Salmon Puff pastry

Ahh..puff pastry is tooo cool~!! Its perfect for a late dinner when you're not bothered to cook anything!

I topped the pastry triangles with some luscious salmon and fresh salad this time. Amazing!! - I think I will prefer these ones than the chicken one; theres something to it that makes it ever so indulging.
Heres a picture to get your mouth watering :P

Chicken puff pastry

Nom nom nom....It has been a tiring week and mum wasn't too bothered to make dinner and so I stepped in and made her a lovely, hot chicken pastry (: Puff pastry came out puffy and perfect like always and every bite was sensational. 

Be sure to slice the the chicken thin enough  so it can cook before the pastry starts to burnt. Top the pastry up with some lovely sweetcorn and tomatoes and kick in a handful of parmesan cheese. Add some lemon juice to "zing" up the flavours; and you're done!

Back to the classics - Choc chip cookies

I've had quite a break from baking recently due to all sorts of excuses HOWEVER I've managed to bake these classic choc chip cookies seeing as the cookie jar was left empty for a good few weeks (although topped up with custard creams now and then). And after baking these cookies, I don't think I can part away from baking for this long again - I really do miss it :') 

Chocolate Chip cookies (for about 18 cookies)

Ingredients:
70g caster sugar
115g softened butter
140g plain flour
1 egg
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
175g choc chips
70g soft brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 190 C/375 F/ Gas mark 5. Beat the butter with both lots of sugar until creamy. Break the egg in and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix it in.

Add the flour, salt and bicarb into the mixture, a little at a time. Stir everything together until well combined. Add in the choc chips.

Butter the baking trays. Spoon small mounds of the mixture on, leaving quite big spaces in between. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Move onto wire rack and cool.

Cupcakes for year 6

It was Year 6's SATs week back in May when I made these cupcakes and forgot to post it on the blog. 

They had just finished all their exams and were going to hold a party. Seeing as my sister was having trouble thinking of what to bring in, I stepped in like all big sisters would and helped her sort out her crisis over food. I offered to bake something special for her class so I decided to personalise these cupcakes like I did with the baptism ones in Easter. I'm very proud of these cupcakes and Year 6. Well done!

Ingredients:

50g marshmallows

125g lightly salted butter

100g caster sugar

2 eggs

150g self raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Line a 12-section bun tray with paper cake cases. Cut the marshmallows into pieces using kitchen scissors. Put all the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand-held electric whisk for about 1 minute until light and creamy. Stir in marshmallow pieces and divide mixture amongst cake cases.

Bake in a preheated oven, 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 20 minutes until risen and golden.

Passionfruit Cream Cupcakes

I adore passionfruit and I adore cupcakes so the perfect treat for me are passionfruit cream cupcakes :D. 

They are wonderful! The cake is light and spongey and the passionfruit just lets out that zingy tang to dissolve into the sweet flavour. Once dusted with icing sugar, they are thenomenal! I suggest you try these out NOW!

Passionfruit Cream Cupcakes

Ingredients:

150g lightly salted butter, softened
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 passionfruits
150ml double cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a 12-section muffin tray with paper cases. Put the butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer for about a minute until light and creamy. Divide the mixture between the paper cases. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Half both passionfruits and scoop the pulp into a bowl with cream and 1 tablespoon icing sugar. Whip until it just holds its shape. Peel the cupcakes away from its paper cases and cut it in half horizontally. Sandwich them together with the passionfruit cream. Dust with icing sugar and serve!

Puff pastry frisbees

Doesn't EVERYONE just LURRRV puff pastry?! It's the easiest thing to use and guides you to baking lovely homemade goods in no time. Another +ive is that it goes well with sweet AND savoury foods! In this case, I've used it to make these lovely fruit frisbees; looking delicate and a piece of food thats taken ages to make - but really, literally 2 minutes! And the best thing about it? - nothing will ever go wrong with this recipe!

Fruit Frisbees
Ingredients:
225g ready-made puff pastry
A sprinkle of caster sugar
Apricot jam, warmed, sieved
A pear
Sliced peaches
2 plums
A glace cherry
A banana
Melted butter

Method:
Set oven to 220C/425F/gas 7. Lightly grease the baking tray with some melted butter. 
Roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick. Cut circles using a cutter/circular lid. Cut around the banana twice to make two banana shapes.
Slice the plums and pear thinly and arrange as "fans" onto the circular pastries. 
Cut the banana in half and lay onto the "banana-shaped" pastries. Brush the fruit with some melted butter and sprinkle the sugar on top. 
Bake the tarts for about 20 mins until the pastry is crisp and the fruit is cooked. Put on a wire rack to cool.
When the tarts have cooled, brush the fruit with a little apricot jam, to glaze the tarts.

Just a simple lemon drizzle loaf...

Lemon is a fruit which tingles your taste buds when eaten on its own. They are healthy in a lot of ways and provide vitamins A, B, C & E! And for that reason, I add it into my cooking. Never mind if the vitamins are still there after its been mixed into cake batter and cooked in a rather hot oven... Ahh well, another excuse in baking up another lemon drizzle loaf!

Recipe:

Ingredients
225g unsalted butter , softened
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
finely grated zest 1 lemon/2 lemons if you like it stronger
225g self-raising flour
FOR THE DRIZZLE TOPPING
juice 11⁄2 lemon
85g caster sugar

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then add the eggs, one at a time, slowly mixing through. Sift in the flour, then add the lemon zest and mix until well combined. Line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) with greaseproof paper, then spoon in the mixture and level the top with a spoon.
Bake for 45-50 mins until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooling in its tin, mix together the lemon juice and sugar to make the drizzle. Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle - the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping. Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and serve. Will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.