Triple Chocolate Cupcakes.

I love these cupcakes.

Love, love, love these cupcakes.<3

Dark, moist, slightly crumbly choco goodness topped with a smooth, rich buttercream. It's just fantastic. :D
If your not a fan of dark chocolate frosting, another AMAZING combination is these cupcakes with my Nutella frosting. That is also a dreamy wonderland in your mouth. But this.....

......this is for those who want pure, cocoa amazingness.

This frosting makes me happy :). Chocolatey goodness.
Now, I can't take the credit for this recipe all for myself. I believe that the best way to create a recipe is to experiment and try it all out yourself. But there isn't always time. So this recipe was adapted slightly from Sally's Baking Addiction's Death by Chocolate cupcakes. I loved that recipe but wanted to alter certain things to my liking. I provided some substitutions and alternatives to some of the ingredients, as I know I am often frustrated by not having certain ingredients available as stated in a recipe. Here they are:
1. Soft light brown sugar

This is relatively easy to find in most places. However, I have found that when baking in South Africa or other nearby countries it is un available at supermarkets such as pick 'n' pay. I saw something called 'treacle sugar' that worked in the same way. You can also use dark soft brown sugar or, if you have patience, grind up granulated brown sugar in a food processor with 2tsp of molasses/golden syrup/honey until it is fine and soft. It should be denser than icing sugar and squidgy enough to pack into a measuring cup. If not, add more of whatever syrup you are using.
2. Cocoa powder
This is not a substitution but a note. It does not matter what type of cocoa powder you use in frosting so much but it does in batter. DO NOT use Dutch processed in batters. If you live in countries such as Germany where unsweetened, non-Dutch processed cocoa powder is not easily available, try to find it online. It really alters the rise of the cupcakes. Dutch processed cocoa is alkaline and so will not react with the baking soda. In the frosting, there is no need for a chemical reaction of that sort as there is no baking soda.
3. Buttermilk
Do not substitute milk. Instead, add 2tsp of lemon juice to your milk and let it sit for 5 mins. Your homemade 'buttermilk' is now ready to use. It should be slightly curdled.
Okay! Here we go.

Real Deal Chocolate cupcakes with fudge-a-budge chocolate buttercream

These cupcakes are fudgy, light, and moist- make sure not to overbake them. Instead of the chocolate drizzle, you can top them with candies, chocolate chips, or anything you like. If the drizzle is too solid, give it 5 seconds in the microwave.

Ingredients!

For the cupcakes:

2oz (60g) dark chocolate
1/2 cup (115g) butter
2 large eggs (or medium)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (64g) cocoa powder
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk (see text)
Pinch of salt

For the frosting:

2 1/2 cups icing sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tbls cold butter
40g chocolate, melted
1 tbls milk

For the drizzle:

60g dark chocolate
1 tbls butter
2 tsp sugar

Method

For the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners of your choice.
Melt together the dark chocolate and butter either in the microwave or over a double boiler. Stir until smooth and set aside for later use.
Mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking soda and salt together. Sift into a large bowl. Set aside. Next whisk the eggs, sugars and vanilla together until mostly smooth and then whisk in the cooled chocolate butter mixture. Alternately add the flour and butter milk in thirds and fold in each ingredient carefully until everything is combined. You will now have quite a thick batter.
Divide the batter between the liners (best with an ice cream scoop) and bake for 18 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
Sift together the icing sugar and cocoa powder to ensure lump-free frosting. Beat the butter (with a mixer or by hand) until fluffy. Add in the chocolate and beat together with the milk. Gradually add the icing sugar and cocoa and beat on low speed after each addition. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.
Melt the chocolate and quickly stir in butter and sugar while hot. Decant into a piping bag and set aside to cool in the fridge. When ready to frost, snip a small hole in the tip.
Frost cooled cupcakes and drizzle with chocolate. Add toppings as desired. Cupcakes stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 4 days!
ENJOY!!!!! :)

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Mini apple cakes

Apples.
I love apples. They can be crisp, soft, sweet, tart, and are suited to every season- the possibilities are endless! Pies, cakes, tarts, jams, juice, doughnuts, pastries and more. They are extremely versatile and can be paired with so many different flavours as well as other fruits like pears or berries or even citrus. I already have another apple recipe, and there are only 6. I like apples.
So here's another apple recipe. Mini apple cakes.

