A Calendar of Cupcakes

i got back from the cemetery & gramps this morning and decided i was cocooning myself indoors!..it's september and this weekend has felt like the middle of winter!..over on Taylored Expressions, as well as having a great cupcake challenge, Taylor has launched a fab set of stamps!...for this weeks challenge i've made a card for Christmas...i know.... but it's not far away, and its as cold as christmas....Here she is...i've used my cupcake tilda again because she is lovely!!....

Recipe: Stamp~ magnolia, Calendar stamp ~ imaginisce,Papers sonburn designs classic christmas collection.

Mmmmm ....Maltesers Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for part of my A~Z of cupcakes and also in the Cupcake Recipe swap, so thought it was time to finish my layouts!...

For the cake: 150g soft light brown sugar, 100g caster sugar, 3 eggs, 175ml milk, 15gm butter, 2tbsp horlicks, 175gm plain flour, 25gm cocoa powder, 1tsp baking powder, 1/2tsp sodium bicarb.

For the icing: 250gm icing sugar, 1tsp cocoa, 45g horlicks, 125gm soft unsalted butter, 2tbsp boiling water, 2 x 37gm pkts maltesers.

Preheat the oven to 170'/G4. Whisk together the sugar and eggs.Heat the milk,butter,and horlicks powder in a saucepan until the butter melts and its hot not boiling.

When the sugar & eggs are light & frothy, beat in the hot horlicks mixture and then fold in the flour, cocoa,baking powder & bicarbonate of soda.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the cupcake cases and bake in the oven for 15 mins.Sieve the icing sugar, cocoa and horlicks into a bowl.Add the butter and mix then add hot water. Swirl the buttercream onto the top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle with crushed maltesers and then add one malteser to the top of each.

Eat & Enjoy Mmmmmm

Summers over......time for cupcakes!!

well i can definitely say that summer is over.....we've certainly had autumnal showers the last few days, although not as torrential as other areas in the uk. This week Ive managed 1. to get some photo's printed! and 2. to complete a layout!....I've been lacking in layout inspiration lately and even the challenges on uks haven't inspired me!...so here is my Apple & Blackberry Cupcakes:

Recipe Ingredients (makes 18)

200g Blackberries, 3 Apples, 2 Eggs, 240ml Milk, 120ml Vegetable Oil, 200g Granulated Sugar, 375g Flour (plain), 4 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Topping:mascapone cream cheese,icing sugar.....mix together until required taste....drizzle with warmed blackberries.
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mk 6, 400°F). Place the eggs, oil, sugar and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat together. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon, and stir in thoroughly. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into small pieces. Gently stir the apples and blackberries into the mixture. Fill a muffin tray with paper muffin cases, and then fill each case to about two thirds full with the muffin mixture. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes.

Topping: mascapone cream cheese,icing sugar.....mix together until required taste....drizzle with warmed blackberries. Sprinkle over the top of each cupcake. Alternatively simply sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the tops of the cupcakes.yum yum!

I was approached a few weeks ago by our Finance Director, and offered a new role/ promotion within the department, so after finalising everything on friday I started it on monday!....I have struggled with books for the train lately, but this week I read Goodnight Beautiful by Dorothy Koomson...i couldn't put it down...you will need tissues! its a weep!...off now as i'm off to twickenham to watch the rugby, my friends son plays for the harlequins youth team so we're off to the season opener...

page recipe: Papers - Amplified~ American Crafts & Ribbon(kit from Sarah's cards) Apples ~ KIMemories

back to school

Jack & Harry go back to school tomorrow so last night I made them some cards to celebrate this and to thank them for a lovely weekend....Jack's card is following the Friday Sketchers Challenge sketch set by the very talented Claudia. My goodie bag arrived today that i won last week from the sketch challenge its great...lots of alterables...so big thankyou ladies. Harry's has plasters on as he had a little accident on saturday and hurt his fingers..hope it's healing now....

Recipe: Jack ~ sassafras dark green, karen foster pre-school,stamps ~ magnolia

Recipe Harry ~ paper ~ basic grey cupcake range,stamps magnolia, ribbon from ribbonfairy(teresa's very large draw!)

fun & friends

wow were did the weekend go?....on friday i had arranged to take my friend's Lucy and Chrissy to see the Wizard of Oz as it was Lucy's birthday and its her fav film!...it was on at the southbank.I thought it may be a bit pantominey but it was great I really enjoyed it. Afterwards we strolled along the river before getting the tube as it was a really lovely warm night in London. I love London at night. On Saturday after doing gramps's shopping & stuff I went to my friend Karen's. I had a really lovely time, just chilling and spending time with Karen, family and her two adorable boys, Jack & Harry.( It's the only place that I get a whole night's sleep at!...I sleep terribly at home getting about 3 - 4 hours most night and less if I stay at Gramps's...so 6 hours unbroken for me is fantastic).....the boy's got new scooters so they were up & down the drive with them. Sunday we did some scrapping with the boys as they have just returned form their holiday and had pics & postcards to scrap.
Last night I finally uploaded some photo's ..hopefully it will inspire me to scrap some layouts....