COFFEE CUPCAKES! Poppy dreamed up these delicious cupcakes after drinking her first cup of French brewed coffee at Marie Claire’s bakery. A rich, espresso cupcake topped with coffee butter-cream and a coffee flavored chocolate bean on top.
Make 12 regular sized cupcakes or about 36 mini cupcakes
INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon milk 1 tablespoon espresso powder ½ cup (1 stick) softened butter ½ cup sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons self-raising flour (or you can use regular flour and 1 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder and mix well together before adding to the batter) ¼teaspoon of salt
METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Pour the tablespoon of milk into a little dish(a small china ramekin is ideal) and warm in the microwave for about ten seconds. If you don’t have a microwave just warm some milk gently in a saucepan and measure out 1 tablespoon into a little dish. Then sprinkle the espresso powder over the milk and stir to blend. 3. If there is a food processor in your home, ask an adult to help you set it up and whiz all the cake ingredients together, including the espresso flavored milk. Then go directly to step 5. Otherwise, put your stick of softened butter into a large bowl and using a hand-held mixer, whiz the butter around until it is nice and fluffy. Pour the sugar on top and beat together with the butter until well blended. Go slowly at first because you don’t want sugar flying all over the counter. 4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. You can ask an adult to help you with this if you like because you don’t want bits of eggshell in the batter. Add the vanilla extract, then the self-raising flour (or flour and baking powder), and ¼ teaspoon salt and mix quickly again. You don’t want to over mix the ingredients or your cakes will be tough. 5. Now, mix the powerful espresso flavored milk into your cake batter, scraping around the little dish to make sure you get it all in. The batter will turn a rich coffee color and smell delicious. 5. Arrange 12 paper cupcake wrappers inside a muffin tin or if you want to make miniature cupcakes, you will need about 36 mini paper wrappers for a mini muffin pan. Fill each cup half-full with cake batter and bake 16-20 minutes for regular cup cakes, 9 -14 minutes for minis. You might want to ask an adult to help you get the cakes into and out of the oven. Let cool on a wire rack.
RAISING YOUR SPIRITS CAKE! Makes 1 cake or 12 cupcakes
When you are full of the grumps and life feels challenging, make this delicious, light-as -air cake to lift your spirits. Be careful with your measurements and do not exceed 1 tablespoon of dragon’s breath otherwise the results may not be quite what you expected. Don’t worry if you can’t track down any dragon’s breath. Your cake will be just as delicious without it, and it should still raise your spirits if you say the chanting spell with an extra degree of enthusiasm.
INGREDIENTS ½ cup (I stick) butter, softened ½ cup sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 4 ounces (just over ¾ cup) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon condensed dragon’s breath. (If you don’t have any dragon’s breath, feel free to substitute 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. A tiny drop of red food coloring will give the cake an authentic look because dragon’s breath tints the batter a lovely pale pink.)
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F 2. Mix everything together in a food processor. Or use an electric beater to mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl and then mix into the batter until just blended. Add the milk and dragon’s breath (or vanilla and food coloring if using). 3. Now hold a wooden (not metal) spoon in your left hand. Making sure you start in a clockwise direction, begin stirring the batter and in a clear, cheerful voice chant the following spell:
Sunshine, moonbeams, light as air Stir three times round without a care. Warm winds, laughter, spirits rise Stir back three times, counterclockwise.
4. Pour into a greased 7-inch cake pan or make as cupcakes. Bake cake for about 20 minutes (about 15 for cupcakes) until risen and springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack. 5. If you like you can make a simple frosting for your cake by beating together 1 stick of softened butter, 1¼ cups of confectioners’ sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. You will feel bubbles of happiness rising up inside you as you eat!
MY GRANDMOTHER'S SHORTBREAD RECIPE I have fond memories of visiting my grandparents in Lancashire, and can still picture the battered old biscuit tin my grandmother kept her shortbread in. When you prized off the lid with the flowers painted on it, inside were these delicious shortbread wedges, crisp, buttery and lightly sprinkled in a dusting of sugar. Today, whenever I make this recipe I am transported right back to my grandparents' kitchen with the yellow painted walls and the scratched up biscuit tin sitting on the table. There is always a fire burning in my memory and Bozer, the old boxer dog lying on the hearthrug in front of it.
This recipe is actually very simple. Use the best ingredients you can. It’s all about the butter!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla
METHOD
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor and pinch off a taste of the dough to make sure it’s delicious. 2. Divide the mixture into two balls and on a baking sheet, pat each ball into a flat round about 7 - 7 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1/3 inch thick. Score into wedges and poke all over with a fork to make the traditional shortbread design. 3. Bake for about 35- 40 minutes, until pale golden. When the shortbread comes out of the oven cut right through along the score lines and cool in pan on a wire rack. The shortbread will crisp as it cools. 4. Sprinkle sugar over the bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature.
CLASSIC VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE
This is one of my favorite teatime treats. I love to make it in the summer, and eat large slices in the garden, sitting on the lawn under our maple tree. Nothing beats this soft, buttery vanilla cake filled with raspberry jam and whipped cream. It is an English classic and the one my daughter always requests when I ask her what she'd like me to bake for Sunday tea!
