Doggy Delights

Hello! Well anyone who read my last post will know that i was getting a puppy, and today she is making her online debut! 
We got her a couple of weeks ago and she is now about 11 weeks old, and i will tell you a little about her. 
She is a Boxador, part Boxer, part Labrador, with the agility and enthusiasm of a Boxer and the intelligence and kindness of a Lab, and i also think it makes for a pretty adorable dog. 
Her name is Bowline, which is a type of knot, and this stems from the fact that our family owns and loves boats, but we shorten it to Bo, which is uber cute. 
She loves to play, and is very intelligent, and has learnt so many tricks, so much so that we have just about managed to train her to lift her left paw when we say port and her right when we say starboard ( all tying in with the nautical stuff )

I have never owned a dog before, but all i know is that i am loving her and the experience so far, and i am especially going to enjoy finding recipes to bake her little treats, and training her to be my co-chef, or at least a dog that doesn't jump on the work surface every time i'm baking, either would do. 

So to celebrate the arrival of the lovely Bo, i have found a recipe on pinterest, which isn't mine, but i thought looked lovely, this recipe is from a website called pizzazzerie.com and has lots of lovely recipes on it. So i hope any dog lovers enjoy this recipe, and watch my blog for any more appearances of Bo, she might be sneaking into a few more of my posts from now on.

 Pupcakes

Makes 6 cupcakes 

Ingredients

1 cup whole-wheat flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c plain yogurt

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil

2 tbsp honey

1 large egg

1/2 apple, chopped

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup diced carrot

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with 6 paper liners. 

2.In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda. In a medium bowl, blend together the yogurt, oil, honey and eggs, then stir in the apple, cheese, and carrots. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until mixed (will be slightly lumpy).

3.Spoon the batter into the muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. 

4.Bake in the preheated oven about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a pupcake comes out clean. Let the pupcakes cool in the tins on a rack for a few mintues, then remove and set aside to cool completely. 

5.For the frosting, just mix together all of the ingredients and pipe it on top, and serve it to your helpful hound or marvellous mutt!

Hope you and your pooches enjoy this!

See you next time, love from Elise and Bo xx

Beetroot and Chocolate Red Velvet Cake

I had never heard of this cake before until my friend Marina (check out her fashion blog by the way it's great marina-simone.blogspot.com) requested it for her birthday cake.

I researched a bit and came up with this, i put loads of elements together, and excuse the slapdash icing job, but i can honestly say it's amazing! 

With a not-to-rich chocolatey taste, and a lovely earthy back note from the beetroot, and a lovely pinky, ruby colour!

Now as you can see i made a mahoosive cake, which was about 5 layers, so don't worry I'm not going to make you make that much, just giving you the recipe to make an average to large sized cake. 

Even better, it's a very simple cake to make!








Ingredients

For the Cake 

2 teaspoons lemon juice

135g beetroot, boiled and blended (reserve some for swirling on top)

310g plain flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

400g caster sugar

50g unsweetened cocoa powder

285g unsalted butter, melted

4 eggs, beaten

125ml milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

75g cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

450g icing sugar

Method



1.Grease and line one 23x33cm, similar sized baking dish or a couple of sandwich tins.  Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4.

2. Sprinkle the lemon juice over beetroot, and set aside. 

3. Combine the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar, cocoa, melted butter, eggs, milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir in beetroot. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of mixer, until well combined, but do not over mix. Pour into your prepared dish. 

4. Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave on wire rack, and allow to cool (stone cold) 

5. To make the icing- : combine cream and cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add icing sugar, beat until fluffy.  

6. Once your cake is cooled, using a palette knife, spread your frosting evenly all over the top and the sides of your cake. 

7. Finally using a knife or a pastry brush, make a swirl or any other pattern of your choice, on top of your cake, using your reserved beetroot puree. 


And there you have it! Beetroot and chocolate red velvet cake! i hope you enjoy this recipe, please do comment if you like the look of this recipe, want to make it, or need any help! And don't forget to go check out Marina's blog!  Always here! elise xx
 

Birthday Cake

Hello all! 
My little sisters birthday is coming up, and i am due to make her a woodland themed birthday cake, so granted all goes well that should be up here within the next couple of weeks! 
Hope you are all ok! 
(i might post something before then though) 
Love Elise xxx 

p.s. sorry that i have been neglecting my blog for a while, but I'm trying to get better, i thought i would be able to post a picture of my birthday cake, but it disappeared too quickly!

Oreo Cupcakes

My two favorite things- chocolate and Oreo's, came together the day i found Oreo's on offer. The cream cheese frosting really makes this cupcake a luxury and the hidden Oreo at the bottom is enough to brighten any day.

makes 12 cakes

Ingredients

For the cakes:

100g plain flour

20g bournville cocoa powder

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter

120ml whole milk

1 egg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract 

2 packets of oreos

For the Frosting: 

100g of softened butter 

300g of soft cheese 

100g of icing sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract 

6 oreos to decorate 

Method: 

1. Measure Out the flour ,cocoa powder,sugar,baking powder,salt and butter in a free standing electric mixer with paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk)and beat on a slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
2. Whisk the milk,egg,and vanilla extract together in a jug ,then slowly pour about half into the flour mixture,beat to combine and turn the mixer up to high speed (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth.Do not over mix.
3. Place a whole Oreo at the bottom of each case.Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes,or until the sponge bounces back when touched.A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
4. For the cream cheese Frosting, whip up the butter until soft and creamy then add in the soft cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract and whip until thick and creamy.
5. Dispense the Frosting into am icing bag with the star nozzle attachment and pipe in swirls on the top. Cut the 6 Oreo's in half and place on top of the cakes.
6. Hope you enjoy this tempting treat, and comment if you have any problems, questions, or suggestions! elise x