar with cake, raspberry jam, creamy frosting and repeat.

Delicious and because I used chalk paint on my jars I can write peoples names and what it is on the jars! (and reuse for others later)

Hope you like it!!!

xx

Simple Chocolate Fudge Recipe ~ Baking Love ~ Blog Love ~

I love baking and chocolate so I thought it was time for another baking post. Also I have to share links to all the lovely people/bloggers I've enjoyed chatting to this week!

Last Thursday while waiting for the #USBloggerChat and browsing Twitter I came across this beauty Rebecca @winberrycrumble and her post on Popping Candy Fudge (see the full recipe here!) and what good timing as the chat was all about FOOD!!! My favourite! (thanks to the lovely host Meg(z)han @gotmeghan)

So I set about making this delicious treat!

Ingredients:

397g (1 tin) condensed milk
400g milk chocolate
25g unsalted butter, softened
100g icing sugar
Colourful sugar strands (I used stars)
3 packets of popping candy (about 15g)

I luckily had all the ingredients in my cupboard, (randomly had popping candy left over from Halloween)

Such a simple recipe, but be careful I almost burnt the pot with my chocolate!

So show this blog some love and make yourself some fudge!!!!

Share your recipes and pics with me!

xx

Valentines Tea Party ~ Galentines ~ Baking, Recipes and Treats ~

I know I did a Valentines recipe post yesterday but as I said any reason to bake!!!! Now this is a Galentines post!!!

So we had a little Valentines Day Themed Tea Party and Crafty Day!!!!

I baked some cute mini cupcakes! Using the Odlums recipe here, but I added some red food colouring to make them "Valentinesy"

Ingredients

125g/4oz Odlums Self Raising Flour

125g/4oz Butter or Margarine  (room temperature)

125g/4oz Caster Sugar

2 Eggs (room temperature)

Few Drops Vanilla Essence

Just mix all your ingredients together
Fill your (mini red polka dot/valentines) cupcake cases
Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for 12 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Icing

I iced these more like fairy cakes or buns using icing sugar and a tiny drop of water and food colouring. I topped them with some pink sugar on the white ones and "Love Heart" sweets on the pink ones!

I was looking for some Valentines biscuits so I choose Jammy Dodgers as they have hearts on them! Some Mikado as they are pink and some Chocolate Digestives as everyone loves chocolate! We had a box of Family Circle too and some Celebrations!

While in Tesco I picked up these cute love heart napkins for €1.50!!

We had a great day opening our exhibition, crafting, eating cakes and biscuits and drinking tea!!!

Hope you have a great Valentines however and with whoever you spend it!!!

xx

Check out my previous valentines baking post here and shopping list here

Treat yourself this Valentines ~ Favourites ~ Baking Blogs and Recipes

It's that time of year again.... Valentines!

Now there are lovers and haters of this holiday and I'm not really one for that fake lovey-dovey S!*T but I never miss an opportunity to eat chocolate and cake! And I love crafts and make-and-do, I'm like an overgrown child!!!! So I do like some valentines things and it's always nice to cheer up someone's day with a cute treat and a big hug!

Also as you know I am obsessed with pinterest and there are soooo many cute cakes and bakes on there for valentines so I am gonna make some treats for friends and family!

Some of my favourite finds include Strawberry Cake in a Jar from The Mini Baker

 

 

and these Red Velvet Cupcakes in a Jar from MyBakingAddiction

 

 

 

Also these great compilations like this one from The Helicopter Mum

 

and this   from your Homebased Mum

 

 

 

as you can tell I am going through a Cakes in Jars phase and am kinda feeling Red Velvet for the season!



 

 

Let me know how your baking adventure progresses and send me links to recipes you like or think I should try!

 

xx

 

P.S. if your still hungry why not try my previous posts:

 

Ferrero Rocher Cake

 

Cake Pops 

Happy Pancake Day! Yum Yum!!!

I love Pancake Tuesday! A whole day dedicated to stuffing yourself with pancakes!

So here is a recipe for pancakes from Odlums, get the whole recipe here!

Ingredients:

 

125g / 4oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour

Pinch of Salt

1 Egg

300ml / 1/2 pint Milk

Oil for frying

Or this one from Siucra, see full recipe here!

I used this Siucra recipe this year as this is the one I had as a child, Siucra used to give recipe cards out in the supermarket so I used to pick one up every year! I used oil instead of butter. simply put all your ingredients into a jug and mix it up with a whisk! It is best to leave it stand for 30mins or overnight however I had some "tester" pancakes last night and they were delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs (beaten)
• 150 g/5 oz Cream Flour
• 1 tbsp Siúcra/McKinney Caster Sugar
• 250ml/8 fl milk, or milk and water mixed
• 1 tbsp melted butter (optional)

Last year I made Red Velvet Pancakes (using the Odlums recipe) by adding red food colouring and cocoa to my pancake batter!!! Then I covered them with Nutella, and strawberries would have gone great with them!!!
Here they are with a nice cup of tea!

My favourite Pancake though is the Traditional Sugar and Lemon Juice!!!

However you like your pancakes I hope you enjoy them!!!!


Still hungry? Check out my previous recipe posts:

Ferrero Rocher Cake

Cake Pops

xx

P.S. Feel free to comment and send me links for recipes you think I should like!