Cake Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons of milk 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 1 2/3 cups self-rising flour (or use all-purpose flour mixed with 2 teaspoons of baking powder) pinch of salt
Filling ½ cup of raspberry jam 1 cup of heavy cream -whipped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
Butter 2 8-inch cake pans.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and cream together. Or using a standing or hand held mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and milk and then blend in the flour and salt, being careful not to over-mix.
Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes, until light golden and spongy to touch. Cool tins on wire rack for ten minutes, and then turn out and cool cakes completely.
Sandwich cake layers together with raspberry jam and whipped cream. For an extra special touch sprinkle some fresh raspberries over the jam. I like to dust the top with confectioners sugar for a pretty touch!
Enjoy.
MRS. PLUNKET'S RAINY DAY BROWNIES
Poppy makes these brownies at her bakery. She was given the recipe by P.C. Plunket’s mother. One taste and Poppy was smitten. These are the easiest brownies in the world to make, and the most delicious. Like Mrs. Plunket, Poppy only makes them on rainy days, and they are a favorite with all the villagers of Potts Bottom, especially the Ruthersfield girls.
The ingredients listed below make enough for an 8 by 8 pan but Mrs. Plunket always doubles the recipe to fill a 9 by 13 pan. If you like brownies this is an excellent idea! P. C. Plunket has been known to polish off an entire batch in one evening.
INGREDIENTS
1 stick of butter 2 ½ ounces of unsweetened chocolate 1 cup sugar ½ cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon cocoa powder ½ teaspoon espresso powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Put the butter and chocolate into a bowl and melt together in the microwave. This will probably take about 1½ minutes. If you don’t have a microwave, balance the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water to melt. Ask an adult to help you with this.
Once the chocolate and butter have melted, stir them together to blend. A wire whisk works well for this or a big wooden spoon. Then add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time, cracking the eggs in last. Mix everything together well.
Scrape the mixture into a greased 8 by 8 square pan. Rubber spatulas are great for this. Cook for about 25 - 35 minutes. Check after 25 minutes. You do not want to overcook these. A little squidge in the middle is a good thing. If you like your brownies cakey keep them in a little longer. You might want to ask an adult to help you take the pan out of the oven.
Let the brownies cool in the pan on a wire rack and try not to burn your mouth in your eagerness to eat these!
STICKY WINTER GINGERBREAD
This is the perfect recipe for a gloomy November afternoon when you want something homey and comforting to eat in front of the fire.
INGREDIENTS
10 tablespoons of butter 4 ½ oz dark brown sugar 7 oz golden syrup 7 0z molasses 2 tablespoons of powdered ginger 250ml milk 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon of baking soda, dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water 10 ½ oz all purpose flour pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees f
METHOD
Dump the flour and salt into a large bowl. In a saucepan melt the butter, and then stir in the sugar, golden syrup, molasses and ginger. Pour the butter mixture into the flour, along with the milk, eggs, and baking soda mixture. Mix well. The batter will be very liquid – don’t worry! That’s how it’s meant to be. Pour into a greased and lined 12 by 8 inch pan. Bake for ¾ - 1 hour until spongy. You do not want to overcook this. A little stickiness in the middle is just fine. Cool on a wire track. Cut yourself a large slice and enjoy it fresh from the oven with a nice cup of tea!
ANNABELLE'S TEA TIME BISCUITS These are the easiest biscuits (cookies) in the world to make. My sister gave me the recipe and they are just the sort of thing our grandmother would have made. There is a lovely old fashioned quality about them, full of oats and brown sugar, the sort of thing that makes a house feel like a home. The best part is they require very little effort, just some gentle melting and stirring, so this is an extremely kid friendly recipe!
In a bowl stir together: 1 cup of self rising four 1 1/4 cup of quick oats 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda pinch of salt sprinkle of ginger (optional - but I love the slight gingery warmth)
In a saucepan melt together: 9 tablespoons of butter 1 tablespoon molasses 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Add oat mixture to melted butter mixture and stir around to blend.
Roll the mixture into little balls (I get sixteen cookies out of this) and put on a baking sheet. Flatten slightly with your hand.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and cool on a wire rack. One bite will transport you back to your grandmother's house!
RASPBERRY JAM COCONUT CAKE This is one of my favorite tea time recipes. It's a moist, light cake covered with a thin layer of raspberry jam and toasted coconut - what's not to love! This cake is so good I guarantee you won't be able to stop at just one piece. INGREDIENTS 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 2/3 cup of milk 1 2/3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder pinch of salt 2 generous teaspoons of vanilla About 1/3 to 1/2 cup raspberry jam 1 cup of dried coconut flakes, either sweetened or unsweetened. I like unsweetened. Toast coconut in a little dish in 35o degree oven for about 12 minutes until lightly golden.
METHOD Preheat oven to 350 degrees Butter a 12 by 9 inch baking pan
In a food processor or using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until blended. Add vanilla and milk. Sift the baking powder and salt with the flour and add this to the mixture. Blend quickly until smooth. Transfer mixture to pan and cook for around 30 minutes until golden and springy to touch. Remove from oven and spread with raspberry jam. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and drive right in. Delicious with a big cup of tea!!