Trifle Cupcakes

 My Mother has a huge love for custard and since trying these cupcakes has proclaimed them to be her favourite so far! And it really does taste like the trifle pudding that we all know and love, complete with cream, custard, raspberries, and the 'cakey' element, i really think that you will enjoy them, and you will amaze anyone that you make them for as they receive a pocket sized dessert, what more could you want in life!  

This may seem a little complex, because of the creme patisserie element to the recipe, but this is a full proof recipe and is bound to turn out perfect, just don't panic, and keep mixing, and don't be afraid to add more fluid if it seems a bit too thick! 

Makes 12-16 cupcakes

Ingredients: 

Sponge- 

80g butter 

280g caster sugar 

240g plain flour 

1 tbsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

240ml whole milk 

1 tsp vanilla essence 

2 large eggs 

Filling and Frosting- 

500ml whole milk 

1/2 tsp vanilla essence 

5 egg yolks 

100g caster sugar 

30g plain flour 

30g cornflour 

200ml double cream 

12-16 raspberries 

12-16 strawberries 

100g raspberry jam 

(I know this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients, but trust me, it's worth it) 

Method: 

1.Preheat oven to 190c, gas mark 5, prepare muffin tin.

2.Beat together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt on a low speed until they are all mixed and resemble fine breadcrumbs.

3.In a jug whisk together the milk, vanilla and eggs, then pour 3/4 into the dry ingredients, and mix on a low speed. Once it is incorporated, add the rest of the milk, and mix until you get a smooth batter.

4.Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each case two thirds full, then bake for 18-20 minutes, until the sponge bounces back when lightly pressed. Leave to become completely cool.

5.Whilst the cakes are cooling make the creme patisserie. Place milk, and vanilla in saucepan and bring to boil. In a bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and cornflour to make a paste (you may want to add a couple of tablespoons of hot milk to thin)

6.When the milk has boiled, remove pan from the heat and mix 4-5 tablespoons with the egg mix. Then pour this into the milk in the pan, and return to the heat, bring back to the boil whisking constantly once boiling cook for a further minute to cook the flours.

7.Once the custard has thickened, pour onto a baking tray and cover in cling film to cool. 

8.Tip the cooled custard into a large bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon. In a separate bowl whip the double cream  into soft peaks, then fold this into the custard.

9.Hollow out all of the cupcakes, keeping the cut-out pieces of sponge.

10.Place a piece of strawberry in the cupcake, followed by 1/2 teaspoon of jam on top, and then top up with the custard mix (which i prefer to pipe in).

11.Repeat this for all the cupcakes, then replace the sponge, trimming to fit as a lid. Finish off the cupcakes by piping some of the custard mixture on top, add a raspberry on top of the swirled custard to finish.

And thats it! I hope you enjoy them, and with summer fast approaching, and all this glorious british fruit coming into season, i implore you to take up the opportunity and use it! I will be giving you many more recipes for what you can do with our produce in the future too, as i think it's far too good to be wasted! 

P.s. I thought i would give you a quick Bo update too, who is now 18 weeks old and getting on very well indeed!  

 Also, if any of you have any requests of things you would like to see me make, perhaps a favourite dessert compacted into a cupcake like this recipe, then don't hesitate to use the contact box to the left of the screen or comment below, i will greatly enjoy reading any suggestions. 

Until next time, Elise xxx

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