Diabetic Blueberry Cupcakes/Muffin Recipe

These cupcakes/muffins (it depends on the size of the case you cook it in) are delicious. I just made them and ate one warm and it was so yummy I had to blog the recipe. This is a great recipe for all you diabetics out there, ot generally anyone on a low sugar/no sugar diet. They are easy to make and don’t involve any unusual ingredients, so get cooking!

Ingredients

6 oz plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3 oz soft margarine
14 tablespoons of sweetener
100 ml milk
2 tablespoons of honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or 1 pod with seeds scraped out
A load of blueberries

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 210C/gas 6
Put paper cases into baking tray. It will make about 20 small cakes, so about 10 muffins
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and put into a bowl
In another bowl beat the margarine or butter with the sweetener and honey until light and fluffy
Add the vanilla essence and the egg and beat well
Add half the flour mixture to the other mixture and all the milk. Stir well. Add the rest of the flour mixture
Add the blueberries and fold in gently
Spoon the mixture into the cup cases
Put into the oven in the top half of the oven
Cook for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven until this time or the cupcakes will collapse.
Check to see if they are done.
Stick a wood cocktail stick in if it comes out clean they are done . If you touch the surface of a cupcake and it is springy to the touch it is done. If not leave longer in the oven. Depending on the size they can take 15 to 20 minutes.

Voila!! Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Easy (Microwavable) Salt Dough Recipe

This recipe is ridiculously easy, and very cheap. Salt dough is a great way to create your own decorations, and you can dye them or paint them any colour you like…let’s get microwaving!

1. The ratio is 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of water and 2 cups of flour. Mix all this together. It can get rather messy! If it is really gloopy, add more flour. If it is very dry, and a splash more water. You can leave the dough its natural colour, or add food colouring to stain it any colour you want! Only use a drop or two of food colouring, and you may find it makes the dough more sticky, so be prepared to add a little more flour. It is also good to have a little olive oil handy as later on when cutting out the dough may begin to dry out. The oil can be rubbed on the dough to soften it back up.

2. Knead the dough until soft and pliable

3. Get a clean work surface or board, and a rolling pin. Choose a selection of pastry cutters, these can be letters, shapes…anything you want! These can be bought from cookery shops, supermarkets etc. Roll out the dough until it is the desired thickness (don’t make it too thin) and start cutting out the shapes. If you want them to be hanging decorations, then remember to put a hole in the shape using a skewer or pencil

4. Pop the shapes on a plate that has been covered in grease proof paper, and put them in the microwave. Cook on full power for approximately 2 and a half minutes. If you take them out and they are doughy still, put them in for  a bit longer. Watch that they don’t burn!

5. Now leave them to cool

6. Once fully cooled, you can paint and decorate them. You can use any type of paint, preferably poster paint or acrylic. Also, glitter is a great way to jazz them up. Just have fun!

 

Read Full Post »

Primrose Hill Bakery

I love cupcakes. A lot.

My boyfriend discoved this gem and surprised me with two delicious cupcakes one day (he is very well trained, I know) presented in a lovely little box with a gorgeous little sticker on top…

YUM. They were AMAZING. He had selected the chocolate cupcake and the rose cupcake.

The chocholate cupcake was like a light chocolate fudge cake, and all soft and squidgy, with jummy chocolaty icing on top…

The rose cupake was so fragrant and light, something completely different but utterly wonderful…

The above were purchased from the Covent Garden bakery, but I later also ventured into the Primrose Hill Bakery when I worked right by it. I tried the scrummy hot crumpets with butter and jam (they were a bargain). My boss later sent me out to get cupcakes and earl grey tea to perk us up, this time I think I tried the vanilla…or was it peanut butter…I can’t remember but it was once again, superb. It is a great twist on traditional tea and cakes, and they are very resonably priced too (much cheper than other cupcakes).

I then went into the Covent Garden bakery with my friend for her birthday to get her a cupcake after raving about it…we went for the chocolate and marshmallow…

Once again, it did not fail to please, and they hained a new foller in the process!

As if I hadn’t already raved about it enough I went there with another friend and bought a couple and then with my Mum to buy more…phew…

Basically, go there. The Covent Garden bakery is located very close to the theatres showing the Lion King and Oliver.

You won’t be disappointed.

P.S. They have a new book out. I got it for my sister for Christmas and it is fab, great imagery and scrummy recipes.

http://www.primrosebakery.org.uk/PAGES/Cupcakes.htm

Primrose Hill,
69 Gloucester Avenue, London NW1 8LD.
Tel 020 7483 4222

Covent Garden,
42 Tavistock Street, London WC2E 7PB.
Tel 020 7836 3638

Buy online – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cupcakes-Primrose-Bakery-Martha-Swift/dp/1856268470/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270375890&sr=8-1

Get baking!!

Read Full Post »