They are delicious just on their own with a light dusting of icing sugar, or warm with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. You could jack it up with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg into the apples in each pot for a warm, festive flavour.

Mini apple upside down cakes

Moist cake and delicious apples. What's not to love? You could even use pears, or firm peaches/plums.

Method

6 tbls (3/4 stick, 85g) butter, plus 3 tbls and more for greasing
2 firm apples, peeled
3/4 cup (159g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup (80g, 80ml) sour cream, plain/Greek yogurt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) plain flour
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 tbls soft brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Icing sugar to dust over the top(optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350Fand generously grease 6 ramekins. Place them on a baking tray and set aside.
Heat the brown sugar and 3 tbls of butter together in a small pan until the butter has melted and the sugar is fully dissolved. Do not stir- this may result in crystalisation. After you can see that this has happened, leave it on the heat for another minute or two then take off and set aside. Cut the apples into quarters, core them and then slice each quarter into three(lengthwise). Cut all of the slices in half and arrange them in the bottom and on the sides of the ramekins then pour the butter sugar syrup onto the apples.
Next, beat the butter and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the yogurt/sour cream and vanilla. When all of those ingredients have been mixed together, sift in the flour, salt, and baking powder bit by bit, mixing as you go.Now add the milk and Beat until the batter is smooth and then scoop equal amounts into each ramekin. Bake the cakes for 30 mins. If the tops start to burn, cover the cakes with foil. To turn them out, run a knife around the edge, turn them onto a plate and tap. They should slide out.

Best eaten warm with a dusting of icing sugar and a scoop of good vanilla ice-cream :)

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The BEST chocolate chip cookies ever.

Not to toot my horn own but....
TOOT, TOOT TOOT, TOOT TOOT TOOT!
These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Like, EVER. Soft, chewy, chocolate chip-y, rich, sweet....aaaaahhh.

I honestly think that there is no reason why you shouldn't make them. Unless you don't like cookies. Or you have an allergy to one of the ingredients- in which case, really don't. I don't want anyone dying from cookies.

Anyway, for all of us that can eat food without worrying whether we're going to implode, the cornstarch/cornflour, soft brown sugar, butter and chocolate make for a soft, chewy, rich, chocolatey.... Wait, I'm repeating myself. Sorry!
The takeaway is, make these cookies. And no, you cannot omit the cornstarch. Or only use granulated sugar. Well... You could. But then you might as well make some other, mediocre cookie recipe. If you don't have or can't get soft brown sugar you can add a 1/4 cup of honey/molasses/golden syrup to 3/4 cup granulated.
These cookies will blow you away. They are THE BEST chocolate chip cookies you will ever taste. Trust me. Toot Toot.

The BEST chocolate chip cookies ever.

Soft, thick and gorgeous!

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/170g) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) white granulated/castor sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp good vanilla extract
2 cups (250g) plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cornflour
1 1/2 cup (270g/9.5oz) chocolate chips or chunks (note: I also love adding nuts (e.g. pecans) to these cookies, or using M&Ms. The possibilities are endless :) As long as the total weight of the add ins is not above 350g feel free to experiment!)

Method

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attatchment until its soft and slightly lighter in colour. Add all of the sugar (brown and white) and beat the three together for about 3-4 mins on high speed, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and the vanilla, mixing them in in at medium speed until combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cornflour together and add the dry ingredients in a third at a time. Next, add the chocolate chips; or if you're using chunks, chop the chocolate now into pieces the size of about 4 choc chips. Add all of the chocolate and any other add ins and mix on low-medium speed until it is all evenly dispersed. Roll the dough into balls (about 2 tbls of dough) and place the in the freezer for at least an hour (or the fridge for at least 2 hours). 15 mins before time is up, preheat the oven to 190C (375F).
After 2 hours, evenly place the balls on two baking sheets, lined with foil, baking paper or a silpat sheet. Place them in the oven for 8-10 mins. If the cookies come out of the oven and seem too thick, I press them down gently with a spoon while they're still warm. Leave them to cool until firm, about 10 mins. Enjoy!
(trust me, you will.)

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Profteroles with chantilly cream and chocolate sauce

Ahhhh!
Tu parle Francais?
#wowedbymylinguisticskills:)
Oh, the joys of choux pastry. I love the puffy, golden wonder that is a profiterole or eclair, filled with whipped cream, ice cream or pastry cream and covered in velvety, rich chocolate sauce... Sorry, got a bit carried away there. So, um, as you may have gathered, I love choux pastry. And it is so much more simply than you would think. Pastry, cream, chocolate.... What more do you want?

And the elegance and sophistication of croquembouche is almost unparalleled in the world of wedding desserts. Ok there's the bog standard cake, cupcake towers and such but the delicacy of choux pastry is like no other- except maybe Napolean cake. Now it's time for a string of random French words. Vive la France! Oui Oui! Macaron! Bonjour! Versailles! Louis Vuitton(you wish)! Paris! Pierre Hermes (again, you wish)!


(Note, April 2016: Je suis plus forte en francais maintenant. I was such a weird child lol. What's with the hashtags? Cringe.)

Profiteroles with chantilly cream and chocolate sauce

I think that I have said enough and that it is time for you to try these puffy morsels. They are absolutely delicious and a favourite dessert of mine- and friends and family!
P.s, I used a different chocolate sauce recipe in this picture but found the one shown here to be the best so yours will probably be thinner than shown here. Sorry for any worry or confusion:)

Ingredients

For the profiteroles
1 cup milk (235 ml) , whole or skimmed
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113g) butter
1 cup plain/all-purpose/cake flour
4 medium eggs
For the chantilly cream
3/4 cup (200ml) double/heavy cream
1/2 tbls castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract/ 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
For the chocolate sauce
3.50z (100g) Dark/bittersweet chocolate or milk chocolate

100ml double/heavy cream
2 tbls castor sugar (to be omitted if using milk chocolate)
1 tbls brewed coffee (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c/375f.
Heat the milk and butter together in a saucepan. Stir slightly with a wooden spoon along the way. When the butter has melted, dump in (yes, I said dump in) the flour all at once. Do not add it gradually- ALL AT ONCE. Stir rapidly with the heat turned down low until a cohesive ball is formed. Once that happens, take it off the heat, tip into a glass bowl and leave to cool completely.
Once the mixture has cooled, beat in the eggs one at at time with a stand mixer or electric whisk. Make sure each egg is fully encorporated before adding the next. When the eggs have all been added and the mixture looks smooth, spoon it into a piping bag fitted with with a large, round tip. Pipe mounds onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or baking paper and smooth the tops with a finger dipped in water. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until they look puffed and a light golden colour. Leave them to sit, turned over, for another 10 minutes with the oven turned off and then cut a small slit to release steam and leave to cool.
Add some hot water to a saucepan and simmer. Place a glass bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure it is not touching the water and add the cream, sugar(if you're adding it) and coffee. You won't be able to taste the coffee, but it will enhance the chocolate flavour. You can omit it if you want to but you really won't taste it. When the cream mixture is hot, add the chopped up chocolate. Stir it until the chocolate melts and it is smooth. Set it aside to cool.
Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft/slightly stiff peaks are formed( when you remove the whisk, the cream drops very, very slowly). Fill the profiteroles either by spooning the cream in or piping it. I used a disposable piping bag with no tip and filled them through slit that was already there. Dip them in the cooled chocolate sauce and serve. They can be eaten while it is still liquid, or popped in the fridge for the chocolate to harden slightly.
Enjoy!

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Tarte au citron

Once again, welcome to the world of the French. You probably answered this question last time, mais.... Tu parle francais?
Tarte au citron is citrusy, fresh, delicious and just amazing. I love the flavour and tartness of lemon, and so does my Mom so this tart is a hit in our house :).
If you have seen this recipe before, and you have noticed that there is no more 'sorry that it looks horrible', this is because I followed my recipe and adjusted a few things so that it looks as it should. The problem before was that the curd had not set and therefore there was this.... globular mess instead of nice, clean cuts. It tasted great- but didn't have the professional look that I am(and I'm sure many of you are) looking for. So here it is. Living and learning. Tarte au citron, take two!

Tarte au citron

Lovely, lemony, luscious... This tart is a sure hit for citrus lovers!

Ingredients!

• 1 1/4 cup (300 ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• grated zest of one lemon, preferably unsprayed
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into bits
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg yolks
• Baked pastry case- from the tarte aux pommes recipe or your own.

• Method!
• Preheat the oven to 180c/375f. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together. Set aside. Add the lemon juice, zest, sugar and butter to a saucepan and put on medium heat. Stir it until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add about half of the mixture slowly to the eggs, whisking them constantly. Next, pour all of this back into the saucepan and stir it every few seconds until it thickens and begins to bubble slightly. Pour this into the pastry case, smooth the top and put in the oven to set for 12 mins, or until it is completely set. When coming out of the oven, the curd should have only a slight wobble and seem not to be runny or liquid at all. Leave to cool COMPLETELY (it should be completely cold to touch with very little, even no wobble in the middle) in the fridge before cutting and serving. You can have it with cream, custard or just by itself.
• Enjoy!

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Tarte aux pommes

Ooh la la. Welcome to the world of the French. Tu parle francais?

I love this apple tart. It's delicious. And yes, I am EXTREMELY modest.

In other matters, don't you get irritated by leftover pastry? Don't you wish you could get out of the cycle of freezing leftovers that you'll probably forget about anyway. DO NOT FEAR! I have a solution!

I decided to make some impressive (if I do say so myself) decorations.

Easy, beautiful and resourceful. What's not to have?

For the leaves:

Cut out some rolled out pastry using a circular cookie cutter or glass. Then, cut into the circle again, but only using a section of the cutter. Then, using a butter knife or modelling tool, make an impression down the middle of the leaf and on either side at an angle. The finished product should look like this:

For the braids:
Cut the rolled pastry into long strips of equal width. Braid the pastry in threes and stick the ends together with a dab of water. The finished product should look like this:

So, you see, I have saved you from the depths of freezer despair! Lol I'm weird. :D

Tarte aux pommes

This apple tart is simple to make with no real technical difficulty. If you don't like cinnamon, omit cinnamon. If you don't want to spend time arranging the apples, just pour them in. It's very forgiving as a recipe.
Ingredients!
For the pastry:
1 cup(125g) plain or all-purpose flour
1/3 cup(55g) butter, extremely cold
Ice water
For the apples:
7 apples, of your choice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tbls butter
1 tbls sugar
Splash of water
For the syrup:
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tbls maple syrup
2 tsp butter
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c/375f
Cut the butter into small blocks with a metal knife. Rub it into the flour in a large glass bowl, being careful not to overwork it. You should still be able to see little bits of butter. Alternatively, you could blitz it up for a few seconds in a food processor and slowly stream in the water. If not, once the butter is rubbed in, add the water a tablespoon at a time and mix in with a knife until a cohesive dough has formed. It does take a bit of practice though, and you might need to add a bit of flour or water to even it out. Don't stress though- it becomes as natural as riding a bike or typing!
Tip it out onto some cling film and wrap it up. Pat it into a disk and put it into the fridge whilst you make the filling.
Next, cut each apple into 8 wedges and add them to a bowl with a few splashes of lemon juice to prevent oxidisation. After all the apples are cut, rinse them off and add them to a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Set aside.
Roll out the pastry on a cold, floured surface. Try to make it as even as possible and make sure it doesn't stick by rotating it and flouring the rolling pin. Roll it to your desired thickness (preferably as thin as you can get it without tearing)- but to check it is big enough, place the tart tin in the middle, use your fingers to measure the height of the sides and make sure it is the size of the tin's bottom and the height of the sides all around. Roll it onto you rolling pin and gently lift it and onto and over the tart tin. Let go and carefully use your fingers to prod the pastry into the edges. Then trim the excess with a knife. If any cracks, rips or tears appear, patch it over with leftover pastry. Any more can be used to make the aforementioned decorations.
Next, put the apples on medium heat whilst you finish the pastry. Switch it off and leave to cool after the butter has melted, the sugar has dissolved and they have cooked a little, about 5 mins.
Cover the pastry in baking paper or foil and pour in your weight for the blind baking. Put it in the oven as so for 15 mins as is, then brush it with egg or milk and put it in for another 15 mins, ensuring that it doesn't burn. While the pastry bakes, make the cinnamon syrup. Add everything except the butter to a saucepan and stir thoroughly. After 1 minute add the butter. Simmer for another 30 seconds and switch off.
Remove the tart and layer the apples in a spiral pattern or just tip them in and smooth the top. Pour over the syrup and add any decorations. Put a foil ring around the pastry's edge to avoid burning and place in the oven for 10 mins or until the decorations are lightly browned. You do not need the foil ring if you have the braid on the edge.
Serve with good vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, liquid cream, creme fraiche, cinnamon syrup or anything of your choice.
Enjoy!

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